Sónar unveils the first round of artists to perform at Sónar Barcelona 2019, featuring two live performances that best represent the contemporary hip-hop scene: American rapper A$AP Rocky, who will bring his new show to the main stage of Sónar by Night and UK producer and rapper Skepta, a key figure in new urban music.
Disclosure, perhaps the most popular production duo in the world, will debut at Sónar with a new DJ show, showcasing the sounds and themes of their forthcoming record. “2019 is going to be special year for us, we’re going to be doing something very different to what we’ve done before. Sónar is pivotal moment of our summer and a show we’ve always wanted to play. We can’t wait!”.
For his part, Berliner Paul Kalkbrenner, one of the brightest stars of global dance music, will present his eighth album “Parts of Life” at the festival, a work full of devastatingly effective techno melodies designed for the dance floor.
The line-up also features new audiovisual shows by renowned artists at the cutting edge of electronica such as British producer Actress, performing a new AI/AV show, where Artificial Intelligence software takes center stage. New frontiers in hyperlocal beats are represented by the Tunisian producer Deena Abdelwahed, while groundbreaking producer and performer Lotic will present a brand new custom live show featuring a spectacular light display.
Adding to the list of exciting and innovative frontier pushing concerts will be Ecuador’s Nicola Cruz, the Syrian American artist K Á R Y Y Nand the Swiss-Spanish beatmaker Mans O.
Contemporary classical music with a twist will be represented by a duo featuring one of the most prominent modern ambassadors for 20th century minimalism, pianist Bruce Brubaker, performing with Northern Irish electronic musician Max Cooper. Together they will perform live reinterpretations of well-known pieces by Philip Glass with a show called ‘Glassforms’.
Among the DJ sets at Sónar 2019, of special note will be Berlin’s Dixonplaying a closing set on Saturday as well as the marathon 6hr set that Floating Points will play at the custom SonarCar stage on Friday, in what will be his only Spanish date in 2019. Peripatetic house star Maya Jane Coles will present her pseudonymous project ‘Nocturnal Sunshine’ on the SonarVillage stage at Sónar by Day, exploring the more urban and bass driven sounds of her forthcoming LP under that name. Other prestigious artists behind the decks at Sónar include Amelie Lens, Artwork, and a one-off b2b from Blawan & Dax J.
New sounds in urban and bass music will be represented by Ross From Friends, Octavian, Murlo, and the Catalan dancehall MC Bad Gyal. DJ Andy C, one of the living legends of the British drum&bass and jungle scene, will demonstrate in one of his masterful sessions why he is considered an institution behind the decks.
Summery R&B comes courtesy of French producer FKJ, while exciting new sounds from the African continent are represented by Kenya’s Slikback, and, from Uganda, the DJ, filmmaker, rapper and producer Hibotep.
Once again the SonarXS stage showcases sounds from the global streets, with breakthrough artists such as Catnapp, Cecilio G, Brat Starand D’Valentina.
For the fourth year running, Resident Advisor take part in Sónar, this year co-curating the SonarLab stage over both nights. The first confirmed artists are, on Friday: Andy C, Octavian, Murlo (Live); and on Saturday: Blawan b2b Dax J and Deena Abdelwahed (Live).
Sónar Image 2019, Starring Ángela Molina.
The image for Sónar 2019, starring Angela Molina, a world-famous Spanish actress, and Vir Rousse, Sónar’s booker, shows the journey by car of a mother and daughter through extraordinary worlds.
As in some previous years, the festival’s image – created by Sergio Caballero – will take the form of a short film, which on this occasion will make its first incursion into the dramatic genre, narrating the story of a mother who tries to convince her daughter not to commit suicide.
Sónar around the world.
In 2019 the 3rd editions of Sónar Istambul (8 and 9 March) and Sónar Hong Kong (13 April) will take place, as well as the 7th edition of Sónar Reykjavík (25, 26 and 27 April).
‘A Taste of Sónar México’ (15 November) and the 4th Sónar Bogotá(17 November) were recently celebrated in their respective countries. The dates of the 1st full edition of Sónar Mexico as well as those for Sónar Buenos Aires in 2019 will be announced soon.
