UNITED
NATIONS OF
SONAR
With Sonar condensing the whole world
for three days, here's how to go global
without leaving Barcelona...
Words: PAUL CLARKE
I
n today’s wired world, the far-fl ung sounds of Dar-Es-Salaam are just as
accessible as the latest dubplates from Dalston. But whilst it might be
easier than ever to unearth exotic musical hybrids, the only tan you’ll
normally get doing so comes from the glow of your laptop. Sonar however
drags music from all corners of the planet and furthest fringes of the internet
into both the Barcelona sunshine and the glare of one of the world’s most
important music festivals, enabling both connoisseurs and the merely curious
to experience these musicians in their live element.
Amidst the warm temperatures and beautiful buildings of the CCCB during
Sonar By Day or reaching fever pitch in the dark depths of Sonar By Night, this
year’s festival features artists from over 25 countries who might usually be
separated by geography but who — according to Sonar’s Georgia Taglietti —
share some distinct common ground.
“The characteristic feature of these new talents is that they have emerged from
small scenes that are a long way from each other, but they use the new com-
munication networks opened up by the internet,” she explains. “They don't
respect conventions but instead work with a lack of prejudices and they aim
to open up new paths. Sonar 2009 brings the most interesting facets of the
interconnected world in which young producers live to its stages.”
Whereas in previous years Sonar has focused on music from one specifi c region
or country, such as 2006’s ‘Year Of Japan’, this year the festival — taking place
Thursday 18th – Saturday 20th June — shines the spotlight wider than ever,
taking in everything from Venezuelan dubstep to electronic African beats. The
big American and European names are out in force again, of course, but Geor-
gia believes that this year’s line-up reveals that the West’s grip on electronic
music is no longer as tight as it once was.
“In terms of the industry, Europe and North America are still the main markets
COLUMBIA
for electronic music,” Georgia elaborates. “But thanks to live music festivals
and the internet, creativity isn’t limited to those markets anymore. Electronic EL SANTO Friday
music crosses the limits of organised business-orientated Western culture and “The sounds I use are an abstract repre-
expands into Central Asia, Africa, Latin America, everywhere. There is a much sentation of the wild cultural mix we have
more balanced distribution of talent right now. in Colombia,” says El Santo. “The con-
“The most important shift is the displacement of the UK and Germany as the nections might not be obvious at fi rst but
main epicentres of electronic music towards other countries,” claims Georgia. the point is to make people wonder about
“It’s slowly boosting again in France, still fi ghting for recognition in Italy their own preconceptions.”
and Portugal, and reaching wider audiences in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin And if your preconceptions of Latin Ameri-
America. But it’s also expanding in Africa with a special blend of tradition and can music are all sunshine and samba,
ancestral beats.” prepare to be challenged by the extrater-
Rather than merely holding up a mirror to these changes, Georgia sees Sonar restrial strangeness of the improvised
as one of the integral driving forces behind them. soundscapes, whose almost architectural
“The festival has defi nitely played a role in spreading electronic music around scope has been infl uenced by the time El
the world,” she claims. “Sonar is now recognised as an important trendset- Santos has spent teaching and studying
ter and our main aim is to keep a balanced mix between entertainment and design in New York and his native Bogota.
knowledge and develop networks and relationships between the public, artists “People can expect random clicks, cuts
and professionals. We don’t refl ect — we project.” and deep bass,” he reveals. “I’d call my
With Sonar condensing the whole world for three days, here’s how to get a sound ‘seismic’ because it makes people’s
global taste while enjoying the Barcelona sunshine… heads rumble.”
054
www.djmag.com
DJ474.sonar_day.indd 54 15/5/09 11:21:29
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