Sonar Reykjavik, Harpa Concert Hall, Iceland, review: Must-vist electronic spectacle

On a weekend where the likes of the legendary Underworld, Ben Frost and Nadia Rose bought their A-Game to Iceland it was Cassy and Yamaho who stole the show in Resident Advisor’s SonarLab. The carpark turned sub-venue provided the perfect stage for these two extremely talented DJs to prove their metal and give the festival, which offered a heady myriad of rap, electro and IDM, a fitting close.

The country that bought us the likes of Björk (who was in attendance), Sigur Rós and Of Monsters and Men didn’t disappoint with the fourth annual iteration of the most northerly outpost of the global festival phenomenon. Sonar is renowned for bringing the best in dance, techno and electro together under one roof. And it was an impressive roof, the newly constructed Harpa Concert Hall lit up the skyline with an emphatic display of light, providing a stark contrast to the gloomy Icelandic evening. Split into four stages, the ‘festival within one building’ format worked well due to the sheer size of it and the architecture and building aesthetics no doubt added to the overall feel of the weekend.

American producer Jlin, brought the vibe with her emphatic percussion-led sound that had the crowd really going, including the enigmatic Bjork, who was clearly enjoying herself dressed in what seemed to be a red cape coupled with an ostentatious billowy white mask – an outfit only she could pull off.

Back at the SonarHall stage, fiery Catalonian Bad Gyal delivered a performance that despite not being the most efficient – it was layered in autotuned coupled with what could only be considered questionable dancing - was difficult not to watch, I’m still undecided whether this was for negative or positive reasons.

Other Friday highlights included Oslo-based Lindstrøm, who’s endlessly building tracks produced some of the most satisfying drops of the weekend. Danny Brown provided the close for the first night with his unique style of hip-hop and intricate wordplay that has made him a stand out performer in his genre.

Sydney born and Reykjavik based Ben Frost provided the perfect soundtrack for the moody Icelandic winter with his often-dark ambient sound permeating sublimely around the SonarClub stage. A visual spectacle, Frost’s performance perfectly encapsulated how his intrigue around how music, technology and visuals can blend together.

Titans of electronic music, Underworld, followed and did not disappoint. Having cemented their place within the techno scene in the 90s, the British duo brought the crowds to the SonarClub stage with what seemed like the entire festival attendance cramming in to see their set, the performance of the euphoric “Born Slippy” made famous by Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting, was truly a special moment. Iceland’s own Bjarki delivered a visually impressive set combining straight-forward heavy build and drop electronic and more ambient slow-paced tracks with an enigmatic ‘blue man group’ type visual backdrop – think morph suits and television sets for heads. Yep, that.

However, it was Cassy and Yamaho who stole the show with a b2b performance that had each DJ spurring the other on to better themselves as the set progressed much to the adoration of the crowd eager to continue long into the morning. Sonar Reykjavik is fast becoming the must-visit electronic spectacle, combing the best that Iceland has to offer with renowned global acts in a setting that is as stunning as the music on show.