Sónar 2008
Programme
SonarComplex
JUNE 19
13:00 Jahbitat (Project Mooncircle/ES) Live
Simon Williams uses this name to investigate a type of meditative improvisation containing all types of vocal experiments, drones and mutant sounds. It is an absolutely personal and elastic approach, which won hearts and minds with his LP 'Harpy Lights the Canopy' on the Project Mooncircle label. At his live show for Sónar, the ever-versatile Simon will take the controls of the computer, sampler, effects and guitar, and will be backed by two musicians and special visuals for the occasion.
Emilii Records presents:
17:30 Deefried (ES) Live
On the eve of releasing his debut album with Emilii Records, Deefried has earned themselves the status of subtle stylists of unorthodox electronica in which a web of organic textures meets, absorbs and interweaves with delicate chords and hyper-contaminated soundscapes. A cinematic experience, built on disconcerting digitally processed images.
19:30 Arbol (Lejosdiscos-Emilii Records/ES) Live
One of the most restless names on the Spanish scene, who is involved in countless parallel projects, including multimedia installations, soundtracks and the multimedia project 'Imaginary Soundtracks', with Onionlab. His third LP, 'You Travelled My Heart Inside Out,' has been released by Lejosdiscos and Emilii Records, and was composed in Barcelona, London and Tokyo. It will have a very special presentation at Sónar, with two vocalists, a cello, visuals by Testphase and the electronic baton of Miguel Marín.
21:00 Internet2 (ES) Live
Internet2 are a one in a million mixture of comedy, drama and classical music filtered through electronica, with a biting sense of humour and an absolutely hilarious turn of mind. They are a sort of cross between Wendy Carlos and Momus under the influence of LSD. This is all seasoned with a live show that leaves nobody indifferent.
JUNE 20
13:00 AIXÒNOÉSPÀNIC (ES) Live
A project by Victor Nubla, Quicu Samsó and Albert Guitart, which combines the sound of drums, bass and clarinet (the latter two undergo heavy treatment by electricity) in order to create uninhibited energetic music. An unexpected encounter which brings together the key figures on the Barcelona experimental scene of recent decades, leading to free and energetic music, with elements of composition and improvisation.
17:30 QA'A (ES) Live
Winners of the Fringe section of Barcelona's LEM festival and the kings of debauchery, QA'A recreate bizarre mantras constructed around guitars and warped effects. This is a very good opportunity to discover the opportunities of this old combination of instruments and is a taster for the soon to be released debut album, produced by Zlaya Hadzic (Sonic Youth, The Ex.)
19:30 Yellow Swans (US) Live
Since starting out in music in 2001, this duo of born improvisers from Portland, currently based in San Francisco, has become an institution in American electro-noise, combining drones, feedback, electronic instruments, intersecting cultural references and thousands of additional ingredients with a stage show that leaves nobody indifferent. A pure DIY spirit.
21:00 Nisei vs Za (BCore-Acuarela/ES) Live
A unique encounter between two key bands on the Catalan alternative scene. Nisei and Za share the stage, ideas, songs, and who knows what else. Nisei are on everyone's lips after the release of the amazing 'Continents', and Za, with new songs that will be included on their next album. The two bands share their love for experimentation and impossible rhythms, so nobody can predict what will come of a union of two drummers, three guitars, two basses and who knows how many voices...
JUNE 21
13:00 Camping (PuPilo/ES) Live
If in the beginning post-rock was the label that best suited releases like 'Dancing Days' and 'Photo Finish' and was the link between Camping and bands like Manta Ray and Mogwai, on 'Politics of Love', their third release, the Granollers band has decided to explore new forms within cutting edge rock. With more muscle, vigour and forcefulness, their sound is coming increasingly closer to a Post-everything, with which they show their enormous ability for reinvention.
16:30 Electrotoylets (ES)
Armed with an arsenal of instruments, toys and electric gadgets (ranging from from the Simon game to vocoders and miniature guitars), the most indescribable Catalan trio present an entertaining and iconoclastic show, which makes some of the key points in Catalan musical folklore into wonders of low definition electronic psychedelia. They are already stars in China and Malaysia.
Osaka Invasion presenta:
17:30 Ove-Naxx (Accelmuzhik/JP) Live
With an approach that is considerably more humorous than that of the majority of artists in the breakcore generation, Isao Sano mercilessly shreds fragments of death metal, j-pop, dancehall, animal sounds and the rhythms of Latin music, in a whirlwind of straight-up polyrhythms and sonic terrorism that is as entertaining as it is energetic.
18:30 Bogulta (JP) Live
19:30 DJ Scotch Egg (Load Records/JP) Live
This UK-based Japanese followed the advice of his friend and collaborator Shitmat to the letter when he was encouraged to create gabber tunes on a simple Game Boy. Today, a vast catalogue on first class labels shows that it wasn't a bad idea. A warning – he usually rounds off his shows by throwing scotch eggs at the audience...
21:00 Maruosa (Renda Records/JP) Live
One of the most hyperactive artists on the Osaka underground, Maruosa brings together the Japanese noisist tradition with the rhythmic punch of breakcore and his fascination with the more brutal edge of punk and metal. His latest release, the overwhelming 'Exercise and Hell,' is an ode to satanic gabber, distorted breaks and sonic perversion, which is as destructive as the rest of his catalogue.