Watch to more interviews on Apple Music’s Youtube channel here. Apple Music lets you listen to millions of songs, online or off, totally ad-free. Create and share your own playlists, get exclusive content and personalized recommendations, and listen to radio hosted by artists streaming live or on demand here.

Appple official: Apple Music | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | X

H/T Apple Music.

Volta will be delivering 3D, live audio-generated visual worlds during Richie Hawtin and supporting artists’ live-streams. During the live shows, the live audio will be fed into the Volta worlds and streamed on Twitch to Richie’s audience across the globe. They won’t just passively experience it, fans will co-create the live-streams using Volta’s audience interaction features that they are debuting for the tour, creating a unique one-of-a-kind live-stream on select nights of the tour. Audiences will be able to impact the performance via Twitch in real time. The world’s themselves will evolve through the course of the night via audiences’ collective impact.

The in-venue tour will be in a series of warehouses, dedicated to the development of local electronic music scenes. The parallel streamed part of the tour will feature audio-reactive, audience-interactive transforming worlds. 

The tour coincides with the release of Volta’s new performance and audience interaction app. The Volta play packs (multiple 3D, audio-reactive worlds in Volta) used during the gigs will be available in Volta when the new version is released toward the end of the tour.

Says Hawtin, “The From Our Minds – To Be Announced tour is the next step to support the grass roots development of electronic music. As the scene’s evolution increasingly occurs in virtual spaces, we have partnered with Volta to offer a unique online experience to reach beyond the boundaries of the tour’s physical locations. Volta will generate parallel audio-reactive performances in virtual worlds and debut new methods for global audience interaction, all in real time. Anyone watching will be able to contribute and transform the online experience, blurring the lines between the physical, virtual, performer and audience!”

These shows are on a mission to develop and increase awareness amongst the younger generation and are an exciting opportunity for Volta to empower artists at every level to create the highest-production 3D visuals and XR performances, matching the level of Richie Hawtin’s artistry. 

Richie Hawtin aka Plastikman has long been synonymous with cutting-edge technological advancements in the world of music. He is a world-renowned pioneer when it comes to new DJ technology, leading the shift of DJing from physical to digital, and six years ago created his own DJ instrument, the MODEL 1 mixer by PLAYdifferently. He is one of the first artists to work in surround sound, has done immersive live events using highly advanced communications devices that respond to the presence of humans and now recognises the endless possibilities that free, self-service XR creation platform Volta offers his live performances. 

Volta joins Richie Hawtin in Las Vegas, Phoenix, LA and San Diego.

Tour dates and line-ups (in order of appearance).

Friday March 17 – Phoenix, AZ
Barbosa
Declan James
Decoder
Henry Brooks
Jay York
Michelle Sparks
Richie Hawtin

Saturday March 18 – Los Angeles, CA
Barbosa
JIA
Lindsey Herbert
Richie Hawtin

Sunday March 19 – San Diego, CA
Barbosa b2b Jay York
Frame (Decoder + Declan James) Henry Brooks
Lindsey Herbert
Michelle Sparks
Richie Hawtin

http://www.twitch.tv/richiehawtin

H/T J.M.

Marking Beatport’s first permanent home in the Web3 space, this platform will enable record labels and artists to create and sell unique digital assets while generating greater fan engagement. It will allow artists, producers, and record labels to enjoy the benefits of Web3, while also giving music fans an opportunity to explore the value of digital collectibles and deepen their connection to their favorite artists and DJs.

Ed Hill, SVP of Beatport’s Media Group, said: “The electronic music community has always been at the forefront of cultural shifts and their early embrace of Web3 and all the promise it offers is no different. To usher in a new era for the electronic music space, we felt it was important to join forces with a trusted, long-time leader in the blockchain space. Polkadot’s open and interoperable ecosystem enables us to seamlessly tap into Web3 and celebrate electronic music by connecting fans with their favorite artists in unique and powerful new ways.”

Björn Wagner, CEO of Parity Technologies, a leading contributor to the Polkadot network, said: “Many in the music industry are keen to discover ways in which Web3 can better support them. This initiative with Beatport and Aventus is a perfect example of the potential for Web3 to elevate the craft of artists. We’re excited to see this application of Polkadot’s technology to better connect artists directly with their fans and reignite the collectible aspect of music fandom that has largely been lost in the age of digital media.”

