It’s hard to think of two genres that are further apart than gabber and opera, but ascendant vierge combine both, with spectacular results . Formed by baroque singer and performance artist Mathilde Fernandez and former Casual Gabber, producer Paul Seul, the pair are on a mission to push pop music forward, challenging every preconception in the process. 

While so much ‘avant-garde’ music is academic or cerebral, the Brussels-based French duo emphasise are a powerfully physical live act, with Fernandez’s otherworldly voice floating over the top of - and pushing through - Seul’s mix of gabber, eurodance and hardstyle. The echoes of synth pop and the more romantic forms of post-punk aren’t an accident: these genres were direct influences on Belgian new beat and early techno, which helped inspire gabber. 

Impossible to categorise, and entirely unique, they’re the kind of act who belong at Sónar, and we’re thrilled to host their debut at the festival in 2026.