After its 20th Anniversary, Sónar announces the dates of its events for the next year, with a festival held in Mexico City for the first time and new editions in Reykjavik, Tokyo and Cape Town.

And of course, the big festival in Barcelona, which will take place on 12, 13 and 14 June 2014.

These are the Sónar 2014 dates and cities:

Reykjavik :: 13.14.15 February
Tokyo :: 12.13 April
Mexico City :: 16.17 May
Barcelona :: 12.13.14 June
Cape Town :: 16 December

More information soon at www.sonar.es

In addition to Sónar by Day’s new location at Feria Montjuïc and its habitual Sónar by Night venue at Fira Gran Via, Sónar also counts on two other important settings for its 20th Anniversary: the Catalonia National Art Museum and CosmoCaixa.

For the first time Sónar collaborates with the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (Catalonia National Art Museum), located just 5-minutes walking distance from the headquarters of Sónar by Day.  It will house the huge digital sculpture Matter by British artist Quayola, a textural reinterpretation of Rodin’s "The Thinker", which will be installed in the Museum’s Oval Room.
The installation will be available for viewing on four festival days: Thursday 13th (18.00 to 22.00), Friday 14th (10.00 to 22.00), Saturday 15th (10.00 to 22.00) and Sunday June 16th (10.00 to 15.00). Free admission.

Meanwhile, regular festival collaborator CosmoCaixa will host Labyrinthitis by Danish artist Jakob Kirkegaard; a sound piece based on the music emitted by the human body, which will be installed at the museum’s central staircase.
The installation will be available for viewing on three festival days: Thursday 13th,Friday 14th, Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June (see schedule here). Free admission.

Both activities are part of the Sónar^+D program.

Sónar will be providing extensive live coverage through its social networks and its followers will be able to enjoy real-time updates, practical information, photos, live audio and much more.

The content that you will be able to follow through our social networks is as follows:

Facebook and Google+: publication of a daily blog which will explain everything that happens in the festival. The photo galleries of the festival on Facebook will also be updated.

Instagram: the instagrammers winning the contest will provide a real-time selection of the best images from Sónar by Day through the official profile @sonarfestival.

Twitter: These are the official hashtags to interact with the festival profile's, @SonarFestival: #sonar2013barcelona, #sonar20years, #sonarbyday y #sonarbynight. Each stage at the festival will have coverage from a specific profile: @SonarVillage, @SonarComplex, @SonarHall, @SonarDome, @SonarClub, @SonarPub, @SonarLab and @SonarCar.

Pinterest: daily update of photo galleries.

Foursquare: activation of official check-ins so that users can find each other and can locate friends nearby.

Furthermore, iCat.cat will be offering more than 30 concerts and live sessions from its website, www.icat.cat.

British composer Max Richter, playing along with bcn216, has announced a second concert at the Teatre CCCB on Sunday 16th June at 6:30pm, to be added to the already scheduled concert on the same day at 8pm.

Max Richter offers his personal representation of the ‘Four Seasons’ by Vivaldi, produced for the album “Four Season Recomposed” (Deutsche Grammophon, 2012).

Tickets on sale here;
Price: 15€ (reduced price of 12€ for "Amics del CCCB" and "Amics del MACBA")

Tickets for the concert at 8pm are now completely sold out.

Sónar+D brings together the most innovative technologies for mobiles through apps, workshops, musical instruments, live shows, exhibitions and talks. This unique experience is the result of the collaboration between Sónar and the Mobile World Capital, and makes the endless possibilities for artistic creation and the new types forms of business in the digital age available to the public.

Here is a tour of the world of mobility present at Sónar:

The App Bar, the festival's new section, contains the Sónar+D selection of the 15 most groundbreaking apps in the field containing art, music and video games. A space equipped with tablets will allow those present to test out amazing applications like "Rework: Philip Glass Remixed", a pioneer in the "App Album" format, which uses visual and interactive multitouch experiences to transfer the tribute album to the American artist, opening up the possibility of creating one's own pieces in the style of the composer.

Hackers and artists will be creating a new generation of music apps for 24 frantic hours. The Music Hack Day will feature API workshops and a special neuroscience track to promote music creation and interaction programs which unite music, brain signals, brain-computer interfaces and other physiological sensors. Sónar+D audience will be able to follow live the whole work.

Mobility and art come together in two installations presented at Sónar+D: Skrillex Variations and InkScapes. In the first, the visitor is invited to reflect on YouTube and fandom by choosing from 16 videos and unofficial versions of the hit "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites" by Skrillex (also present in Sónar) shown on a single screen. In Inkscapes, the user draws on a tablet to form part of a large interactive visual and sound canvas.

At Market Lab twenty companies, artists and developers will be showing the latest ideas in mobility applied to creation, opening up unlimited possibilities for business and artistic creativity. These include Bhoreal, a new and simple multifunction MIDI controller designed for multimedia applications, which is very useful for djs, visual artists, musicians, vjs and hackers. The Palm Top Theater is an impressive device for smartphones that allows everything happening on a mobile to be viewed in 3D. And Streaming DJs is a new online platform that enables you to hire DJs to enjoy live private sessions with video and high quality sound.

Presented live by their creators and distributors, Hands On Areafeatures remarkable developments in music technology related to mobile phones. Vidibox, a unique tool enabling video remixing and very easy editing on mobile phones. Pioneer will allow you to test out their two latest products for professional DJs: the XDJ-AERO, the first wireless system for playing with smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers; and the DDJ-SX, a special new controller for the Serato program.

The workshops include Motors & Music, which will teach those present to create new musical interfaces combining sound synthesis in real time with touch sensitive mechanical devices.

The three live shows that will be presented in the SonarComplex during the three-day festival could not exist without mobile phones. They range from the Beardytron, presented by Beardyman himself, by way of the Barcelona Laptop Orquestra to the fascinating Borderlands by Chris Carlson.

To find out more about the different areas of the technological revolution that mobility offers through the opinions of the major players involved, Sónar+D presents six conferences. Reinventing TV will map out the future of TV; Creative Technologies Café provides the opportunity to find out about the creative process of the foremost visual developers on the international scene from within; Google will be presenting its digitization and monetization programme entitled Music+ and will be explaining the business opportunities in its digital channels; Bcn Lab will be presenting the open laboratory of culture, knowledge and innovation for citizens created by Barcelona City Council.

Finally, the official Sonar's APP is now available so that you can download and schedule the calendar of concerts and activities, find all the practical information you need, and have fun with the three items of special content, which are linked closely to the music line-up of this 20th anniversary event.

The two Sónar night shifts have a line-up packed with big names in today's electronica, with 30 performances each day spread across its four stages.

On Friday, the main players include Kraftwerk, Skrillex, Richie Hawtin, Bat For Lashes, Major Lazer, Nicolas Jaar, Two Door Cinema Club, Diplo, Oneman, Karenn, Maya Jane Coles and the trio of legendary Barcelona djs Angel Molina, Zero and César de Melero, among many others.

Saturday will be the time to enjoy Pet Shop Boys, Jurassic 5, 2manydjs, Laurent Garnier, Seth Troxler, Paul Kalkbrenner, Maceo Plex, Skream, Justice, Delorean and many more.

Check out the entire Sónar by Night line-up here and all the schedules here.

Sónar by Night improves internal access, as well as opening new entrances for audiences and professionals.

Check the maps and spaces at Sónar by Night here.

And how to get from Sónar by Day to Sónar by Night here.

BBC Radio1 has actively participated in and collaborated with Sónar for more than a decade now. The prestigious British radio station wanted to celebrate the anniversary of the festival with a special program introduced by Annie Mac that, by way of radio documentary, goes over all the highlights with various of its DJs, presenters, and other personalities that have been involved with the festival over the years.

'20 years of Sónar' recollects moments from Benji B, Rob da Bank, Skream, Huw Stephens, Toddla T, Jeff Mills, Mary Anne Hobbs, Dev and Annie Mac, amongst others, who reveal their best and most bizarre Sonar moments, and try to explain what it’s like to play in front of thousands of people for the first time.’

The show also includes a few words by the great John Peel and bits of his amazing 2002 set at SonarLab; recounts some of the most special moments of recent editions by its protagonists (specially Mary Anne Hobbs' legendary 2007 dubstep showcase that finally put the genre on the map of electronic music); reveals which is the number 1 moment of BBC Radio 1 at the festival; and finally, gives its preview of the forthcoming Sónar 2013 edition, highlighting its favorites.

Many thanks to BBC Radio 1 and everybody who has participated in the programme.

This year, Sónar's daytime area presents its new location at Fira Montjuïc and a line-up packed with top drawer concerts and sessions, including those by Jamie Lidell, Modeselektor djs, Chromatics, Aluna George, Francesco Tristano, Metro Area, TNGHT, Lindstrøm & Todd Terje, Matthew Herbert Dj, ZA!, Liars, Mykki Blanco, Sebastién Tellier, bRUNA, JJ DOOM, Diamond Version, Pascal Comelade & Richard Pinhas, Sherwood & Pinch, Dinos Champman and Fatima Al Qadiri, among many others.

Check the entire Sónar by Day line-up here and all the schedules here.

The 4 stages at Sónar by Day (SonarVillage by Estrella Damm, SonarDôme –curated by Red Bull Music Academy– SonarComplex –a thousand-seat auditorium– and SonarHall) have expanded their attributes considerably, and there are also the many spaces and activities at Sónar^+D, which is based in the Palau de Congressos.

Check the maps and spaces at Sónar by Day here.

An entire festival within the festival. Sónar^+D arrives on this 20th anniversary, synthesizing and exhibiting the scenario created by the digital revolution in artistic creation, technological innovation, mobility and new business models, in its nine sections.

Here is a tour of the highlights of Sónar^+D:

24 companies, agencies, studios and academies will be present in Market Lab, where they will be showcasing the latest in innovation in creativity, education and new business opportunities. 3D printers will be brought to us by Ultra-Lab, with demonstrations and workshops. The Palm Top Theater also uses the third dimension, with a device that lets you view mobile content in 3D in the palm of your hand. The agency herraizsoto&co. will be exhibiting remarkable digital projects from their laboratory, such as Notegraphy, which seeks to redefine the way we write and share content and experiences online. Polymetros provides the opportunity for multiple users to improvise and compose music simultaneously using tablets interconnected to a central device. And the studio Two Way View brings the amazing Universal Share Station, with which they surpass the limits of telepresence.

For 24 frantic hours on Music Hack Day, 100 hackers and artists will create the new generation of music apps. There will also be workshops on APIs (an interface for using web services) and a special neuroscience hack, to promote programs for sound creation and interaction between music, brain-computer interfaces and other physiological sensors.

In Hands on Area, developers and experts will be explaining their selected products, and allowing the public to handle them and experiment. This is the case with the latest Pioneer’s two products for professional DJs: the XDJ-AERO, the first wireless system for playing with smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers; and the DDJ-SX, a special new controller for the Serato program. You can also try out Vidibox, a unique tool enabling video remixing and very easy editing on your mobile; and Bhoreal, a new multifunction MIDI controller designed for multimedia applications, ideal for djs, visual artists, musicians, vjs and hackers.

The three live shows at Sónar^+D presented at SónarComplex are a perfect example of how mobiles become fully integrated into artistic creation. From Beardytron, presented by Beardyman himself, by way of the Barcelona Laptop Orchestra to the fascinating Borderlands by Chris Carlson.

Sónar^+D presents three Workshops aimed at makers, djs and producers - for professionals and amateurs alike. Dirty Electronics is paying its respects and will teach you how to build a synthesizer dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Sonar.

The five installations at Sónar^+D can be visited in different parts of the city, so that the viewer is fully immersed in the universe of digital art: the monumental Matter by Quayola, one of the major benchmarks in multimedia art, will occupy the oval room in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya with a screen 12 metres high, where it will unfurl his visual and sound interpretation of "The Thinker" by Auguste Rodin; Labyrinthitis by Jacob Kirkegaard, invites you to discover the sound produced by the inner ear, in an amazing psychoacoustic work installed at CosmoCaixa; InkScapes of Adrià Navarro envelops the visitor in the drawings and sounds projected on a large screen that the man himself draws on a tablet.

The key players in the different spheres of the technological revolution will be present in the ten conferences presented at Sónar^+D. Rethink the Music will draw a roadmap for the future of the music industry; Creative Technologies Café offers the opportunity to find out about the creative process of the foremost visual developers on the international scene from within; Resident Advisor Exchange with Derrick May will be an interview with the renowned musician from Detroit open to the public; Richie Hawtin, Skrillex and Luciano will be presenting Bridges for Music, the project that seeks to improve the quality of life in impoverished areas in South Africa through music; Matthew Herbert presents The New Radiophonic Workshop will highlight the new virtual life of the BBC's sound lab, as well as the challenges involved in working as an online discussion portal on sound creation; and finally Lubftbobler: Dinos Chapman in conversation with Quayola will be an interview between the Italian and the British artist on his creative career and his recent musical direction.

The Sónar registration process for Meet The Expert is now open for accredited professionals seeking to expand their networking, present a project or clear up specific doubts with some of the 23 specialists in the various areas of innovation and technological creation.

At App Bar, where you can sample the selection that Sónar^+D has made of the essential mobile applications in the field of art, music and video games, you will find - among 15 other apps - the great Mini-composer created by the legendary Karl Bartos, a founder member of Kraftwerk, in alliance with the Japanese digital artist Akamatsu Masayiki to create a simple musical toy that allows you to play to recreate the sound of the Dusseldorf giants.

Buy your accreditation here.

Sónar is twenty years old, but this is not the only anniversary that is going to be celebrated in the new Fira Montjuïc area: Red Bull Music Academy, the world's most important platform for new talents, celebrates its fifteenth birthday in 2013. And once again this year, it will be curating the SonarDôme stage, which will be at a new venue for the first time and will feature a special line-up, headed by three outstanding creative duets, and include a selection of the most promising participants that have passed through the Academy in its 15-year history.

The performance by the New Yorkers Metro Area is undoubtedly one of the most important of the year at SonarDôme: Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani have been the main architects of the disco-house renaissance over the last 10 years, and have always maintained their productions at a very high standard. Another of the essential duos appearing on the stage curated by the Academy is formed by Jneiro Jarel and the great DOOM, who are opening up new escape routes for the hip hop underground under the name of JJ DOOM. The third axis of this front line is occupied by another brilliantly successful double act: TNGHT, the duo consisting of Scotland's Hudson Mohawke and Canada's Lunice, devotees of rap in all its forms, children of the bass diaspora and creators of instant dancefloor hits.

In addition to these artists, at SonarDôme we will also be able to enjoy the organic machine-free techno of Elektro Guzzi; the kraut-jazz symbiosis of JESSE & Jimi Tenor; another high-flying duo, formed by James Pants & Felix Kubin; the boogie funk of Krystal Klear; the proven quality of the East Coast MC Oddisee, accompanied on this occasion by a band; the delicacy and soundscapes of Anenon; advanced and rugged techno from the Turkish-Greek duo Cassegrain; and the thrilling ghetto beats of Branko, a founder member of Buraka Som Sistema, among many others.

Four Spanish artists presented and chosen by the Academy to perform at SonarDôme are worthy of special mention: bRUNA is undoubtedly one of the Spanish producers on the top of his game right now; a former participant of the Academy in Toronto (2007), he will be presenting the euphoric live tracks from his recent and excellent "Thence" live; meanwhile, Madrid's C. Tangana will show us why he is one of the essential names in Spanish rap right now, the Mallorcan dj Satore will pay tribute to the the classics of deep house and disco music, and Tarragona's We Like Turtles will get the dancefloor into shape with their upfront and open-minded house.

www.redbullmusicacademy.com

Thursday, 13th June
13:30 C. Tangana (live)
14:30 Cassegrain (dj)
15:40 JESSE & Jimi Tenor (live)
16:50 Oddisee (live)
18:00 Ulf Eriksson (dj)
19:20 Metro Area (live)
20:30 Branko (dj)

Friday, 14th June
12:00 We Like Turtles (dj)
13:30 Anenon (live)
14:30 UMA (live)
15:15 DZA (dj)
16:45 Palmbomen (live)
17:50 Elektro Guzzi (live)
18:50 bRUNA (live)
19:50 JJ DOOM (live)
20:45 Baris K (dj)

Saturday, 15th June
12:00 Satore (dj)
13:30 Panoram (live)
15:30 Kidsuke (live)
16:20 Mr. Beatnick (live)
17:30 Le K (dj)
18:30 Felix Kubin & James Pants (live)
19:30 Krystal Klear (dj)
21:00 TNGHT (live)

Hip-hop is back at Sónar this year, and will figure in a number of outstanding shows. The latest addition to the line up is duo JJ DOOM, formed by the extraordinary Brooklyn producer Jneiro Jarel and iconic and integral MC, British-born DOOM, aka MF Doom: two prestigious talents united in their search for strange and exciting sounds, expanding and transforming the boundaries of hip-hop as we know it, only possible in hands like theirs.  JJ DOOM will also be performing on stage at SonarDôme, curated by the Red Bull Music Academy.