These digital collectibles will also in some cases become a fan engagement tool for artists and labels by providing early access to bonus features such as unreleased tracks, discounted tickets, and access to global events and interactive experiences. On a technical level, the NFTs will be distributed via Aventus, a blockchain built on Polkadot that helps established enterprises deliver Web3 use cases from their wide suite of modular and composable products.

Alan Vey, Founder & CEO of Aventus, the Polkadot parachain on which the NFT marketplace will be built, added: “The Web3 revolution has created incredible new avenues for artists to regain autonomy and engage their fans. There is immense opportunity in this market to provide fans access to a variety of new content streams, creating communities with loyalty unlike anything we’ve seen before, and for the artists to reap the majority of the return. We’re thrilled to be a part of this important endeavor for the music industry.”

In addition to launching Beatport.io, Beatport and Polkadot will also collaborate on 10 major events over the next 18 months. Each event will celebrate the launch of a new NFT collection accessible via Polkadot-integrated wallets. The events will be produced by Beatport and will take place alongside major music and Web3 events.

For almost two decades, The Beatport Group has been at the center of DJ culture. With catalogs comprising more than 16 million tracks and existing relationships with over 91,000 record labels, the company is a household name for anyone who knows electronic music.

To register your interest today, visit Beatport.io

H/T C.A.

The execution.
We created a haptic suit experience that translates music and crowd energy into vibrations that can be felt by the deaf community live at the festival in real-time, using wearable technology from Music: Not Impossible and Vodafone’s 5G network.

With 24 sensors on the suit, vibrations could be felt across the torso, shoulders, wrists and ankles for the ultimate full body experience, with adaptable vibration levels allowing fans to tailor the strength according to their level of deafness. The beats from each separate instrument on stage, along with the vocalist, were transmitted to their own dedicated sensors to enable users to feel every single layer of music as it happened.

The results.
Debuted during Jessie Ware’s performance at London’s Mighty Hoopla Festival on 3rd & 4th June 2022, the haptic suits were thoroughly enjoyed by a group of deaf and hard of hearing friends from the Mighty Hoopla community, who for the first time could experience not only the music but also the energy around them. Our goal to achieve audio inclusivity for all members of the audience was achieved.

In a world first, we also developed additional software using machine learning to translate crowd noise and atmosphere into vibrations along with the music on stage. Using five 5G receptors, we captured crowd reactions and translated these audio feeds into ‘VibraWow’ state data via machine learning. Thanks to Vodafone’s 5G network this was then fed back into the suits in real-time and strategically mapped to the body to convey changes in crowd energy, emotion and intensity – allowing guests to experience the full festival atmosphere.

H/T Vodafone.

Myx is currently available and in soft launch phase – allowing artists ownership of their own music, distribution ownership and revenues, create NFTs for tracks, or even break down vocals, instrumentals and beats as their own NFTs. Streaming on Myx is due for launch in the second quarter of 2022.

Decentralised streaming on Myx allows artists to earn up to three times as much as Spotify from streaming their music, with uncapped revenue potential. Artists can release unlimited tracks and collections as single (1/1) or multiple edition NFTs on Polygon and have them instantly and automatically be created and listed for sale on OpenSea, Web3’s most liquid marketplace, and customise secondary sales royalties so fees are earned whenever NFTs are traded in the future.

Artists can collaborate through a revolutionary Myx feature called Pods, which allows fans to invest and earn alongside their favourite artists. It is a tool that allows for multiple owners of music to collaborate and earn together on the economics and governance of that music. For example all tracks in a Pod when streamed on Myx earns revenue, all owners of that Pods token (“media fractions”) receive the revenue proportional to their Pod ownership. The same goes with NFT sales.

Harrison $First, one of over 150 artists already using the platform and its unique Pod feature, and says, “The most fascinating thing about Myx at this stage, seems to be their pod feature. I think this will give artists the opportunity to turn their music into a high commodity asset.”

