aaamusic | On 03, Feb 2011

SAN MIGUEL PRIMAVERA SOUND COMBINES PAST AND PRESENT IN AN EDITION THAT CONSOLIDATES IT AS A REFERENCE ON THE MUSIC SCENE

PJ Harvey, Sufjan Stevens, Interpol and P.I.L., among new bands confirmed for the San Miguel Primavera Sound 2011.

The musical event will have a new big stage, is increasing its perimeter and redistributing its space in order to improve the global experience of all the people who attend.

The concerts of the main programme of San Miguel Primavera Sound 2011 will be held on 8 stages, all of which are on the Parc del Forum site. The main novelty is the creation of a second big stage to host artists who draw large crowds and will be in a space that has never before been used by the festival. The Vice stage will also change position.

Another significant change is the increase of the area of the festival site in the Parc del Fòrum. This increase in the perimeter of the site with the objective of making the site more comfortable, will mean a redistribution of the spaces in order to make movement around the festival site easier and to avoid any masses of people. To this end, there will be improvements in the services available for the public, including a second food area, an increase in the number of toilets and changes in the decoration and style of the site.

As has already been announced, the festival will go back to its original venue the Poble Espanyol for two new days to celebrate the opening and closing of the festival (Wednesday 25th and Sunday 29th of May). These two dates join the rest of the parallel programme that, under the name of “Primavera a la Ciutat” (Primavera In the City) will take over the city of Barcelona during the last week of May this year.

In the artists’ section, an extensive list of names has been presented today, to almost complete the acts that will play the eight stages in the Parc del Fòrum during the last weekend of May. PJ Harvey presenting her new album” Let England Shake”, Sufjan Stevens’ new show, the darkness of the New Yorkers Interpol and the post-punk of John Lydon P.I.L. (Public Image Limited), really stand out among the newly announced bands. These confirmations join the earlier announcement of the first comeback concert of the British band Pulp and the visit of big names like Grinderman, Animal Collective, Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai, John Cale, The National and The Flaming Lips.

As in previous editions, San Miguel Primavera Sound reserves a large space for artists that can be considered as “classics” of their respective styles. This is the case of the sound terrorists Einstürzende Neubauten, the cult British band The Monochrome Set, the guitar experimentation of the mythical Glenn Branca and his Ensemble, the Americans, Pere Ubu will play “The Modern Dance”, his most highly praised record, as well as the corner stone of no wave, the New Yorker Arto Lindsay.

Other names that have been much talked about recently will also be here in Barcelona. The Americana of the ubiquitous M. Ward, the post-rock of Explosions In The Sky, the colourful glam pop from the band Of Montreal, the intimate folk of The Tallest Man On Earth, different versions of modern day crooners with James Blake and Perfume Genius, pop with roots by Avi Buffalo, the math rock with hints of electronic from the Battles or the psychedelic rock of The Black Angels will show just why they have won over the specialised press from all over the world.

Electronic and dance music in all its forms will take us into the early hours of each day of the festival. In the next edition the classics will shine as well as newcomers. Influential artists like the master of hip hop DJ Shadow, the crazy mash-up of Girl Talk, the live show by the duo Simian Mobile Disco, the maestro of newly fledged Lindstrom and the two performances by Kode9 (live with The Space Ape and a Dj set entirely based on Burial) will be up against new names that are doing really well like Carte Blanche (the Dj Mehdi and Riton duo), the dubstep of Caspa, Barcelona’s John Talabot, from the DFA label Holy Ghost! and the member of The XX, who will do a set as Dj Jamie XX. Less danceable but just as prominent, we have the rejuvenated show by Gonjasufi and promising newcomers of less accessible electronic music like Gold Panda and Baths.

Hip-hop is once again very much present in this edition. To the already confirmed Das Racist we must add BigBoi, member of the duo Outkast and author of one of the records of the year, the unstoppable collective Odd Future, on everyone’s lips because of nicknames like Tyler The Creator and Hodgy Beats.

In the music made in Spain section there are two clear focuses of attention: the reunion of the band from Asturias Nosoträsh playing their record “Popemas” and a special show by El Guincho, both of which will play with special guests at the festival. Apart from these bands, great revelations from last year like Lüger, Toundra and The Suicide Of Western Culture, who will share the line up with well established artists and fresh newcomers: Ainara LeGardon, Thelemáticos, Dúo Cobra, Les Aus, Berlinetta, La Célula Durmiente, Kokoshca and Ornamento Y Delito. The reunion of the Barcelona band Cuzo and the ex member of the legendary Can, Damo Suzuki deserves a special mention.

The line up is made up of different types of bands from different places. From The United States comes the folk of DM Stith, the lo-fi garage of Ty Segall, the dark noise of The Soft Moon, the girl band Cults, the pleasant drones of Ducktails, the synth pop by Glasser, Bart Davenport’s new project Incarnations, the psychedelic indie-blues of Kurt Vile & The Violators, the mixture of rock and electronic that Matthew Dear is making nowadays, the freak folk by tUnE-yArDs, the experimental pop by the hyped Warpaint, the indie folk of The Annuals and the post rock of Del Rey. From the neighbouring Canada come Julia Kent’s folk and the experimental rock of Sunns. The Finnish Rubik will represent the North of Europe and we round off the line up with Connan Mockasin from New Zealand and Field Music from Britain.