Besides JJ DOOM, surely the biggest name for fans of the genre to look forward to is the historical Jurassic 5. This year, all original members from L.A.’s sextet reunite (DJ Nu-Mark, Cut Chemist, Chali 2Na, Zaakir, Mark 7even and Akil), to revisit their lavish discography that includes the very best of their sound: vintage funky beats, constant microphone interchanges, exuberant musicality and engaging messages from their background and real life surroundings. For lovers of the genre, if last year was about The Roots, this year will undoubtedly be about Jurassic 5. 

An appreciation for the funk tradition is also a trait of North American Oddisee, unanimously respected by genre fans for the feeling and flow evident in each of his releases.  We will be able to enjoy these qualities live -with band!- at the SonarDôme stage, curated by the Red Bull Music Academy.

Hip-hop is also a core sound and a basic element for other festival artists: French C2C begin with scratching and turntablism, which will deliver a danceable audiovisual show in keeping with other genres such as funk and r&b; New York’s MC Mykki Blanco lets loose his uncompromising queer rhymes over dark beats, close to experimental electronica, creating a very personal sound, deriving from a more aggressive, urban rap. Fundamental concepts of British Foreign Beggars are combative nature and power, carving out their own space between rap, grime and dubstep.  Whereas Madrid’s C. Tangana preferring jazz and slower cadences as the foundation of their sound (courtesy of the great Fabbiani) to illustrate their original flowing contemporary everyday stories via intelligent and emotive lyrics.

Finally in this section, it is also necessary to mention TNGHT and Baauer, two pioneering proponents of the bombastic style known as Trap. The sound mixing dubstep, bass and hip-hop beats that has conquered clubs throughout the world in the blink of an eye.

Once again this year, Sónar descends to the Barcelona Metro for a free appetizer concert, less than a week before the festival starts.
At centre stage this year is Wooky, with a dynamic and meticulous concert of electronica that will take place on Friday 7 June at 7pm, in the hall of Universitat station (Metro lines 1 and 2).

Albert Salinas has been carving out a name for himself on the Spanish scene for some time, and creating expectations that must be fulfilled with his first album for spa.RK, following on from his only official release to date, the excellent EP "The Ark". The new album will not be out until September, but Albert has already begun to present some of the brilliant compositions it contains live. Deep electronica with a high emotive charge - perfect to whet your appetite six days before Sónar 2013 start.


www.wooky.cat

France touches down at Sónar 2013 with 11 artists who represent a broad and varied range of styles; from funk to house with touches cosmic jazz, techno with hip hop beats, and hedonistic pop, to experimentation with processed guitars.

Ed Banger and Sound Pellegrino, two of the country’s most important labels, will offer two separate showcases, featuring the very best from their respective catalogues. The first celebrates 10 years of Ed Banger, held within another anniversary (Sónar’s 20th), with live performances by Breakbot, sets from Justice and a special mega mix by label chief Busy P. Meanwhile, Sound Pellegrino, run by Teki Latex (ex-member of TTC) present German Matthias Zimmermann and the DJ pairing Sound Pellegrino Thermal Team, perpetrators of the French label who are one of the most exciting new breeds in today’s European dance music.

Among the established and anointed, Laurent Garnier stands out for his impeccable career and special relationship with Sónar: he was present at the very first edition and has been given the task of closing the festival’s 20th anniversary, as he did last year. He also wanted to celebrate Sónar’s birthday by delivering a very special mix which reveals what the festival means to him.

Rounding off this year's wide ranging French participation will be: the cosmic electro funk of Jackson And his Computer Band (presenting his Warp comeback album, live), the iconoclastic Sèbastien Tellier (performing live with his band, the expansive pop of his latest material), the Catalan partnership Pascal Comelade y Richard Pinhas (the French guitarist, highly regarded on the experimental tour circuit), the youthful Bambounou (one of the most promising artists in French techno and new 50Weapons label signing), the unstoppable C2C (a turntablist quartet with one of the most explosive live sets to be seen at Sónar by Night) and the amazing Le K, the sampler virtuoso, and lover of mixing everyday sounds, cadence jazz and rhythmic house.

The 3D concert by German group Kraftwerk on Friday 14th, will begin promptly at 10:45pm on the SonarClub stage and will last for 2 hours. 3D glasses will be distributed at the entrance of the enclosure.

The Pet Shop Boys concert on Saturday 15th will also begin promptly at 10:45pm at SonarClub. It will last for 1h 45m.

Sónar 2013 will close its 20th Anniversary edition at CCCB and MACBA locations, with two highly esteemed concerts that share reinterpretation and reconstruction as the conceptual basis for their musical expression.

The CCCB Theatre will host a concert by Max Richter + bcn216, in which the British composer and the Barcelona group will interpret Richter’s acclaimed recomposed version of "The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi.

Directly after, in the Atri MACBA, Italian producer and sound investigator Lorenzo Senni presents ORACLE, a remarkable audiovisual sensory provoking concert that deconstructs 90’s rave culture.

With these two shows, Sónar returns to closely collaborate with CCCB & MACBA, symbolic landmarks of the city, whose spaces set the perfect stage for Sónar’s 20th Anniversary closing. Joining these two sites will be the classic SonarVillage location of Plaça Joan Corominas, where a bar will be in place for attendees.

Tickets now available

Max Richter + bcn216: Four Seasons recomposed at CCCB
15€ per ticket – 12€ reduced price for “Amics del CCCB” and “Amics del MACBA”.
Tickets on sale here

Lorenzo Senni presents ORACLE at MACBA
10€ per ticket – 7€ reduced price for “Amics del MACBA” and “Amics del CCCB”.
Tickets on sale here

Combined ticket for two shows
20€ per ticket - 15€ reduced price for “Amics del CCCB” and “Amics del MACBA”.
This ticket can only be acquired through Telentrada by calling 902 10 12 12 or at the CCCB ticket office during exhibition opening hours.

http://www.cccb.org
http://www.macba.cat

The new Sónar app for Android and the iPhone has been developed in collaboration with Deezer.

Sónar's new smartphone application is the best way to keep all festival information at your fingertips. Once downloaded and installed on the phone, the App, (designed in synergy with the festivals 20th anniversary image) is available in three languages ​​(Spanish, Catalan and English).  It will allow users to check days, stages, show times and artist line-ups in every conceivable way, as all components are fully interconnected.

Navigation is very simple and intuitive and includes options for MySonar, a customizable calendar for your favourite performances that will alert users 15-minutes before selected shows.

The application also contains interactive maps for the various Sónar by Day & Sónar by Night stages and spaces and for all Sónar^+D activities.  It also includes basic Sónar information (e.g. how to get there or how to buy tickets) and three special options closely related to Deezer, including: a Music Quiz in which the user has to guess which song is playing; a specialized shuffle mode playlist, with tracks from Deezer artists at Sónar 2013; whose music you can also listen to via their personal profiles.

Apps for Android and iPhone, available through Google Play and App Store

Igor Marijuán, head honcho at the Ibiza Sónica radio station and a DJ with exquisite taste and several years experience behind him (he was the DJ in charge of warming the stage before Lana del Rey at last year's Sonar by Night 2012), wanted to get on board the Sónar 20 years celebration, with a special mix in which he has selected 12 tracks from 12 artists present on this year's programme. An honour.

Between 13th and 15th June, the Sónar^+D –programme - based at the Palau de Congresos in Barcelona - will include more than 60 activities, for both the public and accredited professionals, in addition to the 76 musical shows at Sónar by Day.

Market Lab offers you the opportunity to experience the feeling of closeness provided by the Two Way View screen, and amazing workshops by Ultralab – one featuring 3D printers, - and to discover installations like Cubepix, spontaneously create music using the interactive tool Polymetros and palpably feel the speed of the bpms coming out of the stages at Sónar by Day on the Rhythm Sofa.

In the Hands on Area visitors will be able to use their own hands to play several newly created devices such as the MIDI controller Bhoreal and the latest instruments from brands incorporating mobility into their products, such as Roland, Pioneer and Elektron, among others.

Sónar^+D will also present two workshops on technological creation: first, Dirty Electronics which will show those participating how to build synthesizers and amplifiers; and second, the Danish company Ciid Labs will present the workshop Motors & Music, in which participants will generate 8-bit sounds using Arduino free hardware.

Sónar^+D presents five interactive sound instalations including Matter, by Quayola (a large digital sculpture that reinterprets the textures of Rodin's "The Thinker", in the Oval Room of the Catalonia National Art Museum;); Skrillex Variations, by Robert Sakrowski (16 versions of a track by Skrillex projected onto a multiscreen) and Labyrinthitis, by Jacob Kirkegaard (a reflection on the sounds emitted by the body which will be installed on the spiral ramp at CosmoCaixa). Also on display, Binary Prints, the portraits by Alex Trochut; and the visual and audible display InkScapes, by Adrià Navarro.

New mobile devices take centre stage in the following shows taking place within Sónar^+D: the beatboxer Beardyman will be performing with the new Beardytron 5000 MK II, which will expand his amazing vocal abilities; the Belgians Herrmutt Lobby will be creating live music with tablets and devices that they have designed themselves; and the Barcelona Laptop Orchestra will be making the most of the musical potential of laptops and tablets live.

The conferences at Sónar^+D include the presence of Richie Hawtin, Skrillex and Luciano, who will be presenting the social project Bridges for Music for disadvantaged communities in South Africa; Matthew Herbert, who will be presenting The New Radiophonic Workshop of the BBC, of which he is the new artistic director; and Dinos Chapman, a renowned plastic artist who will be sharing an edited version of the visuals from his new live musical show with the audience. There will also be the round table for graphic designers and visual artists Creative Technologies Café, and the Rethink Music, discussion forum, organized by the Berklee College of Music, with the participation of 40 leading managers, distributors and others working in the creative industries in order to design a road map for the future of music in all areas.

Sónar^+D presents the 3rd Music Hack Day, a collaboration between the Music Technology Group at Pompeu Fabra University: a competition for hackers in which 23 companies from all over the world will provide their technologies so that the 100 participants who have registered can develop apps within 24 hours. This year the focus is on neuroscience, and the main new feature is that those attending Sónar will be able to watch the live participation of the hackers. .

Sónar presents more than 35 names that help energize, bestow quality and confirm the progress of the national music scene, currently enjoying a moment of excellent health.

This year Sónar by Day will play host to the majority of concerts by national artists. The Catalans ZA!, will present their adventurous mix of art, electronics, free jazz, krautrock and even Latin music live in their natural habitat. bRUNA will do the same with the magnificent "Thence", which once and for all confirms him as one of the country's most inspired producers. Meanwhile La Bien Querida, will play superb songs from "Ceremonia", which has provided an interesting twist to their career. Wooky also presents a live show with new material, in which the visual component of Videocratz, is almost as important as the sound; and C. Tangana brings a breath of fresh air to the stage as one of the visionary voices in the national rap scene.

Other highlights are quality assured shows from two creative partnerships: the combination of the unclassifiable Bradien (music makers who live and breath electronics, jazz, pop and a myriad of styles) with words of the iconoclastic Catalan poet Eduard Escoffet; and the great Pascal Comelade, who appears at Sónar for the first time and will present his more electronic facet with prestigious French guitar player Richard Pinhas.

Experimentation plays a prominent role on the four stages of Sónar by Day, with live performances by Tiger Menja Zebra (powerful and provoking), EVOL (illustrated noise), Jansky (audio poetry), Coàgul (dark and hypnotic), Barcelona Laptop Orchestra (a live act with only laptops and tablets) and duo by Sara Galán & Eduard Comelles (laptop + cello).

The boundaries between ‘live’ and dj sessions are blurred in the hands of young but expert producers like beatmaker Lost Twin (whose recent "Twin Talk" mixtape is one of this years most pleasurable surprises), locals XTRNGR (IDM with the Discontinu Records guarantee) BeGun (Subterfuge’s new signing, between chillwave and synthetic dance), Drömnu (powerful evocative electronica) and digital nostalgia from duo TGES, from Cantabria.

Four sumptuous dj sets complete the extensive and stimulating presence of national artists at Sónar by Day, with house music as the common denominator: Nacho Marco (one of the festival's favourite djs), Mallorcan Satore (lover of the deep side of the genre), duo We Like Turtles (fresh and contemporary sounds for the dancefloor) and Tutu (a groovy feel closer to pop).

The Barcelona DJ trio of Angel Molina, Zero and César de Melero head the Spanish artist contingent at Sónar by Night. The three were present at the very first Sónar (1994) and twenty editions later they will demonstrate their indisputable talent in the booth at the SónarCar stage, to celebrate the festival’s birthday. Molina will also perform on the following night at SonarClub, prior to the Pet Shop Boys concert.

Among the standout live performances offered are Delorean, with a well-deserved reputation both nationally and internationally, about to release their fourth album and for the first time performing at Sónar by Night; and also, on a very different tangent and arriving at Sónar in excellent form, and local Alizzz who will amaze audiences with his Martian synth electronica and rhythms in permanent motion.

Electronic dance music takes the leading role (as it should) in the remaining performances and sets. This is certainly the case for the Suara and Classicworks showcases (two local labels with a great future and presence in the European charts), represented by its mainstays, Coyu and Edu Imbernón, and Nehuen and Cardopusher, respectively. And, of course, sets by the esteemed Paco Osuna (invited by Richie Hawtin as part of the ENTER. showcase), Kimberly i Clark, Arnau Obiols and Thug Ladies.

Sónar's relationship with the city of Barcelona goes far beyond its obvious geographic location. The festival has always paid close attention to the local scene from its very first year, 1994, now 20 years ago…

At the first Sónar, various Barcelona artists were present, highlighted by three DJs who would help cement the city’s scene: Angel Molina, César de Melero and Zero. Over the years all three have achieved success in their solo careers, earning the respect of their peers, audiences and music specialists alike, both nationally and internationally.

In 1994 Sónar was the place where different trends and approaches were evolving in the city. Although these tendencies were disparate and at an embryonic stage, they still had a strong identity. These trends were represented by three DJs at that time: Molina was among the first to include EBM, new wave and industrial music in his sets, known for their broader techno vision; De Melero (the oldest of the three and already with a notable career as a house DJ before appearing at the festival) represented house and club music, both of which were to take root in several areas of the city and the rest of the country in the following years. Meanwhile Zero was known for his relentless pursuit of discovering unknown tracks and incunabula ambient, the earliest IDM music with experimental elements that did not shun the dance floor. The first Sónar was therefore the time and place, where these three distinct visions came together to outline a picture of what was happening in the city and, of course, of what was to come…

The trio of Molina, De Melero and Zero, will return to Sónar 2013, 20 years after their first sets at the festival. The reunion will be on stage at SonarCar at Sónar by Night, on Friday 14th June. It is a pleasure to have them back.

