Published
Tue, Jul 4, 2006, 12:00
- Whew. Nobody got pickpocketed, we made it through customs and now we're ready to present some coherent thoughts about Sonar. RA takes a look back at the madness in Barcelona.
RA at Sonar
Whew. We made it through customs, nobody got pickpocketed and two weeks later we’re fully recovered. RA takes a look back at the madness that was Sonar festival in Barcelona.
Spoilt rotten
Barcelona from the 15th – 17th of June. Held over three days, one problem with the largest electronic music in the world is that it’s just too big – you can't see half of what you'd hoped. There are so many acts, venues and people that the Sonar you end up experiencing is just one of many potentialities. And that’s just the main festival. At the clubs, on the beach and in the bars of the city were countless showcases of electronic music all hopelessly clashing with each other. We missed Luciano & Loco Dice. We missed the Swedish showcase. We missed almost everything so we won’t try to be definitive.
Mar Bella beach
Many of us ended up lazing on the beach during the day at beach parties on Mar Bella as the music we love – Kompakt, M_nus, Get Physical, Bpitch – drifted through the balmy air under the Spanish sun. But you won’t find any reviews here. In the end, these parties were unreviewable. The truth is we’ve never heard such sloppy DJing in our life, nor such tinny speakers, but who cares when there’s sand under your feet, the beer is flowing and you're surrounded by fine-looking people in the skimpiest of clothing who all share your love of techno and house? If you go to Sonar next year, make it to the beach if you can.
The evidence
Juggling a six-pack of Estrella Damm, a bocadillo and a camera is easier said than done but we gave it our best shot despite being one camera down thanks to the baggage handlers at Heathrow (grrr). From the packed out Mobilee night to the Kompakt and Musik Krause showcase to Sonar by Day on Saturday the Output Recordings pool party and Get Physical beach party get a glimpse of some of what RA saw at Sonar this year.
In a nutshell
What did we get up to? We hobnobbed with celebrities, we rode the dodgems, we were mistaken for policemen by paranoid drug dealers, we lost a cellphone, we bought countless cans of Estrella from the enterprising Pakistanis of Barcelona, we threw up in the pot plants of the swanky Diagonal hotel and we missed our plane home.
Oh yeah, and we also saw some music. There were tens of thousands of people at Sonar and each saw a different festival. RA presents three very different takes on the 2006 madness in Barcelona - we hope you enjoy them.
Sonar in review
- RA newcomer Steven Raman makes it out to Sonar by Night on both Friday and Saturday, slaking his thirst for jazzy house and finding himself converting somewhat to dirty electro... MORE ››
- Cheapskate Jeremy Armitage coughs up for Sonar by Night on Saturday where he ponders video screens, live electronics and flamenco while simultaneously trying to boogie... MORE ››
- Finally, man of steel Josh Meggitt braves the whole festival, save for an afternoon or two in bed, and wolfs down a musical smorgasbord of balmy sunshine, techno zombies and perhaps one too many Spanish beers... MORE ››