Sonar festival is still hungry like the wolf
Summer is the season of festivals par excellence, and few days ago have been held in Barcelona a must-annual event such as Sonar. With a total of almost 119,000 visitors, far more than the 6,000 people who attended the weekend of the first edition that took place 21 years ago, this one has become one of the best editions of Sonar. While this year's line-up apparently seemed more diluted than in previous events, the end result has been a series of solid and impressive concerts to the delight of all attendees.
One aspect that each year takes more prominence is Sonar+D, a parallel festival that coexists with the concerts of Sonar by Day, dedicated to new technologies and where people plays with the synthesizers, tries out the new developments empowered by the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter or participates in the scheduled sessions such as the Music Hack Day.
This time Sonar+D participation exceeded expectations from both the MarketLab and the Realities+D area, dedicated to virtual reality. Scheduled conferences and workshops have had more than 4,000 attendees and there were nearly 500 scheduled meetings between experts, creators, entrepreneurs and investors in the areas of networking.
As for the concerts, the opening came from Chemical Brothers, a show only reserved for a privileged few who got their free invitations through a well-known Spanish beer brand. The band presented their new album "Born In The Echoes" in an unprecedented show that would be repeated on the same stage SonarClub two nights later with a careful visual experience taken to detail that caught the audience and carried throughout the show.
If I had to pick just one show, that would be Friday night’s performance by the Irish Róisín Murphy (former lead singer of Moloko), who presented the songs from his new album "Hairless Toys" besides presenting old hits in a show full of glamor, peculiar costume changes and plenty of scenic presence.
Also, discovering Die Antwoord from the zero line at the pit of the stage was quite an experience with their energetic and mesmerizing show taken to the extreme that made the audience (and especially photographers) like crazy. Thug life indeed.
For those who still had energy left after so much jumping in the previous concert, they had a second opportunity to listen to Hot Chip (who already acted on Thursday at Sonar Day) and also the expected DJ set from Skrillex to finish off a long and well spent second day. Skrillex made the people mad with his dubstep and drops, playing a bit of everything from “The Lion King” to “Sweet Dreams”, always spiced with the producer and DJ’s own style. But what surprised us the most was his version of Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe’s “Barcelona”, which amazed everyone in Sonar, wherever they were.
As in most editions, Sonar reserves a corner for nostalgia and this time came from the hand of Duran Duran, who were responsible for opening the last night of the festival with a collection of classics like “The Wild Boys”, “Hungry Like The Wolf”, “The Reflex” and “Rio”, among many others. Simon Le Bon and his crew demonstrated that despite the years they have not lost their touch.
Yet one more meeting with Sonar, one of the most complete and solid years of his career, where is impossible to get bored and with an organization of 9.5 out of 10 (the remaining half point was missed by having to cross twice the Sonar Night enclosure to manage to get outside). Next year there will be more and we do not know if it will be better, but I’m pretty sure that they will keep the same level.
Meanwhile, travelers who love music, you will not miss save the following dates on your agenda:
Sonar São Paulo
24-28 November 2015
Espaço das Americas
The Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip, Brodinski, Evian Christ...
Sonar Buenos Aires
December 3, 2015
Complex Al Rio
The Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip, Brodinski, Recondite, Poncho, Evian Christ, Pional, Leandro Fresco..
SonarSound Santiago
December 5, 2015
Suricato hangars, former Los Cerrillos Airport
The Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip, Brodinski, Recondite, Evian Christ, Pional...
Sonar Bogota
December 7, 2015
Corferias
The Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip, Bomba Estereo, Brodinski, Recondite, Evian Christ, Pional...
Sonar Reykjavik
18, 19 and 20 February 2016
Harpa Concert House
Sonar Copenhagen
19 and February 20, 2016
DR Koncerthuset
Sonar Stockholm
26 and February 27, 2016
Stockholm Waterfront Congress Center
Sónar Barcelona
16, 17 and 18 June
Fira Montjuic and Fira Gran Via
Photos and text: Anna Ferry
New York Philharmonic Residency
The New York Philharmonic has a sound like few other orchestras, and continues to push boundaries and broaden the horizons of American orchestral music with director Alan Gilbert.
Their 2015 Barbican International Associate Residency showcases the dynamism of this versatile orchestra, with cutting-edge work from their contemporary CONTACT! series, a show-stopping concert of late-Romantic showpieces with Joyce DiDonato, and a spectacular production of Petrushka with theatre company Giants Are Small.
Musicjelly: Build Your Own Orchestra
New York Philharmonic Residency
15 - 19 Apr 15 / 09:00 / Fountain Room
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Royal Philharmonic Society Lecture: Alan Gilbert
Orchestras in the 21st Century; a new paradigm
15 Apr 15 / 19:00 / Milton Court Concert Hall
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New York Philharmonic / Joyce DiDonato
Barbican International Associate Residency
17 Apr 15 / 19:30 / Hall
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New York Philharmonic CONTACT! concert
Barbican International Associate Residency
18 Apr 15 / 20:00 / Milton Court Concert Hall
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Giants Are Small and the New York Philharmonic
Young People's Concert/Petrushka
Barbican International Associate Residency
19 Apr 15 / 16:00 / Hall
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Giants Are Small and the New York Philharmonic / Petrushka
Barbican International Associate Residency
19 Apr 15 / 19:30 / Hall
info book
Musicjelly: Build Your Own Orchestra
New York Philharmonic Residency
15 - 19 Apr 15 / 09:00 / Fountain Room
info
Barbican Centre
Loving LEAF
Celebrating electronic music, art, technology, and digital futurism, the London Electronic Arts Festival is set to take over East London’s Tobacco Dock between the 6th and 7th of March.