Listen here to the Cesar de Melero's exclusive mix for #sonar20years

Each year at Sónar by Day, SonarCinema screens, movies, documentaries and audiovisual work in harmony with the festival, either for it’s interesting content or its high artistic value.
These are the first films to be shown at SonarCinema’s programme this year, which will be completed very soon:

Reincarnated,
Andy Capper (96 min)
As one of the undisputed stars in the history of hip-hop, Snoop Dogg needs no introduction.  Few artists have reached his heights of popularity and worldwide respect, from his early days as godfather of West Coast G-funk, to his recent conversion to Rastafarianism.  "Reincarnated" accurately follows the transformation of Snoop Dogg to Snoop Lion (the new alter ego of the genius from Long Beach), his trip to Jamaica, immersion in the Rastafarian culture and recording his first reggae album, also entitled "Reincarnated". An incredible chapter in the recent history of popular music.

We Are Modeselektor
Romi Agel and Holger Wick (72 min)
For years Modeselektor have been one of Berlin’s electronic music flagships and they continue to conquer hearts and minds across the globe.  Nothing beats a documentary to better understand the background of today’s international phenomenon that are Gernot and Sebastian Szary Bronsert.  Agel Romi's and Holger Wick’s film includes interviews, travel, tours, live snippets and a bountiful supply of footage from behind the scenes to everyday life, painting a spontaneous, care-free and comprehensive picture of this German duo.

Umshini Wam
Harmony Korine (16 min)
"Umshini Wam" is what transpires when you combine the talents of Harmony Korine ("Julien Donkey-Boy," "Gummo", "Spring Breakers") with the unique style of South African’s Die Antwoord.  In this 16-minute short, Ninja and Yo Landi star in a decadent story of love and outlawed survival, a lysergic tale of gangsters and their impossible struggle to live in a bizarre world, that perfectly reflects Korine’s imagination. The title is a nod to the controversial Zulu protest song "Umshini Wami" ("bring me my machine gun") popularized during the struggle against Apartheid.

Max Albert (25 min)
After studying at the LA Film School, Maxwell Albert debuted as a director aged 22.   Since then, the director from San Diego, with an unmistakable style, has worked with a long list of artists from the American hip-hop scene, San Quinn to Riff Raff, Andy Milonakis to Nicki Minaj.   Thanks to the success of videos like "Spaghetti" or "Up in Flames", Max currently produces content for NBA, NHL, NASCAR and ESPN among other channels. This compilation includes videos from Mad Decent,  Diplo’s label, who will also be present at Sonar 2013.

H∆SHTAG$
HΔSHTAG$ is a six-episode mini series produced by Red Bull Music Academy, with the aim of documenting new musical movements conceived on the Internet over recent years.  From the rebirth of contemporary R & B to UK bass, pop blogs and other musical genres a variety of online digital communities have been given creative freedom and a platform of expression for artists and producers around the world. With participation from key names in the current scene such as Miguel, Flying Lotus, How To Dress Well, Zombelle, Piff Gang, The Gaslamp Killer, AlunaGeorge and Machinedrum among many others.

Sónar^+D, the evolution of the professional and new media areas at the festival (presented in collaboration with the Mobile World Capital), unveils its first offering. Sónar^+D brings creativity, technology, mobility, innovation and business to public and professionals alike and serves as an open lab bringing together activities and projects that take a playful and experimental character, anticipating today's transforming languages and tools of an international level. 

Sónar^+D will occupy four floors of the Palau de Congressos in Barcelona, ​​with the majority of activities open to the public and a series of closed networking sessions and discussions aimed at accredited professionals only. Sónar^+D coexists at Sónar by Day, with SonarCinema and the SonarComplex stage in the grand auditorium. 

Chromatics, Sébastien Tellier, Skip & Die, Atom TM, Jackson and his Computer Band, Sara Galán & Edu Comelles: Cello + Laptop, Tiger Menja Zebra, Jansky, Coàgul, Wooky, Sísý Ey, Evol, XTRNGR, Drömnu, ZA!, Tutu, Lost Twin, TGES, Beardyman, Hermutt Lobby, Barcelona Laptop Orchestra

Red Bull Music Academy presents: Metro Area, Branko, JESSE & Jimi Tenor, Elektro Guzzi, Oddisee, Felix Kubin & James Pants, Kidsuke, Palmbomen, DZA, Cassegrain, Satore, C. Tangana, We Like Turtles

The American band Chromatics, is undoubtedly one of today's most critically acclaimed and publicly adored groups. They head the new additions to Sónar by Day, with their high-end, 80’s italo-disco influenced electronic pop sound.

Meanwhile, the charismatic Sebastien Tellier, will appear with his most recent album under his arm for a luminescent, top-notch pop concert. No less important Atom TM (aka Atom Heart or Señor Coconut) will follow suit with their excellent new album "HD", recently published on prestigious German label Raster_Noton.

Sónar by Day adds three more European projects, all of whom have a powerful stage presence: the dutch band Skip & Die, with the striking Cata Pirata fronting a sound between MIA and Die Antwoord, the French act Jackson and his Computer Band, Warp’s previous star signing return with their masterful technological galactic funk show and the Icelandic Sísý Ey, arriving from a triumphant Sónar Reykjavik performance with their organic style house and breathtaking voices.

Since its very first edition, Sónar’s commitment to its local and national scene remains unchanged. The 20th Anniversary provides fresh impetus to this commitment with the inclusion of more than a dozen new names to Sónar by Day: the stratospheric ZA! (considered one of the best live bands in the country), the Sevillian beatmaker Lost Twin, the wild and provocative Tiger Menja Zebra, the illustrated noise of Evol, the electronic and audiovisual perfectionist Wooky, the dialogue between the cello and laptop of Sara Galán & Edu Comelles, the audio poetry of Jansky, the unrestrained experimentation of Coàgul, the IDM and aural sound-scapes of XTRNGR and Drömnu, the groove from the decks of Tutu and the evocative digital processes of TGES.

The global roaming talent-developing academy adds new names to the SonarDôme stage. Notable live act highlights include American duo Metro Area, considered the masters of the revamped disco revival at the beginning 21st century, the iconoclastic pairings of Felix Kubin & James Pants and JESSE & Jimi Tenor, the machine-less techno of Austrians Elektro Guzzi, the freestyle rap of Oddisee, the ghetto beats set of Branko (member of Buraka Som Sistema), and the high quality reflective hip-hop of Madrid’s C. Tangana.

Completing the line up Kidsuke (the duo formed by Kidkanevil and Daisuke Tanabe), Cassegrain (deep techno from Greece and Germany), Palmbomen (psychedelica with touches of dub and krautrock), DZA (hip hop beats and rhymes from Russia), Satore (Mallorcan deep house straight from the heart) and We Like Turtles (the in demand dj duo from Tarragona).

We are pleased to announce that Sónar Reykjavik will take place again in Harpa Concert House February 13th through February 15th 2014.

The festival set up will be similar to the one held last February along with the additions of two small stages inside Harpa and special concerts in the grand auditorium, Eldborg.

Limited quantity of early bird tickets at 13.900 ISK go on sale on the 18th of April at www.midi.is

Travel packages will be available via Icelandair website from the 18th of April.

Since its birth in Chicago in the early '80s, house music has remained a cornerstone in dance music, never ceasing to constantly evolve and mutate. Sonar has continually followed it’s progression, presenting some of house music’s most important figures in it’s 20 year lifespan, both ‘live’ and in it’s dj facet: from classic and hallowed names including Masters At Work, Roger Sanchez, Frankie Knuckles, Metro Area, Ralph Lawson, Moodymann, Theo Parrish, Deep Dish or Joe Clausell to modern day revampers and contemporaries such as Isolée, Luomo, Booka Shade, Âme, Hercules & Love Affair, Nacho Marco and Maya Jane Coles, among many others.

This year at Sonar ‘house’ returns in a starring role like never before, notably on Saturday night 15th June when from 2am through to the early hours of the morning the SonarLab stage will become the refuge of the current crop of house royalty, featuring three of it’s most important ambassadors: Hot Natured (the group of Jamie Jones and Lee Foss), Maceo Plex and Seth Troxler.

Jamie Jones has quickly become a central figure in the new British, balearic rooted house scene.  Jamie has teamed up with cohort Lee Foss (another name synonymous with this particular house renaissance) for the formation of label Hot Creations and their band Hot Natured.  They have spearheaded the new warm and emotive sounds coming from the UK and are rejuvenating a genre that has recently existed in permanent flux. The contribution of Jones and Foss (in addition to live vocalists Ali Love and Luca C, from duo Infinity Ink) is primarily based on a clean, crisp magnetic sound, somewhere between classic deep house and the most up to date melodic techno.  They place equal importance on the vocals, providing a human element and noticeable pop nuance to their tracks. Their show at Sonar by Night will be one of the quartets first live appearances and will follow the release of their highly anticipated debut album, due in early May.

Following on from the British, Maceo Plex will take the helm, a dj that has deservedly reached global star status after a continually evolving twenty-year career. The German is now one of the most sought after selectors of house in the world, thanks to a far-reaching knowledge of genres and an inimitable style of his own that projects the sound of the 90’s into the future. Plex always brings a touch of funk to his sets, maintaining a low tempo and choosing fresh and contemporary sounds in which you will also find his revitalising remixes from favourite bygone eras. His soon to be published set for the DJ Kicks series is littered with many of his own edits, remixes and older songs, and even includes the elegant and sophisticated "Mind On Fire", a song specially crafted for this mix.

Closing the night is none other than the charismatic Seth Troxler, founder of label / collective Visionquest, one of today’s most revered DJs and Number 1 in Resident Advisor’s 2012 vote of top 100 djs.  Troxler, who has on numerous occasions shared musical nights in the booth with Jones & Plex, declares himself a diehard fan of actor Robert Downey Jr.  He is noted for the quality and versatility of his sets, invariably unpredictable, never conventional, combining techno from his Detroit home with disco-funk, electro, future garage or experimental dance. Yes: house is his base, and a springboard for jumping into an unknown haven of hedonism and Martian sounds. Nobody does it quite like him.

The triumphant return of Jurassic 5, one of the legendary and most respected groups in the history of hip hop will be first up on the SonarPub stage on Saturday 15th, with Dj Nu-Mark, Cut Chemist, Chali 2Na and the rest of the original members.

Bat For Lashes is the project by the charismatic Natasha Khan, a British singer-songwriter (with Pakistani origin) of enormous talent. She will present live her most recent praised work "The Haunting Man", a formidable collection of contemporary epic pop.

Beyond being one of the pillars of dubstep, Skream has now become a more mature musician and dj, capable of mixing (like few others), all genres of today’s dance music with a master’s touch; he’ll play between two truly heavyweights such as Justice and Laurent Garnier. Luciano, with an extensive career in some of the worlds best dj booths, is the perfect man to close Saturday night at SonarClub. Meanwhile, young Alvin Risk will play just ahead of the Skrillex performance, the most visible face of the new revolution on U.S. dancefloors where he is one of his latest added members.

Also joining Sónar by Night, national maximalist and synthesizer magician Alizzz, the versatile and audacious Thug Ladies djs, and Barcelona dj duo Kimberly i Clark with a moombathon set.

Today’s Top Rated European dance music labels at SonarCar.

The festival in the Japanese capital includes new names; among those who standout are Alec Empire (powerful musician and noise lover and founder of the legendary Atari Teenage Riot) and British DJ and producer Pinch (influential cornerstone of dubstep and its derivatives from his Tectonic label). In addition, the festival adds new and relevant representatives from the Japanese scene, such as agraph, DJ Nobu, Madegg, Soichiro Tonaka and nisennenmondai.

Sonar visit Japan from 5th – 8th April: The 6th and 7th being the 6th edition of SonarSound Tokyo, with the 5th and 8th of the same month being held as the 1st edition of A Taste of Sónar Osaka.

Check the SonarSound Tokyo schedule here.

Sónar 2013 presents several creative partnerships showcasing their new works at the festival. Operating in tandem the high-flying, buzzing minds of contrasting artists join forces to form partnerships that achieve amazing results, more than the sum of their own respective talents.

In the coming weeks we will announce new dynamic duos who will join the 20th Anniversary of Sónar; in the meantime, we present seven top notch double-headed projects.

Pascal Comelade and Richard Pinhas, are the latest edition to the Sónar 2013 program and are two of the most innovative and respected musicians from the European scene over the last 30 years. They will stage an exclusive live concert, (their only performance this year) of their joint project, crystallized in their album "Flip side of sophism". Theirs is a collaboration that delves into the language possibilities between piano, guitar and electronics, and showcases the lesser-known Comelade’s electronica side.

The new live act from Nordic nu-disco maestros Lindstrøm and Todd Terje is one of the most anticipated shows of Sónar 2013. Both Norwegian and supreme specialists in producing evolving and danceable cosmic house odysseys, their studio collaboration was simply a question of time. An insight into their collaborative sound is the unprejudiced and sublime hit "Lanzarote", which exhibits the incredibly exciting potential of this partnership.

Alva Noto and Byetone have already worked together for many years, but it was not until two years ago when the Raster-Noton label chiefs began their project Diamond Version. Their show at last year’s Sónar by Day (together with Japanese artist Atsuhiro Ito) left a strong and lasting impression in the audience. This year they return to introduce new material from their debut album and demonstrate live and direct the sensory power of a techno that is both groundbreaking musical science and pure energy.

The British dub scene heralds duo Sherwood and Pinch as two of its major exponents, a partnership that spans two generations of the genre. Adrian Sherwood, producer, musician and head of On-U Sound label, is probably the most influential figure in the expansion and assimilation of Jamaican music in the UK. Pinch, meanwhile, is one of the most determined explorers in pushing the boundaries of dubstep, operating from his native Bristol through the Tectonic label. Their alliance includes a future release and promises music that is 24-carat direct, filled with powerful bass lines.

Hudson Mohawke and Lunice have much in common: they’re young, talented, devoted rap lovers (both underground and mainstream) and blessed with a special ability to produce classics for the dance floor. It was hardly a year ago that they created TNGHT, a triumph in its own right: tracks that mix hip hop beats and electronic dance (the new Trap genre) with widespread acclaim, signing to Warp and establishing connections with the new priests of the American scene (Kanye West, Diplo, Flying Lotus). The two were also prticipants of the Red Bull Music Academy, where they are now presented as one of the SonarDôme’s program highlights.

Karenn is one of the pillars of the rebirth of techno in Europe. Behind this bizarely female name hide two undoubtably masculine strengths accostumed to living in the dark. Blawan and Pariah, both coming from the British bass scene, are for the last several months the purveyors of the rough and raw sound that defines the very genre that is techno. Their live, on Friday at Sónar by Night, could well mark one of the hightlights of the festival. 

Music and poetry go hand in hand with the pairing of Bradien and Eduard Escoffet: the first is one of the gems of the spa.RK label, a one-off band with a special sound that oscilates between electronica, fine jazz and cinematic ambient; the second is an all-rounder in the world of poetry, a mover and a shaker on the Barcelona cultural scene, someone who breathes new life into the art of spoken word. The union of the two brings to life an ambitious project in approach and one with outstanding results. A blessing of a deviation on the Spanish scene.

Actress, Sherwood & Pinch, Nicolas Jaar, Darkstar, Karl Hyde, LFO, Boys Noize, John Talabot, Shiro Takatani and xxxy are among the first confirmed artists.

SONARSOUND TOKYO 2013: 2 nights, 4 stages and over 40 artists

Luminaries of international electronica

The best of today's Japanese scene

SonarDôme Stage by Red Bull Music Academy

A TASTE OF SÓNAR OSAKA

2 nights, 4 stages, 49 shows

The richness of the Icelandic scene

Harpa - the Sónar Reykjavik auditorium

After 19 years at the CCCB, the MACBA and the surrounding area, the festival is moving its daytime headquarters to the Fira Montjuïc area in Plaça d'Espanya, an emblematic location in the city.

The new location will breathe new life into Sónar by Day, with extensive spaces that will facilitate optimal movement by those attending and the professionals participating.

Sónar by Day keeps its 4 stages (SonarVillage by Estrella Damm, SonarHall, SonarDôme and SonarComplex), all of which have increased capacities in their new locations.

The new Sónar by Day is significantly nearer Sónar by Night, which is still at its usual venue in the Fira Gran Via area in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, and consolidates its four-stage format, (SonarClub, SonarLab, SonarPub and SonarCar, located next to the bumper cars). With the festival's shuttle buses, the two sites are now only 10 minutes apart.

