Sónar+D’s Hong Kong programme offers eclectic workshops, installations and videos to complement the music
Hands-on sessions to build your own synth, multimedia performances by local and international creatives, and the latest in VR and 3D tech – Sónar+D has a broad range of events for festival goers
Sónar+D might take place at the same venue as the inaugural Hong Kong edition of Sónar, the world’s leading electronic music festival – at Hong Kong Science Park, on April 1 – but the technology showcase is a fully fledged event in its own right, with separate tickets available.
A technology expo has been an important part of Sónar since it was launched in Barcelona in 1994, and the Hong Kong version features everything from performances to art installations to mind-bending interactive works, including the chance to hear from some luminaries of the electronic music world.
Here are some of the highlights of the Sónar+D programme.
Daito Manabe
Topping the Sónar+D Hong Kong bill is Japanese renaissance man Daito Manabe. “Part of the +D concept is to find connections across different programmes,” says Sónar+D Hong Kong curator Jay Forster. As a famously multidisciplinary artist – Manabe is, among other things, a musician, artist, designer, DJ and technologist – he’s a perfect choice. He’ll be performing with Chinese-American hip hop producer Nosaj Thing in Sónar Club, one of the main stages, but also giving the keynote talk of the +D programme earlier in the day, where he’ll be sharing details of his latest projects and taking questions – “a great opportunity to get inside the head of Daito Manabe”, as Forster puts it.
Dirty Electronics