Who wants to deal with 10,000 people when you can comfortably hang with 100 or so? For our Sonar party this year, RA is going exclusive, betting on quality rather than quantity.

In a city dominated by cattlemarket clubs with muddy sound systems, Macarena is the exception: it’s a dedicated techno club with Function One sound catering mostly for in-the-know locals. In fact, Macarena used to be a flamenco club, but even as an electronic venue it still retains some of that same spirit: expect dancing on the chairs, dancing at the bar, and dancing in the toilets.

On the bill are three top artists who are each making an exclusive Sonar appearance at the party. Headlining will be Detroit legend Daniel Bell, one of the founders and creators of minimal, and also one of the very best DJs in the business. We’re psyched to be able to showcase Bell in such an intimate venue—a very rare event indeed. (Bell Newbies, read our recent profile for the lowdown.)

Also on the bill are two new talents: Conforce and Martyn are both Dutch, and both make fantastic records. Just 21-years-old, Conforce releases Neo-Detroit records on hot labels such as Rush Hour and Millions of Moments (Check here for a sample of his production skills). Truth be told, we listened to dozens of live sets from up-and-comers to fill this slot, and Conforce came out head and shoulders above everyone else. Quite simply he’s a rising star.

Finally expect a warmup from maverick dubstepper Martyn, who we’ve been going crazy about on RA all year. Martyn has roots in drum n bass, but these days he’s making Detroit-flavoured techno-dubstep crossovers for the likes of Appleblim’s new Apple Pips imprint and his own label 3024. Improbably enough, Martyn is also an impeccable house and techno DJ, too: Check his recent Fabric mix for the hard evidence.

Expect free giveaways from our digital music friends Rocudo, a friendly vibe, and a chance to meet plenty of other RA readers. Forget that other cube—Macarena is The Cube. No stages, no barriers, no nonsense—this one’s going to be up close and personal. 42 Comments