Sun, Sea and Sonar

A three-day pioneering force in the world of electronic music, Sonar flies the flag for experimentation, breaking artists and fresh sounds. It is divided into two distinct parts, By Day and By Night. By Day is set in the centre of Barcelona in the grounds of an art institution; relaxed, friendly and most importantly, sunny, By Day runs from midday through to about 10pm. A showcase for emerging talent, it is a great place to discover acts you’ve never heard of alongside more familiar faces while sipping on a mojito and hanging out on the astroturf. By Night is a whole different ball game. Situated a ten minute bus ride outside of the city in huge aircraft hangars, By Night is a fiesta of internationally acclaimed, genre-defying music running from 11pm until long past sunrise. It draws a mixed, fun-loving crowd and the excitement is tangible thanks to everyone’s genuine desire to hear great music and just have a wicked time.

Stand-out moments this year included Canadian turntable master A-Trak playing live, in a tux, at Sonar Pub under the balmy Barcelona night sky. It became clear just why he has won so many DJ championships as he mixed, scratched, even climbed on the decks to create a killer party set which had the whole audience in a tribal-like frenzy. Watch out for the upcoming Duck Sauce track Big Bad Wolf. I’m still singing it now.

For Brit acts Sonar Lab held some of the best, with both Radio 1 and the Numbers team holding the fort on Friday and Saturday nights respectively. Men of the moment Jackmaster and Pearson Sound (Ramadanman) both really seemed to enjoy playing on this stage, their varied sets drew huge support and proved why both their stars are on the ascent. Dizzee Rascal provided light relief, an encore of Bonkers had the desired effect and sent the already buzzing audience over the edge.

Trying to see everything you want to at Sonar is impossible. It becomes a military operation, and it is more fun to sometimes go with the flow and see where you end up. From a heavy techno closing set from Boys Noize, through an immensely popular daytime appearance from Four Tet, to a celebration of the history of dancehall featuring Johnny Cash (seriously) in a sun-filled Red Bull tent from David Rodigan, you are never quite sure what you’ll discover in that next room.

Going to festivals is brilliant. But Sonar has some definite bonuses: you have to get on a plane to go there, you can eat tapas in the sun and hang out on the beach to recover between rave sessions, and there’s not a tent in sight.

By Hannah Beesley