inthemix | International News | Sonar 2008 first line-up announcement

As winter closes in on Australia, all the beautiful, perma-tanned people will once again be convening in Barcelona for the 15th Sonar Festival. The three-day event, which somehow balances all-night benders with a ‘cultural’ daytime programme, is typically talent-heavy in 2008.

The two themes giving the festival its air of intellectual rigour are, according to the Sonar website, “the ‘female factor’ in today’s music and ‘hybridism’ as the result of the intersection of musical genres and subgenres.”

On the first count, Goldfrapp will headline the Thursday night, fronted as they are by Alison Goldfrapp. Also upping the ‘female factor’ are M.I.A., Roisin Murphy, Camille, Miss Kittin and Kid Sister. ‘Hybridism’ may just by a synonym for ‘Ed Banger‘ in this case – with the world-conquering French label presenting a showcase alongside other “anything goes” acts like Erol Alkan, Diplo, A-Trak and Boys Noize.

For the techno fans, the reunion of Jeff Mills, Robert Hood and Mike Banks as X-102 will be face-melting enough. The short-lived trio is set to revisit their album Discovers The Rings Of Saturn live. Elsewhere, there are showcases for everything from dubstep to deep house, with more visiting DJs than Ryan Air can handle. And, as any Sonar veteran will tell you, it’s all about the parties outside the main event anyway…

Sonar Festival takes over Barcelona from 19-21 June. Here’s the full list of artists confirmed thus far:

CONCERTS & DJS

ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM (US)
ASSTRIO (ES)
BASQUIAT STRINGS (CH)
BC vs JC featuring DARREN EMERSON (UK)
BEN WATT (UK)
BOYS NOIZE (DE)
CABO SAN ROQUE (ES)
CAMILLE (FR)
CHLOÉ (FR)
DIPLO (US)
DJ KEY (MA)
DJ MEHDI VS A-TRAK feat KID SISTER (FR / US)
EROL ALKAN (UK)
FRANKIE KNUCKLES (US)
GOLDFRAPP (UK)
HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR (US)
JUSTICE (FR)
KALABRESE PRES. THE RUMPELORCHESTRA (CH)
KONONO Nº1 (CD)
LITTLE DRAGON (SE)
M.I.A. (UK)
MISS KITTIN (FR)
NEON NEON (UK)
NORTHERN STATE (US)
RÓISÍN MURPHY (UK)
SPANK ROCK (US)
TARA DE LONG (US)
TENDER FOREVER (FR / US)
THE DULOKS (UK)
THE PINKER TONES (ES)
X-102 discovers THE RINGS OF SATURN (US)
YAZOO (UK)
YELLE (FR)