Sónar 2018 festival line-up latest: Laurent Garnier, Mount Kimbie and The Black Madonna

Spanish electronic music festival Sónar’s second Hong Kong edition promises to be a classic with a solid line-up of international DJs and bands. Read on for the latest line-up of artists

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Gilles Peterson performing at Sonar HK in 2017.

Published: 4:01pm, 17 Jan 2018Updated: 4:14pm, 17 Jan 2018

French electronic music icon Laurent Garnier and British duo Mount Kimbie are among the first international artists announced today for the second Hong Kong edition of Sónar.

The pioneering electronic music and digital culture festival, launched in Barcelona in 1994, will be returning to the Hong Kong Science Park near Tai Po on March 17. Last year’s debut Sónar Hong Kong attracted 5,000 punters with the biggest line-up of electronic music artists and DJs ever seen in the city, including US hip-hop icon DJ Shadow and British musical tastemaker Gilles Peterson.

The other international headliners for 2018 announced today include American house DJ The Black Madonna, Canadian house/techno artist Heidi, Japanese jazzy post-rock band Mouse On the Keys, Canadian electronic outfit Keys N Krates, British dubstep DJ Mala, Iranian-Dutch singer-producer Sevdaliza and French artist Jacques.

For many electronic music fans, the stand-out artist announced today will be French producer Laurent Garnier. Since launching his career in Manchester in 1986, Garnier has become one of his country’s most respected musical ambassadors, working in a diverse range of genres from house and techno to trance and jazz.

Meanwhile, post-dubstep artists Mount Kimbie will be making their Hong Kong debut at this year’s Sónar. The duo have been audience favourites at festivals such as South by Southwest and Coachella, and have produced an eclectic body of work that encompasses everything from ambient music to organic electronica.

Sónar, Barcelona’s influential festival of electronic music and visual art, is coming to Hong Kong

And adding a local flavour to this year’s Sónar are an array of respected local electronic music figures including Hong Kong trap queen Fotan Laiki, tastemaker Tedman Lee, techno producer Basil Tam and house music DJ Sunsiaré.