Sonar 2008

Sonar 2008: Guy Gerber interview

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: guy gerber sonar 2008

Israel’s Guy Gerberhttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif recently changed his sound.

He used to be the toast of the progressive house world because of his ability to create dark, haunting soundscapes over proggy beats but at Miami’s Winter Music Conference in March 2008 he revealed a more housey side.

Beatportal grabbed Guy Gerber during Sonar 2008 to find out why he decided to change his sound.

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Sonar 2008 review: Ovum Vs. Be As One, Club Fellini

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: davide squillace josh wink sonar 2008

Last night the door at Club Fellini in Barcelona resembled a Miami flustercuck, a mass of people pushing and shoving their way to the front in a disorderly fashion.

With Josh Wink’s Ovum Recordingshttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_l.gif in one room and Israel’s Shlomi Aber pushing his Be As Onehttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_l.gif sound in the other, the party was way oversubscribed.

It didn’t feel like a normal Wednesday night in Barcelona.

But this is no ordinary week – with Sonar 2008 taking place some of the world’s most important electronic music figureheads are in the city, and a good portion of them were hanging out in the back room of Fellini.

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Sonar 2008: Cool Adidas bag for attendees

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: sonar 2008

Everything surrounding Sonar 2008 so far has been really well organised.

When any media person collects their backstage passes they also receive this really nice Sonar 2008 Adidas bag, which looks really cool.

It’s a useful bag because it helps you identify other Sonar attendees on the street and you can use it to store all your valuables, promo CDs, flyers and magazines that you’ll get handed during the event.

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Meet one of Sonar’s organizers: Georgia Taglietti

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: sonar 2008

On the eve of Sonar 2008 festival, I met Georgia Taglietti, International PR and Media boss for the Sonar organization.

She’s been helping to build Sonar in Barcelona for 14 years (Sonar has only been going 15 years) so if anybody can offer some insight into what Sonar is all about, its history and the meaning behind the Sonar beats, its her.

Check out the interview after the jump.

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Sonar 2008, insider tip #1: hire bikes

• Written by: Christen Reutens
• Filed under: Music News: sonar 2008

Barcelona on any normal day is a hectic city with thousands of people walking in every direction through the narrow cobbled streets, whilst cars, buses and bikes honk at them like crocodiles snapping at the edge of a river.

But during Sonar week, the city is even more intense as hundreds of thousands of electronic music fans descend on Barcelona mixing with the June summer tourist rush.

Getting around Barcelona therefore, is a pain-in-the-bleeding-ass (to put in mildly).

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‘Speaking In Code’: Electronic music’s most important documentary?

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: speaking in code

Electronic music to outsiders can seem at times obfuscatingly exclusive.

The sheer amount of sub genres in electronic music is testament to its confusing elitism and the lines between them are dubiously grey.

It’s always amusing when a family member attempts to understand the music you like (at say a family Christmas party) and you’re forced to describe it as ‘techno’ because they wouldn’t understand anything else.

But electronic music is much more than just music, it’s a lifestyle.

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Sonar 2008: Josh Wink’s top track

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: josh wink sonar 2008

On our plane traveling from Berlin to Barcelona for Sonar 2008 was Philadelphia-based DJ, producer and record label owner Josh Winkhttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif.

Josh Wink hasn’t been to Sonar festival for many years since the second edition of the event but this year he’s hosting a party for his record label Ovum Recordingshttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_l.gif.

“What’s your big track for Sonar 2008?” I asked him, in between air hostesses pushing trolleys.

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Live blog from Sonar 2008

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: sonar 2008

The Beatportal team will be in Barcelona from tomorrow till Monday June 23rd to blog live and direct from one of Europe’s biggest electronic music gatherings – Sonar 2008.

Sonar has become Europe’s premier electronic music meetings thanks to its commitment to underground electronic music and cutting-edge digital art in the beautiful surroundings of the city of Barcelona.