Check the maps and stages at Sónar by Day here.

New additions to Sónar by Night

Sónar adds 15 new inclusions to its Sónar by Night line-up. Diplo, a fabulous dj and intelligent agitator from his Mad Decent platform, will be present twice over: first, to give us one of his explosive sessions of global dance; and second, to present live, with his crew of MCs and dancers, the Major Lazer project, which has now become a group with mass appeal thanks to irrefutable hits like "Get Free".

The French label Ed Banger celebrates its 10th anniversary at the same time as Sónar's 20th anniversary with a special showcase consisting of a session by the much acclaimed Justice, a live show from Breakbot and a set by its head honcho, Busy P, who will only be playing music from the label.

Derrick May and Laurent Garnier, classics among classics, did not want to miss our birthday party. The former, who has allowed Sónar to use his legendary "Strings of Life" for the video of the image of this year's festival, will close proceedings on the SonarLab stage on Friday 14. The latter, who was present at the first Sónar, was unable to miss the 20th Anniversary celebration; he will be responsible for drawing the festival to a close in SonarPub on Saturday 15.

Other return visitors, with a new album and new show, are Soulwax, the group consisting of the Dewaele brothers (2many djs), who specialize in bringing any dancefloor to boiling point; the same can be said of America's Seth Troxler, one of today's most reliable djs, who is respected by his colleagues and loved by his audiences.

The Londoners Raime will be presenting their new and hypnotic audiovisual show live, just before the Kraftwerk concert in SonarClub. Meanwhile, Objekt, one of the most interesting representatives of the encounter between techno and bass music, will be showing off his skills on the decks before the live show by Karenn. One of the most brilliant djs working today, Britain's Oneman, will also be at Sónar by Night, as will the Icelandic duo Gluteus Maximus, the contemporary house master Eats Everything and the vibrant quartet of French turntablists C2C, with a spectacular live show.

New additions to Sónar by Day

Sónar by Day expands its line-up with more than 20 new names.

They include the live shows by Jamie Lidell, the constantly surprising singer and musician, who will bringing a new album with him; the British duo AlunaGeorge, one of the sensations of the season, who also have a new album in store just before their debut at Sónar; Karl Hyde, half of Underworld, with his recent solo project, which has already taken shape in the album "Edgeland"; the Luxembourgish piano wunderkind Francesco Tristano, presenting a 2.0 solo show with piano and electronica; the artist Dinos Chapman, half of the prestigious and controversial Chapman Brothers, is venturing into new musical territory ; and the Icelander Ólafur Arnalds, accompanied by a trio to transpose his approach combining the classical and the synthetic to a live format; and the trio Samaris, electronic pop revivalists from the island.

Some very special sessions are also in store, which are completely in keeping with Sónar's 20th Anniversary. This applies to the sets from Matthew Herbert (on the decks at Sónar for the first time) Modeselektor, Nacho Marco and Mary Anne Hobbs, who will all be djing as part of the daytime schedule for the first time, to celebrate the birthday in the sun; The Sónar by Day booth will also by occupied the United States-based Kuwaiti Fatima Al Qadiri and Barcelona's BeGun, the new signing to Subterfuge.

Red Bull Music Academy is once again curating the SonarDôme stage, and they are also celebrating this year (their 15th birthday). They will be presenting the first 10 artists in their line-up, including TNGHT (the duo consisting of Hudson Mohawke and Lunice, with a marvellous debut EP) and Spain's bRUNA, who will be giving us a live performance of gems from his excellent second album, "Thence." This first round of performances will be rounded off by Krystal Klear, Anenon, Jools Hunter (and his project UMA), Panoram, Mr. Beatnick, Ulf Eriksson, Baris K and Le K, who have all been chosen as some of the best students who have passed through the Academy during these first 15 years of its history.

Check out the full line-up HERE
Check out the show dates HERE

Sónar^+D is the evolution of the festival's professional and new media areas, which presents a series of activities based around the same central theme: making the relationship between creativity, technology, mobility, innovation and business more visible and accessible.

Sónar^+D offers workshops and hackathons, interactive installations, product demos and presentations, services and entrepreneurial initiatives in the field of creativity, technology and music. There will also be conferences and meetings with the biggest names in the Sónar line-up, and live shows reflecting the culture of innovation through the use of new interactive devices.

The creation of Sónar^+D is the result of a collaboration between Sónar and the Mobile World Capital Barcelona. The festival is part of the series of initiatives taking place in the city over the next five years within the framework of the Mobile World Festival, aimed at promoting and disseminating mobile technologies among businesses and the general public.

The new epicentre of Sónar^+D will be Barcelona's Palau de Congressos, although its activities and projects will be distributed across the other Sónar spaces and stages.

The young producer from Los Angeles has revolutionized electronic dance music, and become one of the world's most popular artists.

The American artist will be performing at Sónar by Night on Friday, 14 June, on the same stage where the pioneers Kraftwerk will be presenting their exclusive show in 3D.

In little more than a couple of years, and aged only 25 years old, Skrillex went from being the vocalist of hardcore band From First to Last to becoming the most popular electronic music producer working today, loved by millions of fans and performing before crowds of hundreds of thousands.

Skrillex is the leading figure of the new explosion of electronic dance music in the United States, and the leader of what is known as “brostep”, a style that has grown out of British dubstep but with amplified acid frequencies on top of its bass, maintaining the intensity and the aesthetics of his hardcore past.

However, Skrillex – real name Sonny John Moore - has not only won over audiences: in 2011 he won 3 Grammys (Best Album, Best Dance Record and Best Remix), he has become one of the most sought-after remixers and has collaborated with artists such as A$AP Rocky, Boyz Noise and Harmony Korine, with whom he worked on the soundtrack for his new film, “Spring Breakers”.

On his latest EP, “Leaving” the young dj and producer from LA has made a slight turn away from his musical beliefs, slowing down the rhythms of his tracks, and moved towards a more experimental post-dubstep sound.

Skrillex will play the same night and on the same stage as Kraftwerk, in a leap of time of some 40 years taking us from the pioneers of electronic music to one of its today’s biggest international artists.

Skrillex surprised his fans yesterday by uploading this intriguing photo to his social networks. Today we can reveal that this image refers to his confirmation for Sonar's 20th anniversary in Barcelona.

The influential British project LFO, pioneers of the bleep sound in the islands, and the Danish DJ and producer Trentemøller, one of the most important names in Europe over the last five years, are the two final and important names to be added to Sónar Reykjavik.

The festival line-up is now complete, and is now completely defined in terms of days, schedules and spaces. All the details are available here.

LFO, led by the legendary Mark Bell, is an essential benchmark in the British bleep sound of the 90s, which has continued to provide performances and albums of the highest level in recent years. Meanwhile, Trentemøller, who will be giving us a dj set, is one of the musicians on the European scene that has most successfully forged a link with his audience thanks to his emotive and enduring techno.

Sónar Reykjavik will take place on 15 and 16 February at Harpa, the city's newest and most important auditorium, which has never before staged a festival with four stages operating simultaneously: the two main stages, SonarClub and SonarHall, plus SonarLab, a club that will be using part of the car park for the occasion, and the SonarFlói stage, overlooking the bay of Reykjavík, which will be dedicated exclusively to showcasing the best of the Icelandic scene.

Additions to the line-up include shows by Darkstar, Liars, Paul Kalkbrenner, Nicolas Jaar, Sherwood + Pinch, Delorean, Maceo Plex, Gold Panda, La Bien Querida, Baauer, Mykki Blanco and Karenn (Blawan + Pariah) - among other artists - as well as the already announced names of Kraftwerk, Pet Shop Boys, Two Door Cinema Club, Lindstrøm & Todd Terje and Vatican Shadow.

Sónar presents a new video which continues to unveil the image of 2013. Download it here.

Sónar Reykjavik, which will take place on 15 and 16 February, completes its line-up with shows by John Talabot, Pachanga Boys and a broad representation of artists from the Icelandic scene. Sónar Reykjavik presents a total of 48 shows, including those by James Blake, Modeselektor, Squarepusher, Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, Simian Mobile Disco and GusGus.

Tuesday 15th January, last day to get hold of the Sónar Barcelona Pass at a special reduced price. Take advantage of the last next few days to get hold of your Sónar Pass at a special reduced price of 150€. Only until next Tuesday 15th January!

As of Wednesday 16th January the Sónar Barcelona Pass will cost 175€.

The 2-Night Ticket is still on sale.

Buy your tickets here

The 20th anniversary of Sonar will be a global celebration which begins in Reykjavik in February and culminates in Barcelona in June, passing through Cape Town, Tokyo and São Paulo within the next six months, Sonar will be programming around 300 shows spread across 21 stages at its 5 festivals. In 2013, the Icelandic capital, one of the world's most musically fertile cities, joins the four destinations of 2012.

Today, the festival introduces the first artists for the celebrations at Sonar Barcelona, which include Kraftwerk and Pet Shop Boys, two classic names in full force and with an transgenerational influence on the popular music of recent decades, from purist electronica, to dance music and pop.

The Sonar 2013 campaign kicks off with the first video of a series that will be revealed in the coming weeks. Check out here the Sonar 2013 image.


BARCELONA
June the 13th, 14th and 15th, 2013

Line-up Preview:

Kraftwerk – 3D show (DE)
Pet Shop Boys (UK)
Two Door Cinema Club (UK)
Hot Natured (UK)
Lindstrøm & Todd Terje (NO)
Vatican Shadow (US)
Bradien + Eduard Escoffet (ES)
Fantastic Mr Fox (UK)


The 20th anniversary of Sonar Barcelona will take place on the 13th, 14th and 15th June 2013.

The stand-out feature of the line-up preview is the extraordinary new show in 3D by Kraftwerk. The prestigious German group  was founded in 1970 and has been one of the most influential outfits in the music of the last 40 years, in electronica and in popular music in general. Their eight studio albums are more than classics - they are true anthems in recent music history. For their performance at Sonar 2013, Kraftwerk will be reviewing their hits with a unique and updated sound at SonarClub, the festival's main stage. Their new show adapts 3D technology to their own language and gives body and volume to the powerful imagery that has accompanied them throughout their career. The show can be enjoyed with standard 3D glasses.

Another unquestionable benchmark - in this case in the field of electronic pop - is the British duo Pet Shop Boys. After the recent release of their latest album "Elysium”, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, who began working together in the early ‘80s, will be presenting a new show featuring visuals and technological content at Sonar Barcelona. The creators of countless legendary songs of our era, including “West End Girls”, “Domino Dancing”, “It's A Sin”, “Always On My Mind”, “Go West”, “Being Boring”, “Domino Dancing”, “Flamboyant” and “New York City Boy”, Pet Shop Boys have always been a step ahead of their peers, shrewdly navigating the currents of electronic pop and dance music, while maintaining an admirable and carefully balanced critical and commercial success.

The Northern Ireland trio Two Door Cinema Club is another of the great attractions in the line-up of Sonar 2013. During their live show, the band will be reviewing their two albums released to date, which have made them one of today's most powerful and vigorous producers of electropop hits, with tracks like “What you know”, “Undercover Martyn” and “Something Good Can Work”.

Within Sonar's 100% dance territory, this year's highlights include the live show from Hot Natured, the energetic collective of DJs and producers led by the already essential Jamie Jones, the new king Midas of underground house, and the special collaboration between Lindstrom & Todd Terje, Norwegian producers who combine luminous electronica and nu-disco. Another name on the up, Fantastic Mr Fox, will be deploying his unique vision of R&B on an abstract and at the same time danceable tip.

Among the sonic explorers, the festival presents Vatican Shadow, the project who rediscovers industrial techno by the American producer Dominick Fernow.

In the Spanish artists section, we have a couple of very special guests, Bradien + Eduard Escoffet, the combination of the Barcelona-based instrumental group and the poet Eduard Escoffet presenting their new album 'Pols' live.

More line-up will be announced soon.


REYKJAVIK (Iceland)
February the 15th and 16th, 2013

Line-up Preview:

James Blake – LIVE (UK)
James Blake – DJ (UK)
Squarepusher (UK)
Modeselektor (DE)
Simian Mobile Disco (DJ set) (UK)
Diamond Version (Alva Noto + Byetone) (DE)
Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto (DE/JP)
GusGus (IS)
Thugfucker (US-IS)
Tale of Us (US-CA)
Retro Stefson (IS)
Ólafur Arnalds (IS)
Gluteus Maximus (IS)

The festival is travelling to Iceland for the first time for Sonar Reykjavik, which will take place on 15 and 16 February at Harpa, the city's brand new concert and conference centre, located by the sea, near the port.

For its first Nordic trip, Sonar will be adopting a small-scale and intimate format. The event begins at 6pm and continues until 3am on each day. The line-up will include around 15 international artists and 30 from Iceland, who will be playing on 4 stages with capacities ranging between 200 and 1,600 spectators each.

The building that will host the first Sonar Reykjavik is the home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and The Icelandic Opera, and was designed by Henning Larsen Architects in collaboration with the renowned artist Olafur Eliasson.


CAPE TOWN (South Africa)
March the 1st, 2013

Line-Up Preview SOON

Sonar returns to Africa in 2013. Sonar @ Design Indaba in Cape Town (South Africa) takes place on the 1st of March at the City Hall. This second time around, the festival once again presents international figures and some of the most prominent names on the emerging South African electronic scene.

Sonar is once again working with Design Indaba, the major multidisciplinary platform that transforms the South African city into the world's capital of creativity and innovation. Every year, the event features the presence of the world's most important entrepreneurs and speakers, who present projects in the fields of architecture, design, film and music, among others.


TOKYO (Japan)
April the 7th and 8th, 2013

Line-Up Preview SOON

The 6th SonarSound Tokyo will take place on 6 and 7 April. The Asian version of Sonar will have a highly experimental line-up that combines major international artists and the most outstanding representatives of the Japanese electronic scene. As in previous years, more than 30 shows at SonarSound Tokyo will be distributed over two days between the four stages at ageHa Studio Coast, a complex located in the restored industrial district of eastern Tokyo, in the Kōtō neighbourhood.


SÃO PAULO (Brasil)
May the 24th and 25th, 2013

Line-Up Preview SOON

The second Sonar São Paulo, the festival's Latin American experience and the largest of all the events organized by Sonar outside Barcelona, takes place on 24 and 25 May 2013, featuring a line-up of more than 30 artists, which will be announced in early 2013.

Sonar São Paulo includes all the ingredients that have made Sonar international benchmark: a broad-based musical and audiovisual programme of high quality that mixes entertainment and the cutting edge in leading urban venues.

The festival will take place in the iconic Parque Anhembi from 8pm to 6:30am. As at its Barcelona prototype, performances by new talents will dovetail with large-format shows and audiovisual productions by key names on the international electronic scene, on 3 stages with uninterrupted programming.

The Sónar North American Tour brought together more than 15 000 attendees among all the most iconic concert venues of Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Denver, Oakland and Los Angeles, with a line-up compiled of North American, South African and European musicians, DJ's and visual artists.

The ‘Sónar North American Tour’ presented shows by Die Antwoord (South Africa), Azari & III (Canada), Seth Troxler (UK), Paul Kalkbrenner (Germany), Tiga (Canada), Gesaffelstein (France), Nic Fanciulli (UK) and the visual collective Pfadfinderei (Germany).

Due to the impact of hurricane Sandy, the show programmed for November the 2nd in New York had to be cancelled. For the rest of the dates the tour went ahead as scheduled.

This tour winds up Sonar’s international route for 2012, after festivals held in Barcelona, São Paulo, Tokyo and Cape Town.

Here you can look at the photo gallery with some of the highlights of the tour.

A teaser with the new festival image will be released shortly, as well as more information on the dates for Sonar 2013 around the world.

Between 31 October and 10 November, 2012, the 'Sonar North American Tour' will touch down in Chicago, Toronto, New York, Montreal, Boston, Denver, Oakland and Los Angeles.

The tour will feature performances by Die Antwoord (live), Azari & III (live), Seth Troxler, Paul Kalkbrenner (live), Tiga, Gesaffelstein and Nic Fanciulli.