Chromatic Electronica: Sandra Kolstad
ONE DAY…
I started playing the piano when I was 6 years old. No one really knows why, I just suddenly decided I had to start, and luckily my parents let me.
THE PIANO
When I decided I wanted to play the piano, my great grandmother was very kind and bought me a very cheap, very tacky white piano. Her name was Elise and I promised her to learn Beethoven’s Für Elise, so I could play that for her. It certainly wasn’t the first piece I learned to play, but it was my first intention and in the end I played it for her before she died.
THE GUITAR
The first instrument I bought myself was a beautiful white Gretsch guitar, on which I immediately composed the songs Rooms, a song that I forgot for many years, but which was then rediscovered, recorded and is currently on my new album Zero Gravity State Of Mind.
THE PEOPLE
My fondest musical memories always have to do with the people I play with. Musical meetings are very strong meetings.
TO LISTEN
I have a great deal of respect and admiration for Laurie Anderson. She is an excellent performer, composer and producer, who is always at the same time intellectual and emotional in what she does. Some artists I always return to are Laurie Anderson, Portishead, Jenny Wilson, Billie Holiday, Björk, David Bowie and Emmylou Harris.
TO FEEL
I don’t know if nervous is the right word, but I certainly feel it when I’m about to go on stage. To me that’s important. It’s really bad if I’m about to go on stage and feel completely normal, or feel nothing at all.
The Art of Sampling: an interview with KATE SIMKO
Established as one of Chicago’s Top 10 DJs with cutting edge mixes and chart-topping house releases, musical chameleon Kate Simko, a post-grad student of Composition for Screen at the Royal College of Music who last year debuted her project London Electronic Orchestra and who is current with gigs in London this month, is definitely one to be psyched about.
“Electronic music producer, film composer, live performer, and DJ” – that’s quite a list! How do you do it?
Haha yeah, it does sound like a lot listed like that, but it’s all music so one seems to feed the others naturally. Also it keeps things fresh. When I feel a bit stir crazy I’ll shift gears to a new project.
From classical piano to jazz to underground and DJing at clubs and festivals – is there a favourite?
I grew up playing piano and that was my first passion, but then going to my first rave in Chicago when I was fifteen was a game changer. By the time I went to the university I felt a bit empty studying classical piano and was more into hanging out at the college radio station’s electronic music shows. I basically had an epiphany that I should learn to make my own music, and in time that’s grown to reflect a bunch of influences from Chicago, Detroit, classical and IDM.
Would you say you have a main focus, a main direction?
My main direction is composing and producing the music I’m feeling at the time. That might sound vague but honestly I go through phases and just make what’s making me tick, and what’s exciting.
Sure! And, generally, how much do visuals mean to you and to connecting your audience with what you are feeling at a certain time?
I love the combination of visuals with music. They’re another layer that engage people and create more of a journey, especially at a live show.
Talking a bit about your recent from Chicago to London, what has been the biggest change?
I moved to London in 2012 to get a post-grad degree in Composition at the Royal College of Music. I think the biggest difference is that there’s a much bigger electronic music scene in London. House music was born in Chicago, but it’s a pretty small club scene, and an even smaller pool of younger producers.
As someone who has studied and performed around the world, do you feel that different cities give different musical output and inspiration?
Yes, for sure! Whenever you travel you sort of see the world through a different lens. I love it and it definitely inspires new ideas!
And, talking about influences, how do you feel studying music has influenced your artistry?
Studying music helped me gain confidence with the technical aspects and music theory, etc. There’s no way I would feel comfortable scoring for an orchestra unless I had the safety net of a couple years experimenting with the instruments. I started DJing and getting into music at the college radio station, and was obsessed with getting new vinyl for the show each week. My show was on Friday night when people were getting ready to go out, and I started getting requests to play at bars in Chicago. But I really never expected it to be honest!
Can you tell me a bit about your new project ‘LEO’? It’s quite a “grown up” or musically “highbrow” project – how did you get the idea?
Honestly it’s not that high brow, it’s just electronic music with live players! When I was getting my masters at the Royal College of Music I experimented quite a bit in the studio. I started recording live players to replace synth parts, or live strings to add textures. The players loved it and I loved it, so I started writing more and more music like this. We had our first London Electronic Orchestra concert last March at the Britten Theatre, and since then have done Boiler Room for Jamie Jones’ Ibiza Sessions and iTunes Festival. The biggest challenge is organizing schedules, sheet music and everything else for everyone in the band. But with upcoming shows like the one on Friday 6 March at London Electronic Arts Festival at Tobacco Dock, it’s all been worth it.
No doubt! So, what’s up next?
I’m happy to be back at Village Underground in London on Friday 20 February, and looking forward to a great night of music alongside Shadow Child and Bodhi!
And finally, what will 2015 be about for you?
Apart from upcoming shows, I’m really happy to have some new music hitting in 2015. I have a full-length album with Tevo Howard in the first half of the year, and a couple other EPs, including the debut London Electronic Orchestra release. It’s going to be a busy year and I’m super psyched to get on with it!
Photo by Antony Price | Photos courtesy of iTunes Festival 2014
Untitled Event
70s/80s band Wire have curated a new and exciting multi-venue festival, this year hosted in Brighton.