From The Last Dinner Party to Balming Tiger, here’s the ten acts we think you should see at next week’s Barcelona’s festival extravaganza.
As festival season starts to kick into gear, an early must-go-to is the Barcelona juggernaut, Primavera Sound, taking place from 29th May until 2nd June. Few line ups in the global sphere can go head-to-head with the pure depth and fantastic artistry that Prima has on offer. Dedicated to bringing the best across every genre and orifice of contemporary music, there’s old and gold (American Football, Duster, Pulp), 21st century icons (Lana Del Ray, Justice, Vampire Weekend), and the hottest acts in the world at this current moment (Charli XCX, SZA, FKA twigs).
Wonderland will be heading to the Spanish city next week to take in all the music and report back. For now, we’ve rounded up our ten of our favourite acts that we simply can’t wait to see, and sonic worlds that we think you too should venture into.
Balming Tiger
Where are they from?
Seoul, South Korea.
What sort of music do they make?
Loosely defined as alternative K-pop, Balming Tiger in actuality share very little sonic characterisms with their native country’s prominent genre. Their jaw-dropping debut record from last year, January Never Dies, flicks from jazz minimalism to avant-garde rap to hazy metalcore.
When can you see them at Primavera?
Thursday 30th May at 18:50 on PULL&BEAR Stage.
Key release:
Chloé Caillet
Where are they from?
New York with French, Spanish, Italian and Moroccan roots.
What sort of music do they make?
Nationless and genre-less house tunes that are euphoric and effortless. Caillet plucks from whether she chooses, aggrandising global sounds into a fluid, surprising and heady symphony of influence and celebration.
When can you see them at Primavera?
Thursday 30th May at 20:40 on APEROL ISLAND OF JOY Stage.
Key release:
billy woods
Where are they from?
Originally Washington D.C., now New York.
What sort of music do they make?
A maestro of US underground rap, billy woods has one of the densest and enthralling catalogues in the scene. Experimental to the core, woods has a knack of working with producers who push his craft to new heights. Perhaps the strongest and most accessible example of such is last year’s record with Kenny Segel, Maps, which was unquestionably one of the best rap albums of 2023. woods offers provoking, intelligent lyricism and dextrous, daring performances atop off-kilter nocturnal palettes.
When can you see them at Primavera?
Thursday 30th May at 21:55 on PLENITUDE Stage.
Key release:
yeule
Where are they from?
Singapore-born, London-based.
What sort of music do they make?
The next is more like what type of music don’t they make? Multi-dimensional – not just sonically but digitally as well – non-binary musician, performance artist and painter yeule pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a modern day creative. Whether glitchy pop, washed out shoegaze or grungey post rock, there’s a lot to dig into on last year’s record softscars.
When can you see them at Primavera?
Friday 31st May at 00:05 on PLENITUDE Stage.
Key release:
Ethel Cain
Where are they from?
Tallahassee, Florida.
What sort of music do they make?
Whether dreamy ethereal indie-pop or cripplingly beautiful folk, Cain knows how to get the emotional juices flowing. Her hazy 2022 record Preacher’s Daughter was amongst the most visceral and vivid of the year, a sprawling and personal odyssey into Cain’s idiosyncratic mind.
When can you see them at Primavera?
Friday 31st May at 18:20 on SANTANDER Stage.
Key release:
The Last Dinner Party
Where are they from?
London, England.
What sort of music do they make?
Almost ostentatious indie-pop. There’s influences aplenty on the five-piece’s February debut record, Prelude to Ecstasy: from post-punk to art-pop. They offer the kind of essential songwriting and cinematic soundscapes that belong in sold-out stadiums.
When can you see them at Primavera?
Friday 31st May at 18:50 on CUPRA Stage.
Key release:
BADBADNOTGOOD
Where are they from?
Toronto, Canada
What sort of music do they make?
New-wave jazz simply doesn’t come much better than this Canadian collective. Whether collaborating with other esteemed Toronto artists like Charlotte Day Wilson and Daniel Caesar or unleashing towering instrumental cuts, the group deliver rich, playful and intricate sonics full of character and craftsmanship.
When can you see them at Primavera?
Friday 31st May at 20:50 on CURA Stage.
Key release:
Obongjayar
Where are they from?
Nigeria before moving to London as a teen.
What sort of music do they make?
Rooted in Afro-characteristics, Obongjayar’s sound is expressive and peerless, coloured by R&B and stencilled by West Coast rap. Unpredictable and cinematic, no two cuts sound the same from this chameleonic character. He’s also an A-list feature – collaborating with Little Simz, Fred again. and Jeshi amongst others.
When can you see them at Primavera?
Saturday 1st June at 02:20am on PLENITUDE Stage.
Key release:
HiTech
Where are they from?
Detroit, USA.
What sort of music do they make?
Avant-garde hip hop-electro crossover tracks that are utterly masterful. A fully fleshed out approach is constant despite their relative newness. Ghettotech is back and HiTech are certainly leading the calvary – just listen to their sophomore record DÉTWAT.
When can you see them at Primavera?
Saturday 1st June at 03:25 on STEVE ALBINI Stage.
Key release:
Royel Otis
Where are they from?
Sydney, Australia.
What sort of music do they make?
Seamless, colour indie-pop that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Masters of the sing-along hook, with plenty of clever arrangements and sharp production, the duo are fast becoming Australia’s biggest band since Tame Impala.
When can you see them at Primavera?
Saturday 1st June at 18:45 on SANTANDER Stage.
