One of the most charmingly beautiful and eclectic festivals of the summer, End of the Road, is officially in eight weeks time, and with that in mind, the final lineup of workshops and activities has been announced.
For the creatives among you, there’s everything from Clay Creations,Origami,Screen Printing, Enamelling and even Comic Book Creating, whereas those who have an extroverted streak can enjoy a wide array of performing arts workshops, where you can be a part of a choir with Singing Loudly for All to Hear, or being part of a spontaneous theatre piece in conjunction with The One Line Theatre Company.
If that’s not your scene and you’d rather relax, wind down, and give your chakras some good loving in between acts, there's also a load of yoga, mindfulness and meditation workshops that you can enjoy.
But the workshops are only a small segment of what End of the Road is all about, with headliners such as The Shins, Joanna Newsom and Animal Collective, as well as incredible artists such as Bat for Lashes, Savages, Ezra Furman, Devendra Banhart, Omar Souleyman and many more, you can’t miss this enchanting folk gathering at the end of the summer.
Sónar’s 20th anniversary reads like a who’s who of electronic music new and, well, more new. From Jurassic 5’s old school hip-hop and the eternally synth-pop Pet Shop Boys, to dance anthem pedlars like 2manydjs and the impossible grace of Natasha Khan aka Bat for Lashes, this was always going to be a big weekend.
The three day festival kicks off Thursday, leaving you Sunday to recover – or carry on the party. We catch Oddisee under the SonarDôme, slick rap between brassy jazz, while outside SónarVillage has exploded with the cheesy 70s hit ‘Love is in the air’. Fun is the aim of the game.
Gold Panda is another of those non-DJ DJs. In black denim and t-shirt, I picture him nursing a book alone in a café somewhere. Today, though, he hits us with playful and animalistic beats, eyes fixed on his fingertips as he bops along to perfectly haphazard breaks. The sound is of a runaway music box, and oddly relaxing.
Beer vendors wind through the crowd under a heavy Spanish sun. I worry for all the hipsters getting hot beneath their beards – at least they have their Wayfarers on. One such beardy man holds a kaleidoscope to his mobile phone to film the set (not the Beardyman, though he plays on Saturday). Lindstroøm and Todd Terje get us to nightfall. It’s the first time I’ve heard Terje’s ‘Inspector Norse’ and I understand immediately why it’s so popular. Have a listen.
There’s action aplenty with ‘off Sónar’ events across the city, but we save our feet for the first Sónar de Noche, held in a series of warehouses at the edge of town. Of course Bat for Lashes is wonderful, but we knew she would be. Bristolian DJ Eats Everything plays ahead of Two Door Cinema Club, a sentimental favourite who move seamlessly through their repertoire. “Maybe someday, you’ll be somewhere, talking to me, as if you knew me.”
It’s worth the rush to the outdoor SónarLab to see French DJs C2C perform ’Down the Road‘. They do a Run-DMC cover and manage to hold a sound-off in the crowd, a winner-by-applause deal without spoiling the mood. The 3D Kraftwerk set is all hype and Skrillex becomes the night’s surprise win (although I’d like my ears back, badly). I’m distracted by someone so famous wearing a shirt with his name on the back, but he’s forgiven with Benny Benassi’s ‘Cinema’. I don’t like dubstep; I just love that he’s got us all dancing.
Three hours sleep gets us by, and we’re back at Sónar de Dia for some synth-disco courtesy of US act Chromatics. I warm to their 80s edge and a convincing take on the Kate Bush classic ‘Running up that hill’. We watch AlunaGeorge from faux-grass decking, and catch TNGHT open with a cinematic rendition of Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’. The stop-start set isn’t my thing, and I leave early to give my eardrums a break.
The closing night of Sónar is marked with a three-hour Ed Banger tribute. Justice scores easy points with his Simian Mobile Disco mashup ‘We are your friends’, and it’s good-time fare ‘til Laurent Garnier heralds the Sunday dawn. Even with a huge turnout, the warehouses have space to sit and take stock when needed. Revellers don’t seem to overdo it as much as back on the British Isles, and the international crowd adds to Sónar’s world-class festival credentials.
In 2014 Sónar hits five cities, so the next question is Barcelona, Tokyo or Mexico? Life’s tough.
On the same stage the night before, Friday 14th, Bat For Lashes will be the first to perform with their epic contemporary pop.
=The SonarCar stage will present the showcases of the most important european labels and platforms on the current electronic dance scene: 50Weapons (Anstam, Benjamin Damage, Phon.o, Bambounou), Rush Hour (San Proper, Antal), Radio 2 / Life and Death (Clockwork, Vaal), Classicworks (Nehuen, Cardopusher) y Suara (Coyu, Edu Imbernón).
At the same time, SonarSound Tokyo also gets more artists added to it's line-up, among them are Alec Empire and Pinch, as well as new representatives from the Japanese scene.
