Three like-minded people, a gem of an idea and an estimated 100,000 visitors not only make Barcelona's Sonar one of the world's fastest-growing festivals, but also demonstrate that alternatives to the mainstream are more than viable.
The brainchild of Eric Palau, Sergio Caballero and Richard Nobles, Sonar was launched in the city in 1994. From there it has grown hugely, attracting performers and followers of electronic music from around the world.
Key to the success of Sonar, which this year runs from June 14 to 16, has been the vision of its founders.
'The format was new,' Palau says. 'Of course, there were small experimental music festivals that we liked and professional meetings such as Midem and Popkomm. But we weren't copying these events - we were doing a new thing and technology allowed us to put music, cinema and multimedia into one event.'
Halfway between a conference and a music festival, Sonar offers an array of mind-bending visual and aural treats over a three-day week- end, through the days and nights.
Within the Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona and the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, a labyrinth of halls, exhibition spaces and outdoor areas offer temporary home to simultaneous performances. The pre-Sonar buildup creates an online frenzy and attracts big-name DJs and artists, but the lesser-known acts draw almost as much attention. The general consensus among punters is that everyone on the bill is worth a look, simply because they've been invited by the respected selection panel.
Sonar by day is a relatively sober experience with an emphasis on live acts, edgy experimental performers, film, installations and software and hardware demonstrations. It attracts a discerning crowd of cogniscenti who show keen interest in even the most obscure acts such as the performer who merely banged two aubergines together at Sonar 2005.