On top of this, Music NFTs on Myx include proof of authority and digital signature, and files are encrypted using the utmost security and stored with IPFS, a Web3 file storage system that helps fight piracy.

Myx artist Karyuu says, “I’ve been in the industry for a long time, and I’ve never seen an idea like this before. This is finally a fresh upgrade in the industry. It’s clear to me this will be something huge, which finally brings together artists and listeners.”

All this is available in one easy-to-use platform that puts the power back in the hands of artists, rethinks existing revenue streams and reimagines new ones, and encourages real community amongst fans and creators.

Myx official: Website | Instagram | Twitter

H/T C.A.

On this episode of Patch Notes, Melis composes an evolving ambient track using a long stretched tape, plugged into a Strymon DECO saturator unit running a background texture. On top, he uses an Elektron Digitakt sampler and TASCAM Porta-05 four-track recorder to play tracks, patterns and sounds. This style of electronic composition is exploired on his new album, Tape and Polaroids, which is released on September 18 via Mother West.

Find the rest of Melis’s music here and buy his Electro Ghost Vol. 1 sample pack, which contains chords, loops and tones recorded with instruments such as Moog’s DFAM, Korg’s Volca FM and more. You can also watch more videos like this at his Instagram and YouTube channel.

H/T FactMag

The UK government has advised us that from the 1st of October 2020 trade shows, exhibitions & conferences will be allowed to resume & after much research & advice from our partners, sponsors & government officials we have decided to reschedule & push ahead with the event.

This decision has been & will continue to be based on scientific evidence & public health assessments. We continue to monitor the ongoing situation.

As well as implementing social distancing, the event will adhere to all government guidelines, with a written risk assessment & mitigations put in place to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

All tickets will be valid for the rescheduled dates & should the event not take place they’ll be carried over to #BMC21.

In order to comply with the new guidelines both venue & theatre capacity has been reduced accordingly, so only a LIMITED AMOUNT of tickets remain.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive feedback from the industry & there is a real feeling that people want to get together & share experiences to help our industry survive this situation. Giving the next generation an opportunity to meet their peers to learn & network is also something we feel is important for the future of the industry. We are all looking forward to the event & bringing the industry back together for the first time” – The BMC Team.

Here’s a few of the comments we’ve received from the industry:

“It’s great that the Brighton Music Conference (BMC) is happening at the start of October. The electronic music industry has been one of the hardest hit by the Coronavirus Crisis, & it’s important that networking/information-sharing events such as BMC are held — in a safe way — in order for the industry to work together & seek solutions to emerge out the other side.” – Carl Loben, DJ Mag Editor.

“We support BMC in its decision to move the conference back to the 1st/2nd October 2020, adhering to the safety measures in line with Government Regulations, with a focus on ensuring the event can take place in a safe environment, Brighton Music Conference is one of the shining lights of the music Industry, its commitment to industry education, technology & talent has stood testament to its growth & success over the last 7 years” – Michael Kill, NTIA CEO.

“Brighton Music Conference is set to run at the start of October & will be the first physical electronic music conference in many months. From discussions with the organisers, they are planning an inspiring educational event with robust safety standards for the industry to share knowledge & know-how to build a positive future for the scene.” – Greg Marshall, The Association For Electronic Music General Manager.

More info & a limited number of tickets are available on our website here.

H/T Brighton Music Conference.

Making all this possible is GRID, an app that Kiesgrube Founder Tom Preuss invested in, alongside trivago Founder Rolf Schrömgens, Vetsak Founder Max Gansow and Gastronomy Entrepreneur Walid El Scheikh.

Could this new app save the music and gastronomy industries through digitalisation? It is looking likely, and has received exceptional feedback thus far. Over the past 18-months, the team at GRID had already been working on a way to digitialize and disrupt the highly-complex offline gastronomy and events space. The newly launched app, offers a glimpse into the future of social life. GRID’s technology coupled with their long-term vision, offers a previously unheard of level of efficiency, insight, data and personalization possibilities, in an industry where none has existed before. Combining their backgrounds in tech, ecommerce and gastronomy, the team created an app aimed at revolutionizing the way we come together.