‘Sónar North American Tour’

'Sonar North American Tour' is a travelling event taking place on one night and in a single space, in venues with a capacity of between 2,000 and 4,000 spectators. Sónar adapts the spirit and personality of the festivals it organizes in various countries to a concert hall, combining live shows with dj sessions and audiovisual creation.


The artist

True to the essence of the Sónar brand and its benchmark festival in Barcelona, the line-up of this tour contains artists from several countries (South Africa, Canada, Germany, France, Britain and the US). and outstandingly diverse musical approaches, with electronic dance music providing the backbone for the occasion.

On the road with the 'Sonar North American Tour' will be the South Africans Die Antwoord, who Sónar are bringing back by popular demand after their successful US tour this summer. As they did at the last two editions of Sónar Barcelona, Yo-Landi Vi$$er, Ninja and DJ Hi- Tek, will shake the foundations of hip-hop and the rave spirit, presenting tracks from their two extraordinary albums live: $o$ (2010) and  TEN$ION (2012).

'Sonar North American Tour' is also pleased to confirm the Canadian quartet Azari & III, the undisputed regenerators of house; the American techno and house producer, dj and remixer Seth Troxler, a man at the zenith of his career; Germany's Paul Kalkbrenner, who will bring his live show for the first time to North America and also present his new yet untitled album 2012; the Canadian dj and producer Tiga*; one of the heavyweights of the new French electronic school, Gesaffelstein**, and the British dj and producer Nic Fanciulli.

*Tiga will play all dates except Oakland and Los Angeles.
**Gesaffelstein will play only in Chicago, Toronto and Denver.


The dates

Wednesday Oct.31	Chicago	IL	Congress Theatre
Thursday Nov.01	Toronto	ON	Sound Academy
Friday Nov.02	New York	NY	Roseland Ballroom
Saturday Nov.03	Montreal	QC	Metropolis
Sunday Nov.04	Boston	MA	House of Blues
Wednesday Nov.07	Denver	CO	Odgen Theater
Friday Nov.09	Oakland	CA	Fox Theater
Saturday Nov.10	Los Angeles	CA	Shrine Expo Hall

Tickets + Info

Tickets for 'Sonar North American Tour' will go on sale on the 14 September.

More information on the ‘Sónar North American Tour’ is available at www.sonarontour.com and on the following social networks: @sonarfestival (Twitter) and Sonar Festival Official Page (Facebook).


Sónar in 2013

The 20th edition of Sónar Barcelona will take place on 13th, 14th and 15th June, 2013. More information at www.sonar.es

The next Sónar São Paulo will take place on 24th and 25th May, 2013. More information at www.sonarsaopaulo.com.br

The 2013 dates for Sónar in Tokyo and Cape Town will be announced soon. More information at www.sonarsound.jp and www.sonarcapetown.com

Anhembi will again be the venue of the influential and prestigious festival of Advanced Music and New Media Art.

The Latin American edition of Sónar, announces the dates of its 2013 edition as an established event in the calendar of major events in the city of São Paulo and Latin America.

After deploying an unprecedented and unique setting in Anhembi, the event will be held again there on 24 and May 25, 2013 - Friday and Saturday.

With a fantastic critical acclaim and audience, Sónar São Paulo 2012 gathered more than 30,000 people during the two-days festival. There were 48 music performances offering more than 56 hours of music on three different stages. Lovers of music, art and technology that were there enjoyed the unique 3D show by Kraftwerk, the live-shows of Justice, Mogwai, Flying Lotus, Criolo, Chromeo, Modeselektor and James Blake, pop star Cee Lo Green, Little Dragon, TEED or Squarepusher, rapper DOOM or Emicida, the dj sets of Rustie, Seth Troxler, Four Tet, Gui Boratto and the historic meeting of Marky and Patife, as well as the special concert by Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, quoting only a few highlights that made the line-up one of the most praised of the year in Latin America.

Sónar returns to the Castle of Montjuic on Saturday 14th July to take part in the Montjuïc de Nit evening, which brings together all the city's festivals.

The moat of the symbolic Castle will be the venue for a completely free night of electronic sounds, captivating melodies and dance beats, with concerts by The Pinker Tones and BFlecha and sessions from Yall Djs and the duo consisting of Cardopusher-Nehuen.

Click here to download the line-up and map of Montjuïc de Nit.


SÓNAR STAGE LINE-UP
Saturday 14 July, 00.30am to 4am.


Schedules

00.30 live THE PINKER TONES
01.30 live BFLECHA
02.15 djs YALL DJS
03.00 djs NEHUEN VS CARDOPUSHER
04.00 end


Artists

The Pinker Tones (Pinkerland/ES)
Professor Manso and Mister Furia have spent almost a lifetime working together, inventing all sorts of possible worlds that converge into one, which is very personal and instantly recognizable. It is their own universe, which accepts and contains their own productions and remixes for other groups, compositions for shows, performances and audiovisual pieces, a powerful image, a studio/home that they have christened Pinkerland, as well as several highly successful albums, especially beyond Spain's borders. The latest, "Life In Stereo", was released this spring and will be the basis for their new and eagerly anticipated live show.
http://www.thepinkertones.com/

BFlecha (Arkestra/ES)
The founder and cornerstone of the Arkestra collective and armed with songs that are more solid than the rocks off the coast of her native Vigo, Belen Vidal - better known as BFlecha - works at her own pace, slowly but surely, and is shaping up as one of Spain's leading manufacturers of synth pop anthems. Because that is exactly the right description for the tracks on her two maxis released to date, the excellent "Ceja de Carnival" and the more recent "Qvasi Naves", which are full of 80s keyboards, warm vocals, rhythms ranging from house to hip hop (and even synth pop ballads), with perfect high-end radiant finishes.
http://soundcloud.com/bflecha

Yall Djs (ES)
Two are better than one: Yall is a group of Barcelona designers and DJs, who bring together their aesthetic concerns in this project. Namely: the latest trends in dance music (and especially electrohouse) and in the visual arts. With "Ruff & Tuff", their latest EP for the Pink Pong hits factory still warm, Yall promise an assault on the senses and will make everyone that stands in their way dance.
http://yallbcn.com/

Cardopusher Vs. Nehuen (Classicworks/ES)
The Argentinian and Venezuelan have a lot in common: they are both based in and work on their music in Barcelona; they both are fans of broken beats, thick basses and more contemporary sounds (juke, moombathon, post-dubstep), and both are alumni of the Red Bull Music Academy and tireless craftsmen of dancefloor bombs. Together, they have built up the label Classicworks and new artistic project, Disco Duro, which will be revealed live on the Sónar stage at Montjuïc de Nit.
http://soundcloud.com/nehuen
http://soundcloud.com/cardopusher


More information at www.bcn.cat/montjuicdenit

DJ2D2 AV Show, Shelby Grey, Stand Up Against Heart Crime, Miranda Makaroff, GatoTV and Amable will also be performing at Barcelona's international fashion show..

The Brandery, Barcelona's international fashion show, which will take place on 13, 14 and July 15, 2012, once again makes a firm commitment to music, with an attractive line-up that includes live performances and DJ sets. 

On the first day, Friday 13, electronic and synth pop will take centre stage, with shows by the legendary The Human League (a key group in British synth pop) and Spain's La Casa Azul, led by their charismatic frontman Guille Milkyway. The night will be rounded off by sessions from two veteran djs, Barcelona's Amable and Gato.

The second day, Saturday 14, features the show by Mala Rodriguez, an essential figure in Spanish hip-hop, who will be performing hits from her long and illustrious career. She will be accompanied by the amazing audiovisual show by DJ2D2, in which the Barcelona dj "plays" images, and the unpredictable electronica of Shelby Grey in the booth.

And to close the line-up, on Sunday 15, there is a double bill with the Spanish "it girl" Miranda Makaroff on the decks and the dark synth pop of the young pretenders Stand Up Against Heart Crime.

The shows will take place in Pavilion 8 of the Montjuïc Fair area in a space open to the public called Brandtown, which will feature parades, major brands and various exhibitions and workshops showing the relationship between art, cinema, eroticism and fashion.

Tickets are now on sale, at the price of 25 € for Friday, 15 € for Saturday and 12 € for Sunday. As well as admission to the concerts each day, the tickets entitle holders to access to all the Brandtown activities from 3pm onwards, and can be purchased through TicketMaster, Servicaixa, Fnac and Halcón Viajes.



Artists

FRIDAY 13th DE JULY 2012

The Human League
The Human League have been around since 1977, and were at the cutting edge of techno pop in the 80s, with a collection of singles and albums that have become indisputable classics of the genre, such as "Don't You Want Me," "Together In Electric Dreams," "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" and "Human". After a decade of silence, the Sheffield outfit returned to the fray last year with a new album, 'Credo', and a new show that was seen by the audience at Sónar by Night.

La Casa Azul
The musical universe of La Casa Azul, the project of the talented Guille Milkyway, has a lot to do with the escapism and euphoria given off by genres like disco and classic pop. “La Polinesia Meridional”, their latest and best album, makes the most of these and other references to create a vibrant kaleidoscope of colourful sounds, which have even more vitality when heard live, if such a thing is possible.

DJ Amable
DJ Amable is a Barcelona nightlife classic. He is closely linked to the programming of Razzmatazz, and wins over the most varied audiences with a masterful formula that splices together dance music with indie and rock, which was initially inspired by the Manchester scene but over time has developed into a style all his very own. Foolproof.

GatoTV (Tvno & DjGato) - Mash AV Show
Resident and co-responsible for Razz Club for some 10 years, Gato has been playing the DJ booths at clubs and festivals throughout Spain and parts of Europe, contributing to the popularization of what we could call 'indie-clubbing'. This time he arrives with some important changes as he presents the "Mash AV Show" under the guise of Gato TV, a new show created in collaboration with Tvno, in which original videos and mash-ups cross over continuously on one giant screen, creating live audiovisual mixing, and converting every session in a unique experience.



DISSABTE 14 DE JULIOL 2012

Mala Rodríguez
La Mala, born in Jerez and raised in Seville, is a key figure in the Spanish hip hop of the beginning of this century. In 2000 she caused a sensation with "Lujo Ibérico," which highlighted her own particular style of rapping and an outstanding sense of musicality. She has developed her sound since then, always introducing new elements to very catchy songs (like those on her his latest album, "Dirty Bailarina") that she and her crew amplify live.

DJ2D2 AV Show
DJ2D2 is a music lover to the core despite specializing in street music, and his name is always a hallmark of quality. After more than fifteen years spent travelling around the best booths and festivals in Spain and around the world (from London to New York, by way of Tokyo, Sao Paulo and Cairo), DJ2D2 has begun to shake up dancefloors with a show in which audio and video converge, combining video clips and images with the sole help of two turntables and a mixing desk. Class.

Shelby Grey
Shelby Grey is the new project by Vicknoise, a sonic combination which reflects his whole repertoire of influences, from the roots of electro, IDM and disco, to his favourite soundtracks, eighties rock'n'roll and more contemporary sounds. The boundaries between genres are meaningless when Shelby Grey is on the attack, either in the studio - or as on this occasion - at the mixing desk.



SUNDAY 15th DE JULY 2012

Miranda Makaroff
The multifaceted Miranda Makaroff is a designer, actress, illustrator, journalist and a very popular blogger on the net, and has also been getting behind the decks at all kinds of events and parties in sessions which radiate self-confidence and freshness, like everything else she does.

Stand Up Against Heart Crime
What started out as a personal project in Joseph Xortó's bedroom in late 2009 has over time become an increasingly consolidated dark pop band with electronic seams and a hypnotic quality, with a sonic palette ranging from Joy Division to the synth pop of yesterday and today. The Barcelona-based band has recently released an EP for free download on their bandcamp, and have been recording the tracks that will make up their debut album in London.



Schedules

FRIDAY 13th DE JULY

20.30 dj Amable
21.00 live La Casa Azul
22.00 dj Amable
23.00 live The Human League
00.00 GatoTV (Tvno & DjGato) - Mash AV Show
01.00 close

SUNDAY 14th DE JULY

20.30 dj Shelby Grey
21.30 live Mala Rodríguez
22.30 dj Shelby Grey
23.30 dj DJ2D2 AV Show
01.00 close

SUNDAY 15th DE JULY

18.00 live Stand Up Against Heart Crime
19.00 dj Miranda Makaroff
20.30 close

A new surprise stage is added to Sónar by Night last minute: SonarCar. Located just beside the classic dodgem car circuit, SonarCar returns to Sónar 2012 after it’s success at last year’s edition, with a new format and a program of DJs focused on the latest trends in dance music.

Here is the line-up (and timetable) of SonarCar at Sónar by Night - Sónar 2012:

Friday 15th
22:00 - 00:00 Zora Jones
00:00 - 02:00 MouseUp
02:00 - 04:00 Blastto
04:00 - 06:00 Doc Daneeka

Saturday 16th
22:00 - 00:00 El_Txef_A
00:00 - 02:00 Undo
02:00 - 04:00 Trevor Jackson
04:00 - 06:00 Dago

A new release every 12th day, during 12 months, all along the year 12. This is the new Guillamino’s project. June’s release it’s a mixtape featuring tracks made in Barcelona (with some travelling exeption) by good friends. Most of them are playing at this year’s Sónar, some others did it before. And half of the tracks are still unreleased. Guillamino also invited all these musicians to a dance promenade around Barcelona’s Macba and CCCB.

El Gordo del Puru intro
Enric Barbat - Matinada 1984
Guillamino - Cap de Romanès 2012
Johnny Calzzone - Vete mi ciego 2012
El Timbe - Trastorno (Bipolares remix) 2012
FAtkut (feat- Artur Boguñá) - Wolf 2012
The Rapture - In the grace of your love (Pional remix) 2012
JMII - Oase 2012
Mark Luva - She Really Loves Me (demo mix) 2012
Lenticular Clouds - Kymatica 2012
We Like Turtles - The Beat Goes Tick (Demo) 2012
Mötem - All @ once, 2011
Headbirds - That night, 2012
Débruit - Marabout, 2012
Niño - Carrera (demo mix) 2012
Pyrenâen- Indian affairs (demo) 2012
Cubenx - These days (Downliners Sekt remix) 2012
Clip! - All I want, (forthcoming Ensmble label) 2012,

Free download at:
www.sonar.es, www.guillamino.cat and www.bankrobber.net
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/guillamino
Also available at Guillamino 12’s app de Guillamino 12:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/guillamino-12/id492197559?mt=8/

Once again this year, Sónar heads down to Barcelona's Metro to provide a free appetizer concert, less than a week before the festival starts.

At centre stage this year is Internet2, the personal project by the artist Carlos Carbonell, who will be performing on at 7 pm Friday 8 June in the hall of the Universitat metro station (on Lines 1 and 2).

A sworn enemy of convention, the man behind Internet2 mixes comedy, drama and classical music -albeit filtered through electronica- with a caustic sense of humor and a completely free spirit. This is all seasoned with a stage show that oozes irony and will not leave anyone indifferent. Carbonell is one in a million, and will certain surprise all those who take a closer look at him and, of course, all passengers passing through the Universitat metro station at that time.

Internet2 (ES)
http://comtedurgell.com/blog/

To mark the staging of Sonar São Paulo on 11 and 12 May, the Barcelona version of the festival brings three of today's most exciting Brazilian artists to Sónar by Day: Psilosamples, Ricardo Donoso and Dago.

Ze Roló is a native of the province of Minas Gerais, and created the Psilosamples project to provide an outlet for the many ideas bubbling away inside his head. The result is extremely surprising and addictive, featuring highly personal music, in which textures play a key role, and which includes both the fertile tradition of Brazilian folklore and the latest types of contemporary production.

Although he was born in Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo Donoso has been living in Boston for several years, where he has become consolidated as a musician and established himself as a major player on the city's scene. Donoso is the man behind the drums in the death metal band Ehnahre and a member of the experimental duo Perispirit, and has attracted the attention of the most demanding ears with his first album, "Progress Chance", an excellent catalogue of cosmic atmospheres and retro-futuristic electronica that has earned rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, Dago, the owner of Neu Club and the promoter and founder of the Avalanche Tropical collective, is one of the most dynamic DJs on the São Paulo scene, to which he has made a decisive contribution with many sessions and parties at the city's leading venues. His euphoric sessions are characterized by eclecticism in the best sense of the word (baile funk, uk bass, electro, cumbia) and a tropical atmosphere that fits in perfectly with his country's musical tradition.

