Abhir, Slim Soledad & Meritxell de Soto talk live music's power to transform

Sónar 2024 is fast approaching, and DICE is hosting the SónarPark stage at the legendary Barcelona fest for the third time. Once again, we’ve curated a diverse lineup of innovators at the edges of techno, rap, experimental pop, and beyond. The artists we’ve called up occupy unique sonic spaces: but what unites each of them is the feeling of escape they enable for their fans. 

To get you in the mood, we put on our amateur psychiatrist outfits and researched the transcendental power of live music, speaking to some of the artists playing our stage to learn how they create a transformative experience for fans and how they seek it themselves. 

Scroll for full transcendence.

Hailing from the Canary Islands, ABHIR is a melodic rap and r&b artist who uses his music to cross themes of identity, prejudice and the personal.

Was there a live show that changed you in a memorable way? 

A live show that changed me personally and creatively was the first show of my Spanish tour, in Madrid. I feel like the warmth and the chaotic energy that I lived on stage that day, changed me forever because it just made me realise how I want to orient and direct my shows from now on.

How do you want the audience at your SonarPark set to feel when they leave the show? 

It would make me very happy for the audience at SonarPark to leave the stage feeling energised, having felt adrenaline and some sort of trance.

Where does playing live take you? 

I feel like before, playing live made me feel a lot of nerves but now I feel calm on stage because in moments of extreme focus my head isn’t thinking about thirty things at once I can just enjoy one thing at a time. 

What kind of connection do you feel with the audience when you play? 

I do feel a deep connection between the audience and me. I feel like the best shows depend on that one element — connection. It’s all about how comfortable everyone is and how contagious the energy can be.

What essential ingredients are needed for a life-changing show? 

In order to change an audience, in my opinion there are two basic things that are the most important — an element of surprise and an element of experimentation.

Which SonarPark artists are you most excited about?

Two artists I’m very excited to see on stage that I consume on a daily basis are Judeline and Skin on Skin.

A Brazilian-born artist defying expectations of hard techno; blending the genre with baile funk to make something truly original.

Was there a live show that changed you in a memorable way? 

A live show that totally changed me was the Linn da Quebrada show at Coquetel Molotov in Recife and I think in more of a personal way because she has always inspired me so much.

Do you want the audience at your SonarPark set to leave the show feeling different in some way? 

I hope people leave with a sense of joy. I hope they embrace chaos as escape as well, and I hope they can have tenderness in their heart for sure, and that they keep this feeling of discovering new things.

Where does playing live take you? 

When I’m playing live, I think it takes me to a place where I feel a kind of hypnosis. It really happens, sometimes it can be very euphoric, sometimes it can be very enjoyable, like it’s a mix of feelings but I think somehow I’m living in my own world — you know, it’s like my little space that I create for myself.

What kind of connection do you feel with the audience when you play? 

I believe that when I’m playing, me and the crowd are kind of creating a path together, something that should give and receive back. Sometimes with more connections and sometimes with less connections. But it’s like always something that should give and receive back.

What essential ingredients are needed for a life-changing show? 

I think you need personality and peculiarities. And of course, a good sound system. 

Which SonarPark artists are you most excited about?

At SonarPark I want to check out Gabber Eleganza and the collective TORO. See you there!

A multi-hyphenate performance artist and DJ from Barcelona serving deconstructed club sounds with a message of inclusivity.

Was there a live show that changed you in a memorable way? 

A show that changed me recently was a DJ set by DJ SOSA RD at Isla666 in Barcelona — it was like an act of love towards music.

Do you want the audience at your SonarPark set to leave the show feeling different in some way?
I hope that people could leave my set at SonarPark feeling pleasure, a sense of community, and love towards music. I think that it will be very special because I’m preparing it as a live performance. So you will see.

Where does playing live take you? 

For me playing live, it’s like entering into a divine connection with the audience, it’s a lot.

What kind of connection do you feel with the audience when you play? 

When I’m DJing, both myself and the audience, I feel that we are in an embodied conversation, for me it’s like making love with the audience.

What essential ingredients are needed for a life-changing show? 

In order for a live show to impact people, for me, I think that the most important thing is to be honest.

Which SonarPark artists are you most excited about?

At SonarPark, I’m super excited to see DJ Fucci, Slim Soledad, Jehia, TORO collective, Marie Davidson. I’m super grateful to share a stage with such amazing names.

Want to transcend at SónarPark? Get your tickets for Sónar 2024 only on DICE.