Sonar by Night adds more new names to its program, in addition to those already announced: Kraftwerk(3D show), PetShopBoys,Diplo, Raime, MajorLazer, DerrickMay, MaceoPlex, Skrillex,Baauer, NicolasJaar, Darkstar, Soulwax, TwoDoorCinemaClub, SethTroxler, Karenn, Delorean, LaurentGarnier andPaulKalkbrenner, among many others.
With more artists still to be confirmed, here are the latest additions:
Jurassic 5 (US) Bat For Lashes (UK) Skream (UK) Luciano (CH) Alizzz (ES) ThugLadies (ES) Kimerly & Clark (ES) Alvin Risk (US) 50Weapons presents: Anstam (DE) Phon.o (DE) Benjamin Damage (UK) Bambonou (FR) Rush Hour presenta: San Proper (NL) Antal (NL) Radio2Inthemix presents Life and Death: Clockwork feat. Avatism (IT) Vaal (IT) Suara presents: Coyu (ES) EduImbernon (ES) Classicworks presenta: Nehuen b2b Cardopusher (ES)
Jurassic 5 are undoubtedly one of the most important groups in recent hip hop history. The Los Angeles band reunite this year, six years after their last album and is guaranteed to be a triumphant return to the stage of all its original members who will experience Sonar by Night. DJ Nu-Mark, Cut Chemist, Chali 2Na and company are undisputed masters in the art of beats and rhymes whose countless hits are already part of the collective memory in lovers of the genre and indeed music fans in general. What a treat…
Bat For Lashes, the project by the charismatic Natasha Khan, a British singer-songwriter (with Pakistani origin) of enormous talent, and one of the most interesting voices on the international scene. Khan will present her most recent praised work “The Haunting Man”, a formidable collection of contemporary synth pop at what will be her very first Sonar performance.
Beyond being one of the pillars of dubstep, Skream has now become a more mature musician and dj, capable of mixing (like few others), all genres of today’s dance music with a master’s touch. His session at SonarPub on Saturday falls between two heavyweights Justice and Laurent Garnier, where he is sure to surprise more than a few.
Luciano has had an extensive career in some of the worlds best dj booths, demonstrating his versatility, with a style that in recent years has moved between minimal techno and percussive house. He is therefore the perfect man to close Saturday night at SonarClub.
Meanwhile, young Alvin Risk will show us his skills on the decks, which have earned him the right to include himself as part of the new breed of young producers and djs in American electronica. Not surprisingly, he will play just ahead of the Skrillex performance, the most visible face of the new revolution on U.S. dancefloors.
Also joining the Sonar Night, national maximalist and synthesizer magician Alizzz, the versatile and audacious ThugLadies djs, as well as Barcelona dj duo Kimberly&Clarke, with a moombathon session.
The Sónar Pass, the 2-Night Ticket, the individual tickets for Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night, and the professional accreditation are now ALL on sale via www.sonar.es.
Today’s Top Rated European dance music labels at SonarCar
SonarCar, the bumper cars stage, returns to Sónar by Night as a meeting point with a reputation to surprise. It will showcase some of the most important labels and major European collectives in the current landscape of electronic dance.
50Weapons, Modeselektor’s label, has demonstrated a finely tuned taste in the selection of its catalogue. It’s showcase presents four of their latest signings: young Welshman BenjaminDamage, veterans Anstam y Phon.o, and one of the most promising artists in French electronica, Bambonou.
Rush Hour is synonymous with work of the highest quality. Number one record store and distributor, for several years it has been one of the most reliable operations on the continent. The Dutch brand will present San Proper ‘live’ and a session by one of its founders,dj Antal.
The musical programming of Italian public broadcaster Radio 2advocates the modern and daring, as the sound of the Life and Death label output who will present two of their most prominent artists at Sonar by Night: Clockwork feat. Atavism and Vaal.
Based in Barcelona, Suara have earned their reputation across the continent among lovers of quality techno dance music, resulting in some their most important flag bearers like Coyu (founder) or Edu Imbernon continuously playing on both sides of the Atlantic.
Finally, Nehuen and Cardopusher have been chosen to close Saturday night at SonarCar. Two lovers of old drum machines; they are responsible for a new national movement of house and techno with the Classicworks analog flavor. Sonar visit Japan from 5th – 8th April: The 6th and 7th being the 6th edition of SonarSound Tokyo, with the 5th and 8th of the same month being held as the 1st edition of A Taste of Sónar Osaka.
The festival in the Japanese capital also includes new names; among those who standout are Alec Empire (powerful musician and noise lover and founder of the legendary Atari Teenage Riot) and British DJ and producer Pinch (influential cornerstone of dubstep and its derivatives from his Tectonic label).
Also, the festival adds new and relevant representatives from the Japanese scene, such as agraph, DJ Nobu, Madegg, Soichiro Tonaka and nisennenmondai.
One of the most admired songwriters of her generation, Bat For Lashes, is added to the Flow Festival’s lineup. The British Natasha Khan aka Bat For Lashes released her eagerly waited third album, The Haunted Man, last autumn. It is further proof of Khan's unerring ability to create a consistent masterpiece out of unique pop songs – one of them was the single Laura, one of 2012's most praised songs. The artist is known for her intense gigs, so expectations are high for her Flow performance.