The two sessions of Sónar by Night, Friday 15 and Saturday 16 June, are packed with a full schedule of shows and djs who have the dancefloor in their sights.

Friday 15: Richie Hawtin, Fatboy Slim, James Murphy, Jacques Lu Cont…

The first of the two SonarClub nights will feature heavyweights of global electronica such as Richie Hawtin and Squarepusher, current safe bets like Untold and Nina Kraviz, recently added to Sonar by Night, who will be closing the stage with a set full of frsh new electronica and house, just a few hours later from her live show at Sonar by Day. Also, SonarClub will host the session by the young Coyu, playing between Amon Tobin’s ISAM show and Hawtin’s set, and Eduardo de la Calle, who will be kicking the evening off with his deep techno.

Saturday 16: Modeselektor, Laurent Garnier, Maya Jane Coles, Deadmau5…

On Saturday, SonarClub plays host to four of the most popular producers/djs of dancefloors around the world: Canada's Deadmau5 (with a spectacular show), the young Frenchman Madeon, the rising American star Pretty Lights and the veteran on the decks Luciano, Berlin-based Chilean and owner of the Cadenza label. With them will be two bands that also have dancebeat in their DNA, Die Antwoord and -of course- New Order.
Close by, in SonarPub, the freshly-minted house from The 2 Bears will set the tone from the get-go, followed by DJ2D2 (with his specially AV Show), Hot Chip, the tremendous duo of Blawan Vs. Mary Anne Hobbs and two de luxe names to finish off: the infallible Modeselektor and the equally flawless Laurent Garnier with his project LBS, halfway between a session and a live show.
Dancing is also a sure thing at SonarLab, with sets by two of the most solid benchmarks of new British house, Maya Jane Coles and Julio Bashmore (responsible for ending the evening) plus the concerts by Azari & III and Metronomy and the Hyperdub showcase, headed by the great Kode9.

Sónar once again selects and highlights the most relevant and interesting developments on the Spanish scene for the festival audiences, with more than 30 shows including sessions and concerts, presenting a broad range of styles, ranging from noisism to new pop, and taking in the most thrilling and innovative rhythms of today's electronica.

Concerts

Barcelona's John Talabot, perhaps the most outstanding Spanish producer working today, will be presenting tracks from his acclaimed album "fIN," accompanied by another artist in top form, Pional. Pegasvs will transfer their hypnotic kraut-pop with vintage synthesizers and analogue tape reels to a live setting. Meanwhile, Arbol, will be giving us his live show of delicate atmospheres and carefully crafted pieces, halfway between electronica and acoustic.

Also noteworthy are the head of Lovethecaos d.Forma (noisism and experimentation taken to the limit); the London resident Santiago Latorre (abstract ambient and intimate jazz); the tremendous The Suicide Of Western Culture (conceptual techno and rave); the talented Lenticular Clouds (evocative and cosmic electronica); the creative freedom of Esperit! (folktronic improvisation); the duo Lolo & Sosaku (minimalism executed using their own instruments); El_Txef_A (elegant deep house from Bilbao); the promising Clip! (house and bass music in perfect communion) and Monki Valley (electronic tropicalism with a pop soul); the very young Stand Up Against Heart Crime (dark synth pop); the Barcelona-based Cadiz native Fábel (melodic and captivating IDM) the interactive show by Koulomek (bass music and IDM with a touch of rave); and the stimulating cinematic sounds of Microfeel.

Sessions

The list of DJs in the sets section is long and varied. Among the highlights are the sets by two Barcelona veterans, Amable (appearing at Sónar for the first time, opening for New Order) and; DJ2D2, who will present his stunning AV Show; Logical Nonsense, (with a set of ambient electronica to kick things off); the young and increasingly popular DJ teams Yall Djs and Machine Beats; Igor Marijuán, (director of the Ibiza Sónica radio station); the bloated beats of Blastto; the face-off between Canada's Sinjin Hawke and Austria's Zora Jones (who are both based in Barcelona and are both lovers of the latest trends such as juke and new jersey club); another head-to-head, this time featuring Guillamino and Diego Armando to celebrate 10 years of the Bankrobber label; the syncopated Latin vibration rhymes of Nehuen; and the techno power and depth of Coyu, Uner and Eduardo de la Calle, who will all be playing at Sónar by Night on Friday 15th.

SonarPro

The SonarPro line-up includes the work done on sonic applications by several students on various courses and master's programmes at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, which will be exhibited on floor -1 of the CCCB (the traditional SonarMàtica space), where you can also see "Pollywogs," the robot musicians by the German artist and Barcelona resident Roland Olbeter.

Sónar 2012 is honoured to present some of the most important figures on the underground scene in recent years, who are outstanding in terms of their extensive knowledge and are renowned selectors when they get behind two turntables and a mixing desk.

Daniel Miller is one such figure. He pioneered the use of synthesizers with his project The Normal and is the man behind Mute Records - an essential label in understanding the ground-breaking trends in electronica and pop of the last 35 years. He will be giving us a session that is bound to bring together styles and strands of musical action for the enjoyment of those present.

Like Miller, Britain's Trevor Jackson is one of those multifaceted characters that stands out due to their ability and exquisite taste: a producer, remixer and the head of the Output label (The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem, Maurice Fulton, Colder), he recently curated the compilation of post-punk and proto-electronica "Metal Dance" for the label Strut; his visit to Sónar gives us the opportunity to listen to a dj with panoramic vision, experience and an extensive catalogue of sounds inside his head.

Talking of LCD Soundsystem: James Murphy, its charismatic leader and founder, the boss of the DFA factory and a compulsive collector of hidden dancefloor music gems, returns to Sónar to delight us with one of his always exquisite sets of high altitude funk-disco-house.

But if there is one dj at Sónar 2012 who can be considered a cult figure, that honour undoubtedly goes to DJ Harvey. Harvey, who was born in Cambridge and has lived in the United States for several years, is a djs' dj, a very influential figure in the recovery and reappraisal of disco music and garage house, and a marvellously unpredictable selector, whose sessions never seem to bear any resemblance either to each other or to those of any other contemporary dj.

Finally, we must mention two outstanding characters from the new currents of British electronic music who occupy very different niches: first, Steve Goodman, better known as Kode9, the head of the essential Hyperdub label, an excellent producer and a dj with impeccable technique, who uses his sessions to bridge the gap between dubstep, UK funky, drum'n'bass and juke with consummate skill. Meanwhile, and for the sixth time at the festival, we will have the chance once again to enjoy Mary Anne Hobbs, who will be accompanied by the brilliant young Blawan. Hobbs is renowned for her popular radio shows, and is now one of the world's most important djs due to her passion, extensive knowledge and proven good taste.

Last weekend, more than 30,000 people attended Sónar São Paulo, the largest festival organized outside Spain by the Barcelona brand in its 19-year history. For two days (11th and 12th May), Anhembi Parque in the city of São Paulo was the venue for 50 shows on 3 stages, as well as talks and demonstrations at SonarPro and screenings at SonarCinema. This placed the Brazilian version of Sónar centre stage in São Paulo's cultural life this year.

The leading lights on the first day (Friday 11th May) were Kraftwerk, presenting their spectacular 3-D show, in which the band looked back over their outstanding catalogue, an essental benchmark for the last 30 years of electronica. Apart from the German outfit, other concerts included those by Chromeo, DOOM, Emicida, Dj Patife vs Dj Marky, Austra and Ricardo Donoso. The latter two acts will be giving us a second helping at Sónar Barcelona in June.

Some of the most acclaimed artists on Saturday were Modeselektor and Squarepusher, who both presented breathtaking audiovisual shows that they will also be bringing to Sónar Barcelona, and the more intimate shows by James Blake (who will give a repeat performance in Barcelona with a dj set) and Mogwai. There was an ovation for Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto and a marvellous reception from the audience for Flying Lotus (one of the heroes of the weekend) and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, who are both also scheduled for Barcelona in June, as well as the Brazilians Psilosamples and Dago.

The festival, which broadcast some of its shows live on YouTube, was watched by thousands of people worldwide. Among the shows that could be viewed live online were those by Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, Flying Lotus, James Blake, Mogwai, Rustie and Four Tet.

The Brazilian event is part of the festival's international journies this year, which began in Cape Town in March, passed through Tokyo in April and will end on 14th, 15th and 16th June with Sónar Barcelona, the keynote event.

Visit the Sónar São Paulo image gallery.

For the first time in its history, Sónar offers you the opportunity to follow the shows scheduled at the festival live from anywhere in the world. This will be happening at Sónar São Paulo, the event taking place in Brazil this weekend, today Friday 11th and tomorrow Saturday 12th May.

Some of the most important concerts and sessions can be enjoyed live on the Sónar São Paulo YouTube channel.

Sónar's Latin American event features performances by over 60 artists, including Kraftwerk, James Blake, Mogwai, Chromeo, Flying Lotus, Four Tet, Modeselektor, Squarepusher, Justice and DOOM, among many others.

Check all the information on Sónar São Paulo here.

These are the schedules (brazilian time) and shows that can be watched live on YouTube:

Friday 11th May

09.30pm James Blake/ SonarHall
11.30pm Criolo / SonarHall
00.30am Hudson Mohawke / SonarClub
01.30am Chromeo / SonarClub

Saturday 12th May

09.00pm Nedu Lopes / SonarClub
10.00pm Flying Lotus / SonarVillage
11.00pm The Twelves / SonarClub
00.00am Rustie / SonarVillage
01.10am Munchi / SonarClub
02.10am Modeselektor / SonarClub

N.B.: the times of the performances are subject to change.

A festival on a large scale

Sónar São Paulo2012, which will be presenting more than 50 shows in the Brazilian city's Anhembi Parque on 11 and 12 May, will be Sónar’s largest event outside Spain yet. 

Both events bring together the Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night format in a single space, non-stop until 5 in the morning. 

The festival consists of three stages with different capacities, located in the Anhembi Parque venue: SonarClub (the main stage, which will host the large format shows), SonarVillage (partially covered, with artificial grass, and the stage for the artists who are part of the programme curated by Red Bull Music Academy, among others), and SonarHall (the covered auditorium featuring more experimental ideas and approaches). As well as these three stages, there are the areas devoted to SonarPro, including the SonarCinema screening room. 

Musical line-up

The Sónar São Paulo line-up includes the outstanding new show in 3 dimensions from Kraftwerk, one of the most influential groups in music history. The German group arrives at Sónar São Paulo after having sold out all the tickets for its eight shows at the MoMA in New York. 

Besides the new show from Kraftwerk, Sónar São Paulo presents outstanding international names in today's music, including James Blake, Chromeo, Mogwai, Justice, Squarepusher, Modeselektor, Flying Lotus, Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, Four Tet, Cee Lo Green, Jeff Mills, Little Dragon and DOOM,to name just a fews.

The festival will also be paying special attention to the exciting and dynamic creative scene in Brazil, a country with an impressive musical tradition from which top drawer artists continue to emerge, and many of them will be present at Sónar São Paulo, including: Gui Boratto, Ricardo Donoso, Gang Do Eletro, M Takara Vs. Akin, Bruno Belluomini, Nedu Lopes, Psilosamples, Pazes, Emicida, Dago…

Meanwhile, Red Bull Music Academy, the roaming school of musical talent that will take place for the fifteenth time in New York this September, will be responsible for curating part of the SonarVillage stage, consisting of former students and artists who have worked with the Academy, such as Flying Lotus, DOOM, James Pants, Cut Chemist, Rustie, James Holden, Tiger & Woods, DJ Zegon & Sonidos Unidos Sound System, Pazes and Mauricio Fleury.

Check out the complete Sónar São Paulo line-up here, with dates, stages and times.

SonarPro São Paulo, an outstanding meeting point for professionals

In addition to the musical line-up, the festival presents SonarPro São Paulo, the meeting point for professionals in the music industry and creative businesses associated with creativity and technology, with a strong contingent of artists, creators and professionals from Brazil and Catalonia.

The Sónar São Paulo professional area will also act as a springboard for Catalonia's creative and cultural industries. The Ministry of Culture of the Government of Catalonia, through the ICIC, has signed a four-year agreement with Sónar to make Sónar's Brazilian festival a platform for the promotion for ideas and projects by Catalan businesses and entrepreneurs in the technological and cultural spheres.

The SonarPro São Paulo programme features the Canadians Eski (specialists in the technology used for big shows), Brazil’s Muti Randolph (whose works fall between technological design and architectural spaces) and the Catalans Conductr (the creators of audio applications for mobile phones), Jocabola (systems generators and data visualization) and Reactable Systems (inventors of the popular interactive table/instrument Reactable), among others.

The SonarPro activities fall into four main areas: 1) Technology applied to musical creation; 2) Art and technology on stage 3) Video games and 4) New instruments.

SonarPro São Paulo presents SonarCinema, the festival's space for films, documentaries and audiovisual pieces that are outstanding due to the originality of their styles and the high artistic value of their content. The selection of pieces has been curated by Sónar in collaboration with two of the most important audiovisual festivals in Catalonia: In-Edit, the festival specializing in music documentaries (which will be holding the fourth In-Edit Brazil will on the same days in São Paulo) and Screen from Barcelona, a platform dedicated to the moving image in contemporary art.

Check the SonarPro activities
and films at SonarCinema here

In 2012, the festival has made a clear commitment to shows with an outstanding technological dimension, which are remarkable due to their visual impact and the fact that they transcend mere concert status. This is the case with ISAM, the fascinating show by Amon Tobin based on large building blocks and projections that use 3D mapping technology; the large format shows by Deadmau5, using an impressive light show and his usual mouse mask as the main stage elements; Modeselektor, who will be accompanied by projections and images from the prestigious Berlin collective Pfadfinderei.

In a similar vein, but in a smaller format, the highlights of the Sónar by Day line-up include the Archimedes Show by Daedelus, with 24 mirrors that multiply the already colourful stage presentation, and the performance of Diamond Version, the new project by Germany's Alva Noto and Byetone, who with the Japanese artist Atsuhiro Ito- use modified fluorescent tubes as a sound source in their live show and play them as if they were heavily amplified electric guitars.

Also worthy of note at Sónar by Day is the unique Brain Pulse Music by Masaki Batoh, who creates live sounds based on brain impulses, using frequencies that can be tracked by the audience on several screens. And of course, there is the second collaboration by the Berlin-based audio-visual team Pfadfinderei, who this time will be shedding some light on the live compositional processes of the brand new group Mostly Robot, led by Jamie Lidell and Tim Exile and presented by Native Instruments.

The fifth SonarSound to be held in the Japanese capital took place last weekend, and was attended by 5,300 people over the two days of the festival (21 and 22 April).

Visit the SonarSound Tokyo image gallery here.

The event space ageHa / Studio Coast once again hosted the programme, which this year featured several of the most important artists in today's electronica, on both the international scene and the Japanese scene.  

Some of them will be back in May at Sónar Sao Paulo and in June at Sónar Barcelona. Among them are Squarepusher, who will be present at both events. The British artist presented the tracks from his new and forthcoming "Ufabulum," with a spectacular show in which the sound could be visualized by means of the LED display on the screen and Sqaurepusher's helmet. 

Others who will be present at Sónar Barcelona re Japan's Masaki Batoh, with his unusual Brain Pulse Music (a machine using brain impulses to generate sounds) and Yosi Horikawa, whose electronica constructed using field recordings captivated the audience; and the young American soulman Jesse Boykins III, who showed us his remarkable charisma and vocal power on stage. 

Jesse Boykins III was accompanied by the dj and producer from Glasgow Hudson Mohawke, who is also part of the line-up of Sonar São Paulo, as is his compatriot Rustie, who was one of the highlights of this fifth edition of the festival.