With the current government limitations, Kiesgrube found a fresh and exciting, but also safe way to party this summer, and it comes after the team was flooded with outcry once they announced they were closing. “Our community was desperate to find a way that we could still come together safely under the current restrictions. You see, Kiesgrube is more than meets the eye, we are a family – and of course our family missed each other,” says Kiesgrube Founder, Tom Preuss.

“Family also takes care of one another; and it was absolutely clear that we would only bring people together if we could find an exceptionally safe way to do so.”

“Safety and hygiene are of the utmost importance these days. Imagine a world in which you could check-in using your phone, where you don’t have to stand in line beside other guests, where all ordering is done contactless online, and all payments are exchanged digitally. Where there is no need to speak with a waiter, and where you could enjoy being social again, while keeping chances of contagion to an absolute minimum,” says Valentin Yeo from GRID. “When Tom came to us, we knew that we had to be fast to make this vision a reality for ‘Stay Wild Moonchild.”

Solutions already built by the GRID team pre-pandemic, could now contribute to prevent further job loss, and could be feasible immediately. It would not only be possible to provide a safe environment for restaurants, beer gardens and more, but one that goes above and beyond government safety measures. With tremendous support from the cities of Düsseldorf and Duisburg, as well as Rheinperle, Kiesgrube’s, “Stay Wild Moonchild ” is the first open-air gathering of it’s kind to safely (and digitally) open using GRID this summer.

Safety measures include:
・Ticketing and Check-in is all digital, via GRID.
・Drinks and snacks are ordered directly from the table, using the GRID app, and brought to the tables by hygiene-trained, mask-equipped staff. There is no need for cash to be exchanged, tipping is also done via app.
・COVID-19 registration is also done via app – eliminating the need for pens and paper to be handled between staff and guests.
・Wardrobe is done via app rather than via ticket stub.
・Regular dance floor giving way to a new table concept, with a maximum of eight individuals allowed per table.
・Mixing long drinks are a no-no,therefore bottle-only beverage service is allowed.
・Masks are mandatory when entering and moving around the premises.
・With two separate events happening per day (Sundays, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., 5 p.m. to 10      p.m.); with digital ticketing and checking-in happening via the GRID app, Kiesgrube is able to regulate live the maximum number of visitors.

To purchase tickets via GRID app for ‘Stay Wild Moonchild’ visit Kiesgrube.net

H/T C.A.

After carefully examining all of the alternatives and closely following the official guidelines, this decision has been reached as the only possible way to safeguard the health and wellbeing of all our festivalgoers, artists and teams.

The 27th edition of Sónar Barcelona, and the 9th Sónar+D congress will now take place on the 17th 18th and 19th of June 2021, in the venues of Fira Montjuïc de Barcelona and Fira Gran Via de L’Hospitalet.

Sónar is already working closely with the artists, speakers and partners in order to reschedule the majority of shows and activities that all of us were looking forward to this year.

We thank our audience for their patience and understanding over the past weeks, and to reassure them of our absolute commitment to ticket holders. All Ticket or Delegate Pass buyers for Sónar 2020 or Sónar+D will be contacted directly via email on May 19th, with information on the benefits created for those who wish to carry their ticket over for the new dates, or, for those unable to attend, how to claim a refund.

In any case, we continue to be active in 2020. Sónar will celebrate an extraordinary edition of Sónar+D to take place on the 18th and 19th September, at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), Sónar’s original home.

This new gathering, under the name Sónar+D CCCB, will have a format and content designed for our current cultural context, and with a focus on new and possible futures at the intersection of culture, art and technology. The project arises from our commitment to continue to nurture creative communities, both on a local and international level.

Sónar+D CCCB will be a fundamentally online event, free to access and open to all, with the possibility of physical attendance depending on how the legislation regarding capacity evolves.

Sónar+D CCCB will feature an extensive program of participatory and networking activities, maintaining the congress formats of conferences, masterclasses, demonstrations, workshops, performances and networking.

For this special edition, Sónar+D will be working with the local creative communities that support the congress year after year, as well as looking further afield, co-curating content with the festivals TodaysArt (The Hague) Reworks (Thessaloniki) and Unsound (Krakow), which will take place in their respective cities on the same dates, and who share a creative platform with us in the ongoing We Are Europe co-operative project.