Much like Miami’s Winter Music Conference, Sonar is part business conference, part piss up with hundreds of club nights, afterparties and beach parties planned around the main conference.

However unlike WMC, Sonar’s focus is much more on the cutting-edge with the organisers often booking obscure live acts alongside established DJs and legends of the underground.

This year French minimal artist Chloehttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif - check out her recent album ‘The Waiting Room’ in the player after the jump - and X-102http://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif (Mike Banks and Jeff Mills in their Underground Resistance alias) will be performing at Sonar, as well as big hitters Goldfrapp, Justice, Spank Rock and US house legend Frankie Knuckles (pictured).

The Beatportal team will attempt to document the most important Sonar 2008 happenings, so if you can’t make it to Barcelona, Beatportal’s blog is the next best thing.

Tune in at: http://www.beatportal.com/sonar

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Luciano mix live from somewhere

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: cadenza luciano raum musik

To promote the upcoming Raum Open Air! party at Sonar on 20th June, Ibiza-Voice.com have released a podcast of Lucianohttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif DJing live at some party.

Featuring crowd noises and all, it sounds like it was recorded live in Ibiza.

The Rhadoo remix of St. Germain ‘Rose Rouge’ is in the mix as well the usual groovy Luciano South American vocals and drum loops - it sounds like it’s from summer 2007.

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SecretSundaze plan Barcelona party for Sonar

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: secretsundaze sonar 2008

With Sonar attracting thousands of electronic music fans to Barcelona next week, hundreds of parties and club events have been planned for the fringes.

London’s very own SecretSundaze crew return to Barcelona for their fourth Sonar party on Sunday 22nd June, and will host a special knees-up at La Terrazza, a beautiful open-air venue located on a hillside.

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Sonar 2008 line-up announced

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: sonar 2008

The introductory line-up for the 15th Sónar music and arts festival, taking place in Barcelona, Spain, has been announced.

As previously announced on Beatportal, the annual festival takes place June 19th through June 21st in 2008, and features a variety of artists from around the world, primarily within the electronic music genres.

Highlights include Ben Watt, Chloé, Diplo, American house music legend Frankie Knuckles [pictured], Goldfrapp launching their new album ‘Seventh Tree’, Hercules and Love Affair, Justice, M.I.A., Miss Kittin, Róisín Murphy, Spank Rock, a reunion debut of the Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke project Yazoo (known as Yaz Stateside) and X-102 (Mike Banks and Jeff Mills in their Underground Resistance alias).

Showcases abound as well, as usual, this year featuring BBC Radio 1 (with Mary Anne Hobbs and Shackleton), Dirty (with Pilooski and Discodeine), Ed Banger Records (with Busy P. and Krazy Baldhead), Freerange (featuring Jimpster and Milton Jackson), Ninja Tune (with The Heavy and Daedelus) and Osaka Invasion, among others.

Follow the link for the full Sónar line-up details so far, along with a video from Yazoo and their 1982 hit ‘Don’t Go’.

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Sonar 2008 dates announced

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: nathan fake sonar 2008

The dates for Sonar 2008 have been announced by its organisers.

Next summer, Europe’s premier electronic music and audiovisual art festival will take place on 19th, 20th and 21st June 2008.

Sonar has grown to become one of the world’s most respected electronic music festivals, attracting thousands of DJs, record labels, artists and music fans to Barcelona each year.

With a focus on cutting-edge electronic culture (music, art, film) Sonar provides a great mix of thought-provoking digital art, and downright hedonistic club nights.

And to get you in the mood here’s a video of Michael Mayerhttp://www.beatportal.com/images/site/misc/wiki_box_a.gif dropping Nathan Fake’s remix of Avus ‘Real’ (first track in the player) at the Kompakt beach party during last year’s Sonar. What a tune.

Below that there’s what was probably the last tune played at Sonar 2007 - a bloke on drums, in the middle of the street. That’s what Sonar is all about - musical freedom and impromptu parties.

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