Other additions to this summer's Flow are Californian Julia Holter, whose experimental pop has astounded audiences and critics and Scottish top producer and DJ Hudson Mohawke. The program also saw additions from the domestic scene with psychedelic garage rock band Black Lizard,Jaakko Eino Kalevi's bright and vibrant electro, and one of the most recent success stories of the Finnish indie scene, Aino Venna.
Flow Festival is also launching its new Magazine section online. The publication breaks the boundaries of traditional festival websites and also features content loosely related to the festival. There will be fresh insights on Flow artists and their music, texts on general cultural phenomena as well as reports on how the festival is coming together and Flow's ten-year history.
LIVE: Bat For Lashes / Ben Howard / SBTRKT / Roots Manuva / Alabama Shakes / Sage Francis (UK Festival Exclusive) / Grimes (UK Festival Exclusive) / Chairlift / Gesaffelstein / Iceage / Ren Harvieu / Factory Floor / Porcelain Raft / Toy / Kindness / Dismantle / Dirty Beaches / General Levy / Top Cat feat. Sir Coxsone Outernational / Josh Kumra / Errors / Trailer Trash Tracys / Forest Swords / Stay+ / Skinny Lister / Misty's Big Adventure / Ryan Keen / Nina Nesbitt / BIGkids / The Lovely Eggs / Alt-J / St Spirit / Charming / Shepherds / Seán McGowan
DJs: Moodymann / Kavinsky / Girl Unit
AND IN THE AMBIENT FOREST: Mixmaster Morris / Chris Coco / Phil Mison / Pete Gooding
GETTING TO BESTIVAL: Bike to Bestival / Swim to Bestival / Taxi to Bestival please with Minicabit / Life’s a journey – share it! – Car sharing
PLUS: The Cuban Brothers and Fatima Whitbread Hit The Dancefloor For Let’s Dance For Sport Relief
Rob da Bank says: “Hello my wild and wondrous friends… another raft of fine musical acts to tickle your ears come September. I’m delighted that Natasha Khan is bringing her Bat For Lashes guise back to Bestival, her shows are always otherworldly and plain incredible. Add in electronic soul wunderkind SBTRKT, UK hip-hop legend Roots Manuva (playing on his fortieth birthday no less!), the new king of folk Ben Howard, the incredible Alabama Shakes and American poet Sage Francis doing his only UK show of the year plus a very special Moodymann set playing in the Roller Disco complete with his roller disco crew flown in from the States and I’m ready to roll! Music aside, we are as usual ramping up the level of non-music related activity so if you want to take part in a nighttime ping-pong tournament in the woods, go tree climbing or join the Wildlife tug of war (first round will be Foxes vs Cockroaches) then check www.bestival.net for loads more fun and games! See you in September”.
Making a very welcome return to Bestival is Bat For Lashes. A firm favourite round our way, the Mercury Prize and Brit nominated chanteuse is currently recording the follow up to her acclaimed second album Two Suns and we really can’t wait to see her again. Singer-songwriter Ben Howard will also be making an appearance with his rootsy folk stylings, which helped his debut album Every Kingdom to a top ten chart position, making him a certainty to captivate the crowds. Masked beat manipulator SBTRKT will be liberating your feet with his tribal post-dubstep melange, plus there will be dub, hip-hop and raga coated in the unique lyrical dexterity of Roots Manuva and the exalted Alabama Shakes, who have been getting everyone from the likes of David Byrne to Adele giddy with glee, will be demonstrating just why they’re so hotly tipped.
There will also be penetrating verse in a UK festival exclusive from much admired emcee Sage Francis, boundary beating pop and yet another UK festival exclusive from Grimes, Brooklyn flavoured electro-pop from Chairlift, dirty throbbing bass from Gesaffelstein, Danish punk action with Iceage, cinematic soul from BBC Sound of 2012 nominee Ren Harvieu, post-industrial, noisenik disco from Factory Floor, dreamy pop from Porcelain Raft, shimmering psychedelia from Toy and lo-fi loveliness from Kindness. And there are plenty more musical charms on offer from Dismantle, Dirty Beaches, General Levy, Top Cat feat. Sir Coxsone Outernational, Josh Kumra, Errors, Trailer Trash Tracys, Forest Swords, Stay+, Skinny Lister, Misty's Big Adventure, Ryan Keen, Nina Nesbitt, BIGkids, The Lovely Eggs, Alt-J, St Spirit, Charming, Shepherds and Seán McGowan.
That’s not all, as the turntable worrying skills of Detroit techno wizard Moodymann, Gallic electro-houser Kavinsky and dubstep jukester Girl Unit are all set to make appearances to hype up the dancefloor. And in the Ambient Forest there will be some suitably soothing sounds from the inimitable Mixmaster Morris, Chris Coco, Phil Mison and Pete Gooding.