As well as all the above, the audience at SonarSound Tokyo enjoyed the intimacy of Vincent Gallo, the impressive performance paying homage to The Residents by Japan's Ukawanimation!, the perfect symbiosis between music and images of The Cinematic Orchestra, the great talent of Dorian Concept on the keyboards and the new visual show by Ryoichi Kurokawa, among many other shows.

This weekend, the 21 and 22 April, sees the fifth SonarSound Tokyo, the Sónar festival in the ageHa-Studo Coast venue in the Japanese capital.

The line-up includes major names on the international scene (Squarepusher, Clark, Mount Kimbie, Rustie, The Cinematic Orchestra ...) and a strong contingent of Japanese artists (Ken Ishii, Ryoichi Kurokawa, Yosi Horikawa...) as well as a stage curated by Red Bull Music Academy (with Global Communication, Hudson Mohawke and Teebs, among others), projections of audiovisual pieces and an art installation.

Check out all the details here: www.sonarsound.jp/en


SonarSound Tokyo 2012 Artists:

Squarepusher (UK)
Clark (UK)
Ken Ishii presents Metropolitan Harmonic Formulas (JP)
The Cinematic Orchestra (UK)
Vincent Gallo (US)
Mount Kimbie (UK)
Rustie (UK)
Anchor Song (JP)
Ukawanimation presents XXX Residents (JP)
Ryoichi Kurokawa (JP)
Dorian Concept (AUT)
Kyoka (JP)
Ao Inoue (JP)
Mergrim (JP)
Seiho + Avec Avec (JP)
Jealousguy (JP)
Keiichiro Shibuya + Takashi Ikegami (JP)
Masaki Batoh (JP)
Bun / Fumitake Tamura × takcom (JP)
Dub-Russell x Vokoi (JP)
Go-qualia
Oorutaichi (JP)
Nightwave (UK)
Broken Haze (JP)
Typingmonkeys (JP)
Fugenn & The White Elephants (JP)

Red Bull Music Academy presents SonarDôme
Global Communication (UK)
Hudson Mohawke (UK)
Culoe De Song (ZA)
Teebs (US)
Jesse Boykins III (US)
Daisuke Tanabe (JP)
Yosi Horikawa (JP)
Kez YM (JP)
sauce81 (JP)
Akiko Kiyama (JP)
Hiroaki Oba (JP)

Screenings
Amon Tobin "ISAM Live"
"The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales Live With Orchestra"

Art Instalation
Party (Shinji Kawamura × Kanta Shimizu)

The festival presents the complete schedule for the SonarDôme stage, curated by Red Bull Music Academy; the BBC Radio 1 showcase, headed by Annie Mac and Simian Mobile Disco; and adds 17 new names to the long list of Spanish artists featured at this year's event.

Native Instruments reveals the members of the group Mostly Robot: Jamie Lidell, Tim Exile, Jeremy Ellis, DJ Shiftee and Mister Jimmy, who will be playing together in an unprecedented concert at Sónar by Day.

Check the Sónar 2012 line-up as it stands today here


A double helping of Flying Lotus

The man behind the Californian Brainfeeder label and an essential benchmark in modern hip-hop and electronica, Flying Lotus will be presenting two shows at Sónar by Day: one heading the Brainfeeder showcase and another as part of the line-up on the SonarDôme stage curated by Red Bull Music Academy.


Emerging talent

The Canadians Trust have achived critical and public acclaim with their dark and captivating pop, while Russia's Nina Kraviz is one of the new stars of European electronica, thanks to a superb debut album. The American Star Slinger, meanwhile, is beginning to set tongues wagging in increasingly wider circles with his original sessions and mixtapes covering house, hip-hop and electronic syncopation.


Complete line-ups of the BBC Radio 1 showcase and SonarDôme stage by Red Bull Music Academy

Sónar by Night also features the English duo Simian Mobile Disco, presenting their new album, "Unpatterns", heading up the showcase from BBC Radio 1, which will be rounded off by the British beatmaker Jack Beats, the duo of French DJs Brodinski Vs Gesaffelstein and the host Annie Mac on the decks.

In addition to Flying Lotus and Nina Kraviz, the line-up on the SonarDôme stage curated by Red Bull Music Academy is now completely defined with the incorporation of two new artists: the Italian psychedelic disco-house trio Esperanza and the unclassifiable duo of Swiss producers Radiorifle.


New Spanish additions

Sónar once again selects the most relevant and interesting outfits on the Spanish scene today for the festival's audience.
The latest additions include live shows by Arbol, presenting his new album, El_Txef_A (quality deep house from Bilbao), Koulomek (with a show featuring visual and interactive electronica), Fábel, out of Cadiz, (melodic IDM) and Microfeel (cinematic electronica), and sessions by Logical Nonsense (ambient electronica), the eclecticism of the up and coming Coyu, the young and increasingly popular teams Yall Djs and Machine Beats, two classics like DJ2D2 and Amable (at Sónar for the first time), the dj and director of the radio station Ibiza Sónica Igor Marijuán, the bloated beats of Blastto, a head-to-head set with Guillamino and Diego Armando (celebrating ten years of the Bankrobber label) and the experimental and danceable techno bailable of Eduardo de la Calle.


The world premiere at SonarPro of Mostly Robot, presented by Native Instruments and headed by Jamie Lidell

The eclectic vocalist and producer Jamie Lidell; the prestigious experimentalist Tim Exile; the skilful beatmaker Jeremy Ellis; the New York dj, world DMC champion, DJ Shiftee; and the keyboardist and regular member of Lidell's band Mister Jimmy. These are the 5 members of Mostly Robot, the band presented by Native Instruments, who will be giving us an unprecedented and exclusive concert at Sónar by Day in which they will be joining forces on stage using only the wide range of new instruments from the German company.


New additions to Sónar 2012 (16/04/2012):

Flying Lotus (US)
Trust (CA)
Nina Kraviz (RS)

BBC1 Radio 1 presents
Simian Mobile Disco (UK)
Brodinski & Gesaffelstein (FR)
Jack Beats (UK)
Annie Mac (UK)

Native Instruments presents
Mostly Robot con Jamie Lidell, Tim Exile, Jeremy Ellis, DJ Shiftee y Mister Jimmy (DE)

Star Slinger (UK)
Esperanza (IT)
Radiorifle (CH)
Arbol (ES)
Blastto (ES)
Amable (ES)
Igor Marijuán (ES)
El_Txef_A (ES)
DJ2D2 (ES)
Yall Djs (ES)
Logical Nonsense (ES)
Microfeel (ES)
Fábel (ES)
Machine Beats (ES)
Eduardo de la Calle (ES)
Coyu (ES)
Koulomek (ES)
Diego Armando Vs. Guillamino dj (ES)

Birth of an idea

Mostly Robot is set to deliver one of the most unique events of the Sónar by Day program – five well-known musicians - each celebrated in their own field - join forces alongside innovative visual artists for a world premiere performance. Conceived by Native Instruments, Mostly Robot will utilize an advanced array on NI hardware and software, pioneering a creative interplay between technology and cutting-edge artists from diverse musical backgrounds.


Unique creativity

Mostly Robot is a real band, made up of exceptional artists: Jamie Lidell, Tim Exile, Jeremy Ellis, Mr Jimmy and DJ Shiftee. Truly ‘live’, each musician plays independently of each other – instruments are synced only by the human element, with no MIDI clock or prepared grid obstructing their creativity. Placing themselves in the tradition of inspiring jazz concerts, Mostly Robot draw their magic from bringing highly skilled individuals together, creating a unique momentum. What’s more, the Sónar showcase is a rare moment to catch a glimpse of yet unreleased song material from individual band members.


Visual Alchemy

The music will be accompanied by an inventive visual concept from Berlin’s extraordinary design collective Pfadfinderei. Using the note events, controller data and audio material created by the playing of their instruments, visual elements are developed in real time on screen – allowing the audience to follow the virtuosity of each musician and made possible by advanced Native Instruments’ technology.


The Artists

Jamie Lidell / Frontman & Singer
Soul explorer and innovator of electronic live performances Jamie Lidell uses his voice as his main instrument plus MASCHINE to fire off samples and synth sounds.
http://jamielidell.com

DJ Shiftee / Cuts & Turntablism
New York’s 2x DMC World Champ and Harvard degree holder DJ Shiftee brings the next level scratches and cuts- and will also perform his infamous routines on his TRAKTOR setup.
http://djshiftee.com/about/

Tim Exile / Effects & Sound Mangling
Warp recording artist Tim Exile is renowned for his highly creative, improvisational live performances. He’ll use his custom-made REAKTOR set-up to record audio loops from his co-musicians and mangle them on the fly. 
http://www.timexile.tv

Mr Jimmy / Harmonies & Keys
Mr Jimmy, keyboarder of Jamie Lidell’s band, will act as the harmonic lynchpin for Mostly Robot using his self-programmed FM8 patches and other fresh sounds from KOMPLETE.
http://Mrjimmyfromearth.bandcamp.com

Jeremy Ellis / Finger-drumming & Percussion
Detroit’s Jeremy Ellis is a finger-drumming virtuoso – as witnessed on his legendary MASCHINE videos. On stage, Jeremy’s the rhythmical mastermind adding drums and percussion and also performing his astonishing solo routines.
http://jeremyellismusic.com

Pfadfinderei / Visuals
A stunning live visual concept has been created by Pfadfinderei, the Berlin-based designer collective that specialize in cutting-edge visual alchemy. Responsible for the visual shows of Moderat, Modeselektor and Paul Kalkbrenner.
http://www.pfadfinderei.com

The 2012 festival presents more than 40 new additions, including 16 artists among those presented by Red Bull Music Academy at SonarDôme and a healthy contingent of leading Spanish projects.


Britain's New Order, one of the most influential bands in music history, pioneers in the assimilation of the language of electronic dance music in a pop context and creators of hits as timeless as "Blue Monday", "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "True Faith" will be performing at Sónar by Night on Saturday 16 June.

Die Antwoord return to Sónar 2012 by popular demand after their show at last year's festival. With their excellent recently-released "Ten$ion" under their belt, they will be taking a well deserved step up to the main stage at Sónar by Night, bringing attitude, songs, image and an undoubted ability to connect with their increasingly numerous fans. Something similar is true of James Murphy, who has been a Sónar favourite for some time. He is returning once again this year to demonstrate his wisdom in one of his rare sessions of house and disco music collector's items from all eras.

The American beatmaker Daedelus will be presenting his spectacular Archimedes Show, with a staging that includes 24 mirrors that reflect and amplify his already colourful live performance to infinity, while Japan's Cornelius (another benchmark for visual concerts) presents the avant-pop project salyu x salyu, in which he is the guitarist.

The festival increases its commitment to the dancefloor with the addition of British house duo The 2 Bears (the side project of Hot Chip's Joe Goddard), the expansive and addictive electronica of Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, the mastery on the decks of the bass music hero Untold, the dancefloor-focused beats of the USA's Pretty Lights, tech-house from the new French star Madeon, live remixes from the Canadian trio Keys N Krates, and the Italian duo of djs Discodromo.

Meanwhile, Sónar by Day will feature three incorruptible characters with very personal styles: Japan's Masaki Batoh, who will be presenting the show Brain Pulse Music, which includes sounds emitted by brain impulses; Brazil's Ricardo Donoso, a leading member of the Boston experimental scene, whose approach is halfway between ambient, noise and organic landscapes; and Daniel Miller, the man behind the seminal label Mute and a living legend of electronica and new wave, who will be giving us one of the festival's most eagerly anticipated sessions... and, of course, the mysterious new Mostly Robot project, concieved by Native Instruments.

Important Spanish additions to the line-up of Sónar 2012 include the hypnotic kraut-pop of Pegasvs, the hand-crafted instruments of Lolo & Sosaku, the kaleidoscopic IDM of Lenticular Clouds, the dark synth pop of the brand new Stand Up Against Crime Heart, the creative freedom of Esperit!, the emotional noisism of d.Forma and the head-to-head session with Sinjin Hawke & Zora Jones.

More confirmations will be announced in the next few weeks!


Sónar 2012: new additions

New Order (UK)
Die Antwoord (ZA)
James Murphy (US)
Daedelus Archimedes Show (US)
Cornelius presents salyu x salyu (JP)
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (UK)
The 2 Bears (UK)
Daniel Miller (UK)
Pegasvs (ES)
Lolo & Sosaku (ES)
Ricardo Donoso (BR)
Masaki Batoh – Brain Pulse Music (JP)
Keys N Krates (CA)
Esperit! (ES)
Discodromo (IT)
d.Forma (ES)
Lenticular Clouds (ES)
Stand Up Against Heart Crime (ES)
Untold (UK)
Madeon (FR)
Sinjin Hawke Vs. Zora Jones (ES)

Red Bull Music Academy presents
DJ Harvey (US)
DJ Spinn & DJ Rashad (US)
Nguzunguzu (US)
Club Cheval feat. Canblaster, Myd, Panteros 666 & Sam Tiba (FR)
Doc Daneeka (UK)
xxxy (UK)
Jesse Boykins III (US)
Om Unit (UK)
Nehuen (ES)
Andrea Balency (MX)
Salva (US)
Raisa K (UK)
Nightwave (UK)
Yosi Horikawa (JP)
Santiago Latorre (ES)
Sizarr (DE)
Exeter (CA)
Clip! (ES)
Eltron John (PL)
Monki Valley (ES)

Red Bull Music Academy, the international project that every year brings together producers and musicians from all over the world, will be curating the SonarDôme stage for the fourth year running, and has announced 16 names - more than half of its line-up.

Among the highlights are the presence of legendary English born American-based cult figure Dj Harvey and the duo of Dj Spinn & Dj Rashad, two of the leading exponents of the juke tide that is washing the world over from its source in Chicago.

They are joined by 14 of the most relevant artists who have passed through the various incarnations of Red Bull Music Academy, and most were participants in last years edition held in Madrid: Salva (synth house), Nguzunguzu (eclectic and contemporary electronica), Jesse Boykins III (nu-soul), xxxy (bass house), Om Unit (IDM and bass music), Raisa K (synth pop and psychedelia), Nightwave (house, juke), Doc Daneeka (house and uk funk), Club Cheval feat. Canblaster, Myd, Panteros 666 & Sam Tiba (techno and electro), Yosi Horikawa (electronica and concrete music), Andrea Balency (pop), Clip! (Balearic house), Nehuen (bass music), Sizarr (indie hop), Exeter (beats), Santiago Latorre (experimental ambient), Eltron John (disco house) and Monki Valley (tropical electronica).

More confirmations will be announced in the next few weeks!


Red Bull Music Academy presents
DJ Harvey (US)
DJ Spinn & DJ Rashad (US)
Nguzunguzu (US)
Club Cheval feat. Canblaster, Myd, Panteros 666 & Sam Tiba (FR)
Doc Daneeka (UK)
xxxy (UK)
Jesse Boykins III (US)
Om Unit (UK)
Nehuen (ES)
Andrea Balency (MX)
Salva (US)
Raisa K (UK)
Nightwave (UK)
Yosi Horikawa (JP)
Santiago Latorre (ES)
Sizarr (DE)
Exeter (CA)
Clip! (ES)
Eltron John (PL)
Monki Valley (ES)

"A Taste of Sónar @ Design Indaba," the first of four international dates for Sónar in 2012, will take place in Cape Town this next Friday 2 March, at what will be Sónar's first event in Africa.

Sónar is pleased to announce the last minute addition of Massive Attack to the line-up of A Taste Of Sónar @ Design Indaba. The British duo, consisting of Robert Del Naja and Daddy G - undoubtedly one of the most important outfits on the electronic music scene over the past 20 years - will be giving us a four-handed dj set and will be accompanied by visuals from the prestigious London design studio UVA (United Visual Artists), who are regular collaborators with the band in the design and staging of their live shows.

The inclusion of the Bristol duo completes the line-up of A Taste Of Sónar, Sónar's first event in Africa, in collaboration with Design Indaba, one of the most important artistic events on the continent. A Taste Of Sónar presents an ambitious programme combining music and film, with several leading international artists, a healthy contingent of local talent and the screening of four films in the SonarCinema exhibition.

