Primavera 2012 - Review #1

So we’re all back from Primavera – in one piece and 100% happier! Now that we’ve recovered from a week of 5am partying we’re going to bring you a series of posts with our highlights. We’re also getting our friends to contribute, because they have pretty good taste in music too and they were along for the ride. So here we go with the first one: (SA)


The phrase "check point" was frequently uttered amongst our friends throughout the week in Barcelona - A recognition that this moment in time will be etched into your memory as vivid as the experience at the time if you anchor it down with the phrase. It certainly worked for me. Primavera Sound 2012 was a week of solar delights, great music and connecting with old and new friends. Though largely a festival of synths for me this year, the energy of the festival remained eclectic and diverse it's it's ebbs and flows between stages, and did not diminish effortless performances by the likes of Shellac and The Dirty Three. With as many surreal checkpoints to match the surrealism of Barcelona city itself, I'll keep it Festival worthy.

The Venue - Parc del Fòrum

A former prison camp, redesigned as a public space in the wake of the 1992 Olympics; it’s oblique, alien stature formed a surprisingly warm host. Everything about this festival was MASSIVE – the timescale was a languid 5 days, the 15,000 capacity seemed almost tame, 8 large, sprawling stages with generous set times that were each a concert length unto their own. This magical, sunset coastal space is certainly gracious grounds for its summer revellers (have fun Sonar kids!); a very cool space indeed. 

The Field

I hadn't actually heard of The Field until the night before we saw them play, but as I was already pumped for John Talabot, the fresh discovery of a Kompact artist on the same night only added more fuel to the fire. There was a clean, ethereal rumble at the Pitchfork tent for the first 8 minutes or so, before they ripped open the rib cage of the stage to reveal a throbbing heartbeat of deep electronic soundscapes, pulsating with melodic tentacles. I was spellbound. Songs like 'Cola' and 'Over the Ice' have cemented these guys as a prolific live electronic band in my eyes, and reminded me of one of the best things about festivals; discovering new music in it's finest element.

M83

Then there was M83. It was Friday night, so the festival was plumping up in numbers and anticipation under the ever-present yellow moon. With the help of their amazing set design - which looked like it was created by Daft Punk’s roadshow unicorn with it’s LED light prisms and purple laser beams, M83 literally exploded onto the stage in front of a wave of twinkling hands and hearts. The energy of the band was palpable and shining throughout their entire set, and has left us all with some priceless memories. A well rounded performance, they didn’t leave any stones unturned, slipping songs from ‘Digital Shades’ and ‘Saturdays = Youth’ in amongst the cacophony of hits from 'Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming'. I’m sure M83 was a top highlight of the festival for many.

(MC)