Sónar+D 2019: 17, 18, 19 & 20 July.
The congress for technology and creative industries, Sónar+D 2019 will take place as a prelude to and in parallel with Sónar by Day at Fira Montjuïc in Barcelona, on the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th of July.
Today the call begins for participation in Sónar+D Innovation Challenge, aimed at companies with specific needs for innovation and attracting talent. All the information is available at sonarplusd.com
Time out Award.
Time Out Barcelona has distinguished Sónar with the Time Out Award 2018, for its pioneering role in changing the city’s cultural landscape.
“For over 25 years, Enric Palau, Sergio Caballero and Ricard Robles have made Barcelona more stimulating, enjoyable and audacious (both by day, and by night). For this reason, Sónar wins the Time Out Award 2018”
This recognition is the centrepiece of the awards that, for the last 10 years have been given out to honour the creators, works, cultural initiatives, most innovative projects of the year, as well as the most radical talents in the city.
The Time Out Award 2018, adds to the 2 Premis Ciutat de Barcelona (Music, 2002; International projection 2009), the Premi Nacional de Cultura (2014), the Ondas Award (2017) And the Premios Laus (2018).
Ticketing information.
The Sónar 2019 full festival pass is now available for 170 € while the VIP Season Ticket is available for 270 €. Both passes are only available at this special price until next January at www.sonar.es
Sónar+D’s Professional Accreditation is now at the special price of 240€ – while stocks last – which will allow access to all the activities and also has a series of exclusive advantages that an be consulted at sonarplusd.com
About Sónar.
Sónar is a three-day electronic and advanced music festival. It was founded in Barcelona in 1994 by Ricard Robles, Enric Palau and Sergi Caballero, and is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013, with four festivals taking place in four different cities: Barcelona (for the 20th time) Tokyo (for the 6th time), Osaka (for the 1st time) and Reykjavik (for the 1st time). Watch to the photos of the Sónar festival here
The festival has been divided into two parts since its inception. Sónar by Day was organized at the CCCB, the MACBA and the surrounding area (Plaça dels Àngels, Capella dels Àngels, etc.), in the very centre of Barcelona, between the first year and the 2012 festival. Starting in 2013, the Festival is moving to the Fira Montjuïc facilities at Plaza d’Espanya, maintaining its central role and its status as an urban festival and expanding its capacities. Meanwhile, Sónar by Night has changed location several times, with the pavilion at Mar Bella (1997-2000) and the exhibition area at Fira Gran Via in L’Hospitalet (from 2001 to date) being its most well-known spaces.
Sónar’s founding values have defined the festival since its inception: the link between creativity and technology, its commitment to being a global event and a meeting point for creative people from both public and industry sectors, from different disciplines and communities.
Sónar Barcelona’s activities are divided into two main locations: the recently premiered Sónar by Day, located from 2013 in Fira Montjuïc, with concerts and dj’s, showcases as well as the new Sónar+D area, the essence of which is discovering and tracking new talent and enhance professional activities; and the larger shows at Sónar by Night, in Fira Gran Via de L’Hospitalet, where the leading names in the current international music scene are staged.
Sónar+D presents a program with a common goal: to make the relationship between creativity, technology, mobility, innovation and businessmore transparent and accessible. The birth of Sónar+D in 2013 expresses a concrete commitment to Sónar’s professional activity, linking creative and technology companies of all kinds.
Since 2002 Sónar has organized more than 50 events in many different parts of the world, adapting the Sónar philosophy to unique venues and environments, and highlighting the most interesting homegrown talent and the scene in the city where it takes place. As well as the event in Barcelona, Sónar organizes festivals every year in other cities. In previous years, it has travelled to Reykjavik, Buenos Aires, New York, London, Frankfurt, Seoul, Lisboa, Lyon, Hamburg, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Boston, Denver, Oakland, Los Ángeles, Tokyo and Osaka, among many other destinations around the world.
More information on official website: sonar.es
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