Eskmo, more play Sonar 2011 day one

Spanish festival to feature Aphex Twin, among others

Stephen Greenwood - 17 June 2011

Not content with simply spinning the decks, he incorporated a variety of live sound effects which included him crunching cans of beer and rustling rolls of paper.

Dominating proceedings from the minute he took to the stage there was only one moment where he seemed to divide opinions. At around the mid-point he accelerated the BPM to a speed where even Usain Bolt having an epileptic fit would have struggled to keep-up.

This did not last long and he soon reeled the revellers back in by reverting into the dubstep drone that had dominated his performance.

Surveying the scene once the audience had departed, it was clear to see that what should have been deemed as a warm-up party had escalated far beyond that.

The three-day long electronic music festival kicked off at midday and is set to feature the likes of Aphex Twin, Underworld, Boys Noize, James Murphy and Magnetic Man.

Widely regarded as the meeting place for cutting-edge artists it is an international festival both in its line-up and attendees. It all started brightly as swarms of people entered the site eager to soak up the sunshine and the beats.

Sonar by day has a completely different feel compared to the night version but this does not stop anyone from getting stuck into the spirit.

Set in Raval, just on the outskirts of the heart of the city, there are a number of stages and areas of enjoyment.

Aside from the DJs and bands that are on offer you have the chance to fiddle around with some equipment, watch some experts perform demos or even have your make-up done by a bunch of professional artists.

The biggest crowds of the day could be seen at the Sonar Village area of the site and the party began to pick up the pace when Floating Points began his set. The Londoner was received well but as his slot was in the middle of day it had less of an impact due to the audience pacing themselves in the baking heat.

Next up was the Swedish band Little Dragon who blasted through their set, which included tracks from their latest record ‘Ritual Union’ which is set to be released later this year. Finishing their set strongly they then made way for Ninja Tune and Big Dada to present a number of their artists.

The highlights included UK rapper Dels who overcame his early sound problems to put in a decent show and Eskmo who brought proceedings to a close with his full-on set. Now that the first day is finished the real party is set to begin as the crowd multiplies and the beats barely pause for breath.

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