Further details of this special edition and the new partners set to join over the following weeks will be announced very soon.

Also to be announced are further details on Sónar 2021. We look forward to coming together once again, virtually in September, and face to face in June 2021, to celebrate another fantastic edition of Sónar.

Sónar+D CCCB is an initiative of Advanced Music and CCCB, with the collaboration of the Ajuntament de Barcelona, the Generalitat de Catalunya and We Are Europe, a programme of Creative Europe.

H/T Sónar festival.

This year’s edition of the festival will feature over 100 shows, including headliners such as The Chemical Brothers, Arca, THE BLAZE, Carl Cox, Mura Masa, Eric Prydz, Richie Hawtin, AJ Tracey, Laurent Garnier, The Black Madonna, Charlotte De Witte, Princess Nokia, Telefon Tel Aviv, the new British phenomenon Dave as well as the circular hi-fi mobile sound system DESPACIO (with James Murphy and 2manydjs), for the first time at Sónar by Night.

In the chapter on tech shows, Max Cooper, Koreless and Ryochi Kurokawa, among others, stand out. Among the premieres, Seth Troxler with his new cosmic project Lost Souls Of Saturn, El Niño de Elche exploring the work of Val del Omar or the electronic debut of Maria Arnal and Marcel Bagès. Other premieres or exclusives will be new shows by Battles, Howling or Giant Swan.

Resident Advisor return to Sónar in 2020 with a jaw dropping line-up of cutting edge sounds and performances at the SonarLab stage across both Friday 19th and Saturday 20th June with the hotly anticipated return of TNGHT, UKG renaissance man Conducta, Skee Mask, Ugandan psychedelic drum troupe Nihiloxica, a rare live set from Project Pablo; noise-punk agitators Giant Swan and Timedance boss Batu, Helena Hauff, Midland and Shanti Celeste among others.

The SonarXS stage grows and relocates in order to foster emerging talent from the national scene with the performances of Morad, Kaydy Cain, Chenta Tsai-Baobae or Califato ¾, among many others. The sonic diversity of the global scene will be represented by the Latin American Lechuga Zafiro, Badsista or Kelman Duran and by the African Nihiloxica, MC Yallah & Debmaster or Lous and The Yakuza.

For the first time, as of today, January 16, the SonarPass will be available in up to 3 instalments. Also on sale today is the 2 Night VIP Ticket. The SonarPass and the SonarPass VIP will change in price on February 6th. Tickets are now available at sonar.es

Sónar 2020 Programme.

Sónar by Night.
2manydjs (dj set), AJ Tracey, ANNA, Arca, Avalon Emerson, Batu, The Black Madonna, THE BLAZE, Carl Cox, Charlotte de Witte, The Chemical Brothers, Conducta, Critical Soundsystem, Dave, DESPACIO (James Murphy + 2manydjs), Djohnston, Eric Prydz, E.T.M., Giant Swan, Headie One, Helena Hauff, Ikram Bouloum, Job Jobse, Joy Orbison, Kelman Duran, La Fleur, Laurent Garnier, Lucient, Max Cooper – Yearning for The Infinite, MBODJ, Midland & Shanti Celeste, Mura Masa, Nihiloxica, Or:la, Project Pablo live, Reinier Zonneveld Live, Richie Hawtin, Royce Rolo, Skee Mask, TNGHT, Venus X.

Sónar by Day.
Afrojuice195, Airaboi, Alina Pash, Âme, B1N0, Badsista, Battles, Califato ¾, Carles Viarnès & Alba G. Corral, Chenta Tsai – BaoBae, Channel Tres, Chico Blanco, Dead Normal, Dj Marcelle / Another Nice Mess, DJ Python, Egosex, Folamour, Gela, Hidrogenesse, Howling, Ivy Barkakati, James Murphy, Jayda G, Juicy Bae, Jyoty, Kaydy Cain, KiNK, Koreless, Lechuga Zafiro, Lindstrøm, Lost Souls Of Saturn, Lous and The Yakuza, Manara, Maria Arnal i Marcel Bagés, Mc Yallah & Debmaster, Miret, Morad, Ms Nina, Nara Is Neus, Niño de Elche, Nu Guinea Live Band, People You May Know, Pixel De Stael, Polo & Pan, Princess Nokia, Reykjavik606, Rojuu, Ryoichi Kurokawa – Subassemblies, Sama’, Sega Bodega, Telefon Tel Aviv, Tomm¥ €a$h, Virginie, Wesphere.