Red Bull Music Academy and Sónar present several of the most interesting South African producers and musicians working today: Diggin4Dodge, Terrence Pearce, Culoe De Song and Jullian Gomes (who will be performing together), Thibo Tazz, Behr, Richard The Third and Rebel Clef join the musical line-up of A Taste Of Sónar, in addition to the already announced BLK JKS, Killer Robot, Das Kapital and Fletcher In Dub, thereby providing a cross-section of the entire South African scene, from new broken dance rhythms to house with African roots, taking in contemporary soul, dub and organic electronica.

As well as all the above, the programme of A Taste Of Sónar in Cape Town also features three of the most important projects in today's international electronica, as previously announced: the Germans Modeselektor and Byetone and the French dj Brodinski.

Meanwhile, SonarCinema presents a selection of films and documentaries that are outstanding in terms of their artistic standards and original approach to the musical spectrum: "Press Pause Play" (an analysis of the digital revolution with comments from Moby, Robyn and Hot Chip, among others); "Colour Projections" (a piece that plays with shapes, colours and sound); "SYGNOK and the War for Radical Computer Music" (which focuses on the unusual philosophy of the Danish musician Goodiepal) and the film that gave Sónar 2010 its image, "Finisterrae", directed by Sergio Caballero and presented at over 40 events around the world.


Musical line-up:

Massive Attack (dj set) & United Visual Artists (UK)
Modeselektor (DE)
Byetone (DE)
Brodinski (FR)
BLK JKS (ZA)
Das Kapital (ZA)
Fletcher In Dub (ZA)
Killer Robot (ZA)

Red Bull Music Academy presents:
Culoe De Song & Jullian Gomes (ZA)
Behr (ZA)
Diggin4Dodge (ZA)
Rebel Clef (ZA)
Richard The Third (ZA)
Terrence Pearce (ZA)
Thibo Tazz (ZA)


SonarCinema:
Finisterrae
Director: Sergio Caballero
PressPausePlay
Directors: David Dworsky, Victor Köhler
Colour Projections
Director: Theo Burt
SYGNOK and the War for Radical Computer Music
Directors: Saul Albert, Nathaniel Robin Mann

The singer from New York, recently awarded International breakthrough artist at the Brit awards, will present her debut album  “Born To Die”, a chart topper half the world over.

Lana Del Rey, one of the stars on the current International pop scene, will perform at Sónar Barcelona 2012. The young New Yorker, whose rocketing career has converted her into a global icon, will present her debut album ‘Born to Die’ live, after having topped the charts in north America, the UK and other parts of the world.

Lana Del Rey possesses a carefully groomed style evoking images of the Hollywood hey-day, impeccable videos (“Video Games”, “Born To Die”, “Blue Jeans”) seen over the internet by thousands of viewers throughout the world in a short space of time and achieving millions of hits, and songs that stand out for their contemporary sound, accurate melodies, high doses of glamour and influences of pop, from the 50’s to the 90’s. 

Lana herself cites Elvis Presley, Britney Spears, Nina Simone, Nirvana, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys and Antony and the Johnsons amongst her principle references and defines herself as a “Nancy Sinatra in a gangster-rap key”. Moreover, Lana knows how to move in the right circles, currently mixing with the most interesting producers and artists of the moment, her songs have already been remixed by the likes of Balam Acab, Joy Orbison, Clams Casino, Jamie Woon, Odd Future and not forgetting Damon Albarn.

14, 15, 16 June
www.sonar.es

Sónar Barcelona, which will take place on 14, 15 and June 16, presents its first confirmed artists, including The Roots, deadmau5, Hot Chip, Modeselektor, James Blake dj, Fatboy Slim, Richie Hawtin, Amon Tobin’s ISAM, Squarepusher, Nicolas Jaar, Luciano, Azari & III, Jacques Lus Cont, Friendly Fires, Metronomy, John Talabot, Mouse On Mars, BBC Radio 1 presents Annie Mac & guests and showcases from Hyperdub, Brainfeeder and 100% Silk, among others.

Among the artists confirmed to date are:

The USA's The Roots, probably the best hip-hop band in the world today.

Top-drawer technological shows with a massive impact on the senses, like ISAM by Amon Tobin, and the shows by deadmau5 and Diamond Version (the new project by Alva Noto and Byetone).

Major names in electronic dance music, including Fatboy Slim (for the first time at Sónar), Richie Hawtin, Azari & III, Jacques Lu Cont, Modeselektor, Ital, John Talabot, Luciano and Laurent Garnier (presenting his latest show, LBS).

Some of the leading standard bearers of today's freshest and most danceable pop, like Hot Chip (who have a new album under their belt) Metronomy, Friendly Fires and Austra.

Undeniably talented young artists like James Blake (wearing his dj hat), Nicolas Jaar (returning after his success at Sónar 2011), Maya Jane Coles, Jacques Greene, Julio Bashmore, Thundercat, Cooly G, The Suicide Of Western Culture, Uner and Blawan, among others.

Top drawer adventurous and experimental artists such as Mouse On Mars, Squarepusher, Peaking Lights, Maria Minerva, LA Vampires, Plapla Pinky and Supersilent, who will be performing with the legendary British musician John Paul Jones.

The major showcases by Hyperdub, Brainfeeder and 100% Silk (three of today's most important labels, champions of cutting edge dubstep, the fertile Los Angeles beats scene and the new batch of underground house producers in the United States, as well as the BBC Radio 1 show with Annie Mac and her guests.

Sónar Pass in 2 easy instalments. Sónar is introducing in 2012 the new payment system in two instalments for purchasing the 3-day pass for the festival in Barcelona, with an initial payment of 80€ when the booking is made (before 31 March) and a second payment of 75€ before 5 May.

Artists:
The Roots (US)
Hot Chip (UK)
James Blake dj (UK)
Fatboy Slim (UK)
Richie Hawtin (CA)
Amon Tobin ISAM (BR)
Squarepusher (UK)
deadmau5 (CA)
Nicolas Jaar (US)
Luciano (CH)
Azari & III (CA)
Friendly Fires (UK)
Metronomy (UK)
Modeselektor (DE)
Mouse On Mars (DE)
Laurent Garnier presents LBS (FR)
Hyperdub presents Kode9 + Cooly G + Scratcha DVA (UK)
Austra (CA)
Jacques Greene (CA)
Jacques Lu Cont (UK)
John Talabot (ES)
Diamond Version featuring Alva Noto & Byetone + Atsuhiro Ito (DE-JP)
Brainfeeder presents Thundercat + Kutmah + Lapalux (US)
Maya Jane Coles (UK)
Mary Anne Hobbs Vs Blawan (UK)
100% Silk presents Ital + Maria Minerva + LA Vampires + Magic Touch (US)
Peaking Lights (US)
Julio Bashmore (UK)
BBC Radio 1 presents Annie Mac & guests (UK)
Trevor Jackson (UK)
When Saints Go Machine (DK)
The Suicide Of Western Culture (ES)
Darkside (Nicolas Jaar & Dave Harrington) (US)
Plapla Pinky (FR)
Psilosamples (BR)
Dago (BR)
Uner (ES)
Supersilent featuring John Paul Jones (NO-UK)


SonarPass 2012 can be paid in two instalments

This year for the first time, Sónar is introducing the new payment system in two instalments for purchasing the 3-day pass for the festival in Barcelona, with an initial payment of 80€ when the booking is made (before 31 March) and a second payment of 75€ before 5 May. Find all information about the Sónar tickets here.

11. 12 May - Parque Anhembi, São Paulo. Brazil.
www.sonarsaopaulo.com.br

Sónar São Paulo takes place on 11 and 12 May, and will be the largest of all the events organized by Sónar outside Barcelona, featuring - among others - Mogwai, Jeff Mills, Squarepusher, Za! and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, in addition to the previously announced artists Björk, Justice, Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, James Blake, Four Tet and Modeselektor.

The additions to the festival line-are the Scottish band Mogwai, techno maestro Jeff Mills, the American dj Seth Troxler, Squarepusher and his deluxe polyrhythms, the elegant electro pop outfit Austra, the fabulous Catalan duo Za!, Barcelona's John Talabot (with his acclaimed recent release “fIN”), the futuristic Glasgow producer Hudson Mohawke, the new electronica project Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and the Brazilian artists Gui Boratto, Dj Marky Vs Dj Patife, M Takara + Akin, Gang Do Eletro, Silva and Ricardo Donoso.

All these inclusions to the list are in addition to the already announced names of Björk, James Blake, Justice, Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto and Four Tet, among many others.

Sónar São Paulo also presents SonarPro, a platform created for the presentation in Brazil of new businesses, projects and products within the technology and art binomial.

Sónar São Paulo is a strategic operation that will also act as a springboard for Catalonia's creative and cultural industries. The Government of Catalonia's Ministry of Culture, through the Catalan Cultural Enterprises Institute (ICIC), has signed a four-year agreement with Sónar, making the Brazilian version of the Sónar festival to be a platform for the promotion and expansion of cutting edge Catalan culture in the fields of music, audiovisuals and new media art.

Artists:
Björk (IS)
Justice (FR)
Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto (DE-JP)
James Blake (UK)
Mogwai (UK)
Squarepusher (UK)
Jeff Mills (US)
Four Tet (UK)
Modeselektor (DE)
Emicida (BR)
Little Dragon (SE)
Seth Troxler (US)
Hudson Mohawke (UK)
Gui Boratto (BR)
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (UK)
Austra (US)
Dj Marky Vs Dj Patife (BR)
John Talabot (ES)
The Twelves (BR)
M Takara x Akin (BR)
Za! (ES)
Silva (BR)
Gang Do Eletro (BR)
Dago (BR)
Psilosamples (BR)
Bruno Belluomini (BR)
Ricardo Donoso (BR)

21. 22 April – ageHa Studio Coast, Tokyo. Japan.
www.sonarsound.jp

Sónar returns to Japan - for the fifth time - on 21 and 22 April for SonarSound Tokyo, with a line-up combining major international artists such as Squarepusher, The Cinematic Orchestra, Vincent Gallo, Clark, Rustie and some of the most outstanding representatives of today's Japanese scene.

Following the success of the 2011 event, Sónar returns to Japan on 21 and 22 April for SonarSound Tokyo, for what will be the festival's fifth visit to the Japanese capital.

The festival presents a high-level line-up with some of the most important international artists, such as the respected veteran British bassist and producer Squarepusher; the cult actor and musician Vincent Gallo; the British electronic jazz outfit The Cinematic Orchestra; the young maestro of contemporary rhythms Rustie; the representative of abstraction from the Warp factory Clark; the post-dubstep duo Mount Kimbie, the prestigious Austrian beatmaker Dorian Concept, and the Japanese artists Ryoichi Kurokawa, Mergrim, Anchorsong, Oorutaichi and Typingmonkeys.

Artists:
Squarepusher (UK)
The Cinematic Orchestra (UK)
Vincent Gallo (US)
Clark (UK)
Mount Kimbie (UK)
Rustie (UK)
Ryoichi Kurokawa (JP)
Dorian Concept (AT)
Mergrim (JP)
Anchorsong (JP)
Oorutaichi (JP)
Typingmonkeys (JP)

March the 2nd – City Town Hall, Cape Town. South Africa.
www.sonarcapetown.com

The festival travels to Africa for the first time with "A Taste of Sónar" on March the 2nd, in Cape Town (South Africa), in collaboration with the large multidisciplinary event Design Indaba. Among those performing will be Modeselektor, Byetone, Brodinski and some of the most prominent South African artists working today.

The festival travels to Africa for the first time with A Taste of Sónar in Cape Town, South Africa, organized within the major large format multidisciplinary event Design Indaba, which between the 29 February and 4 March will be transforming the South African city into the international capital of design, with top level speakers and projects in attendancein the fields of graphic design, advertising, cinema, fashion, architecture, visual arts and last but not least, music.

The location of 'A Taste of Sonar' is, as as usual for the festival, an emblematic and unique place. More so in this case, as at Cape Town's City Hall, a building that stands out for it's Edwardian architecture of 1905 and visible from the all over the city. It was the place where Nelson Mandela gave his first speech after having been freed in 1990.

On 2 March, Sónar presents an appetizer for the Barcelona festival, combining established international artists (including Modeselektor, Byetone and Brodinski) with the most exciting artists from the nascent South African scene, such as BLK JKS, Killer Robot, Das Kapital and Fletcher In Dub.

Artists:
Modeselektor (DE)
Byetone (DE)
Brodinski (FR)
BLK JKS (ZA)
Killer Robot (ZA)
Das Kapital (ZA)
Fletcher In Dub (ZA)

Sónar São Paulo 2012 will take place on 11 and 12 of May, 2012 in the Parque Anhembi. The festival brings the philosophy of the Barcelona event to São Paulo. Sónar São Paulo 2012 combines showcases for new talent an experimentation with great shows and the audiovisual productions by key names on the international electronic scene. Over 2 days, Sónar São Paulo 2012 will present more than 50 activities featuring advanced music and new media art, including concerts, DJ sets, audiovisual performances and professional activities.


Confirmed Artists

Sónar São Paulo 2012 features the Icelandic artist Björk, returning to Brazil to perform at Sónar, five years after her last show there. Björk will be presenting the live version of “Biophilia”, one of her most ambitious projects to date, taking the aesthetic vision and interest in technology of the most namedropped and influential artist of the last two decades to its ultimate extreme. The festival also confirms the show by the French electro-rock duo Justice; the German-Japanese audiovisual collaboration between Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto; the biggest name in post-dubstep, Britain's James Blake; the sophisticated and eclectic British electronic artist Four Tet; the German techno-glitch-hop duo Modeselektor and the Swedish trip-hop quartet Little Dragon.

As well as a top level international line-up, Sónar São Paulo 2012 also presents a cross-section of advanced music from Brazil, featuring rap, dance music, experimental music with anthropological touches and in the case of DJs, the latest trends in global electronica. Confirmed artists include the rapper Emicida, the man responsible for the revitalization of hip-hop in Brazil, and an artist with a unique talent for improvization; The Twelves, the Niterói duo renowned worldwide for their remixes in the international indie-dance field; Psilosamples, who combine Brazilian mining tradition with electronics; Dago, the global electronica DJ and Bruno Belluomini, the ambassador for bass music in Brazil, among others still to be confirmed.


SonarPro São Paulo: professional experience, open to the public

SonarPro is the platform that the Sónar Sao Paulo festival provides for creative and cultural industries from all over the world to present in Brasil new businesses, projects and products within the binomial of technology and creation.

SonarPro will include various spaces for interaction and networking open to professionals and the public for sharing ideas, presenting products and making contacts with companies and entrepreneurs working in areas specialising in technology applied to art, and the distribution and dissemination of art. SonarPro will also be presenting ideas from unorthodox artists that are seeking a commercial outlet through business projects.


Tickets for Sónar São Paulo 2012 go on sale the 8th of December.

More information about Sónar São Paulo at www.sonarsaopaulo.com.br.

Sónar returns to Tokyo in 2012 to consolidate its annual date with Japanese audiences. The fifth SonarSound Tokyo will take place on 21 and 22 April, 2012 at the same venue as last year: ageHa-Studio Coast.

The Japanese version of Sónar will present a meticulous selection of international cutting edge artists and will feature a heavy contingent of Japanese musicians. Among the more than 30 artists that will be performing, SonarSound Tokyo can confirm Britain's The Cinematic Orchestra and Mount Kimbie - in Japan for the first time; Clark -presenting a new album - and the London-based Japanese artist Anchorsong.

You can purchase tickets for SonarSound Tokyo 2012 at the price of ¥14,500 on the festival's website.

More information about SonarSound Tokyo at www.sonarsound.jp.

The Brazilian edition of Sónar festival will finally be held in São Paulo the 11 and 12 May in Anhembi.

Sonar São Paulo 2012 hopes to attract over 50,000 people, and will keep the three-day format, like in Barcelona, as well as it will combine the activities of the day and night.

The São Paulo edition of Sónar festival is co-promoted both by Advanced Music and Dream Factory, the Brazilian agency responsible for big events like Rock in Rio with the support of the Department of Culture of the Government of Catalunya, through the ICIC (Catalan Institute of Cultural Industries).