BIG SHOWS & THE HEROES OF CLUBBING.
Sónar 2020 will feature the most eagerly awaited electronic shows of the year by The Chemical Brothers. They will once again reign at Sónar introducing their new and spectacular immersive audiovisual show created together with their regular collaborator, Adam Smith, in which Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons will intersperse their legendary hits with those of their ninth album, “No Geography”, unanimously acknowledged by the critics as one of the most solid of their entire career.

A worldwide exclusive in 2020 only at Sónar, French electronic epic duo THE BLAZE will play their live show at SonarClub; another major highlight is the spectacular show by Swedish progressive house dj and producer Eric Prydz, as well as the circular hi-fi mobile sound system DESPACIO, led by luxury selectors James Murphy and 2manydjs, will return to the festival, this time at Sónar by Night in a non-stop 6-hour sets on Friday and Saturday in the SonarCar stage.

The festival brings together again DJ’s from the first international division such as Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier, Helena Hauff, Âme, Joy Orbison, Charlotte de Witte, Avalon Emerson, 2manydjs or The Black Madonna closing Sónar by Night. Not to mention the cosmic and multidisciplinary project Lost Souls Of Saturn, which unites the internationally beloved tech house DJ, Seth Troxler, with the respected New York sound engineer Phil Moffa.

Also present will be Vancouver sound Jayda G, with house, funk and disco vibes; the fantastic Jyoty, a London underground star, firing off hip hop, grime, dancehall and r&b hits; veteran DJ Marcelle, a cult DJ among dance gourmets in Europe; Or:la, growing with every new release and moving between the best of techno and bass music; Manara, with her mix of grime with Bollywood and punjabi sounds; or Shanti Celeste, one of the most active presences of the current British electronic scene, forming a tandem with another of the greats of the UK scene, Midland.

PREMIERES, TECH SHOWS, HOUSE AND AVANT-GARDE TECHNO.
2023 will be the year of Arca’s leap to Sónar by Night. The most radically innovative electronic artist today presents an exclusive live show with an overwhelming sound, traversing noise to melody and from euphoria to tears, premiering her longed-for new album and recreating unreleased versions of her repertoire.

Other exciting premieres or exclusives will be the long-awaited return of Telefon Tel Aviv, the new shows of Mura Masa, one of the most transformative artists on the current British scene, or American art-rock supergroup Battles, both with their new albums. Electronic emo-folk duo Howling, the return of TNGHT (tandem formed by Hudson Mohawake and Lunice), the provocative Sega Bodega, with a new synthetic pop album or the duo Giant Swan, with their abrasive physical techno-punk live.

The grand sound, visual and technological show by Max Cooper, who will perform his latest work “Yearning For The Infinite” will be performed within the colossal dimensions of SonarClub, the biggest stage at Sónar by Night. Koreless comes back with a fascinating visual show created together with his usual collaborator, the renowned Emmanuel Biard; and Ryochi Kurokawa will introduce “Subassemblies”, an audiovisual show in which the Japanese genius uses 3D laser-scanned data and nature images to talk about the destruction of the environment by humans.

Sónar 2020 will be an exceptional occasion to explore the new wave of avant-garde house and techno DJs: alongside the aforementioned Helena Hauff and Charlotte de Witte, there will be Joy Orbison, Bulgarian king of the live edits KiNK, half of the German duo Âme, the missing link between techno and reggaeton DJ Python, the new face of big room techno DJ ANNA (recently signed to Richie Hawtin’s label), the relentlessly innovative DJ and producer Avalon Emerson and the up and coming Swedish talent La Fleur.

RAP, TRAP & GLOBAL BEATS.
Sónar explores and stages for another year the best in the British grime and hip hop, a sound in permanent evolution. Four of its most outstanding representatives will be performing at Sónar by Night.

This year the festival will feature the British rappers of the moment: Dave (revelation of 2019 and winner of the prestigious Mercury Prize) and AJ Tracey, the brilliant rhymer and author of the catchy hit ‘Ladbroke Grove’. From the dark side of rap and grime, Skepta and Stormzy collaborator and rising star of UK drill, Headie One, who will be preceded by the dj set of Conducta, one of the kings of the new UK garage revival..

Once again, Sónar serves as a huge platform for the most advanced and avant-garde sounds being created around the world today, introducing more than 20 nationalities, many of which focus on hip hop beats, dancehall and reggaeton updates, trap derivatives, new African rhythms, and hybrids of contemporary pop and r&b.

Charismatic New York MC Princess Nokia comes back to the festival, presenting her brand new album at the SonarVillage by Estrella Damm stage. The headlines of global sounds will be written by by Uruguayan Lechuga Zafiro, with a sound between grime and dembow; Brazilian Badsista, firing off funk and digital dancehall hits; and the brilliant Kelman Duran, a Dominican living in Los Angeles, taking reggaeton to experimental grounds. In a similar vein will be Venus X, the head of the legendary New York parties GHE20G0TH1K.

From Africa, the festival will host Ugandans Nihiloxica, with their frenetic polyrhythm and the duo MC Yallah & Debmaster, with their abrasive and close to grime sound. Congolese Lous and The Yakuza, mixing Afrotrap and pop; and the Palestinian dj Sama’, with her beats and hypnotic rhythms for the track will also see their debut in Spain.

SÓNAR BY DAY: FUNK, DISCO, HOUSE AND ELECTRONIC POP.
The SonarVillage by Estrella Damm stage at Sónar by Day is the perfect place to enjoy Lindstrøm’s music; the wizard of Scandinavian cosmic disco. The same stage will host the live performance of the Italian duo Nu Guinea, top representatives of Napoli Sound.

The most radiant and melodic house will be excellently represented by the Canadian Project Pablo and the French Folamour, both growing very fast with every step they take, and offering contemporary dance sets at SonarLab and SonarVillage respectively. In a similar vein, the renowned Dutch dj Job Jobse, a specialist in mixing house from any era with other styles, from italodisc to trance and 21st century funk, will also be present.

The legendary Sónar by Day stage will also be the stage for the American Channel Tres live show, with their irresistible funk-house-pop; and for the French duo Polo & Pan, with their euphoric sound that equally accommodates Eurodisco and tropical pop.

THE NEW WAVE OF NATIONAL TALENT TAKES OVER SONARXS AND SÓNAR BY DAY.
At Sónar by Day the SonarXS stage grows and relocates, focusing on promoting and disseminating the most exciting and emerging national scene, with a new batch of artists such as Morad, the new urban sensation from L’Hospitalet; Kaydy Cain (ex PXXR GVNG playing their street trap hits adapted to a Latin salsa orchestra); Chenta Tsai-Baobae (new project by Putochinomaricón); and others like Afrojuice 195, Chico Blanco, Ms Nina or Califato ¾ and their flamenco rave.

Other National exclusive shows include two other absolute premieres at the festival. One of them will be presented by Niño de Elche with his new project which revise the sound legacy of José Val del Omar, experimental filmmaker and mystical genius, together with three of the most relevant young artists of the state electronic scene: Mans O, Shelly and Nara Is Neus. For their part, the duo Maria Arnal and Marcel Bagés, after the great success of their first album, will be releasing their long-awaited second work, which includes electronic beats, synthesizers and collaborations with important figures on the electronic scene. Also a very special mention goes to the performance of Carles Viarnès together with the visual creator Alba G. Corral.

Other National artists performing will be Barcelona band Egosex with their Afro-pop psychedelia and Hidrogenesse introducing their new album with their usual intelligence and cheekiness at SonarHall.

SÓNAR+D 2020.
The programme for Sónar+D 2020, the 8th international congress on creativity, technology and business, will be announced soon. It will take place in parallel and simultaneously with Sónar by Day at Fira Montjuïc in Barcelona on the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th of June. More information at sonarplusd.com

H/T Sónar festival.