The BBC is always on the lookout for new talent and emerging artists in the British Isles, and created the "Introducing" brand to provide a showcase for young talent, either on the programmes of the station itself or through its exclusive line-ups at festivals and events, such as Sonar 2009.

www.bbc.co.uk/introducing

Since Pedro Winter founded Ed Banger Records in 2002, France and Paris have returned to the front line of the world's most popular dance-based electronica, thanks to the label's hedonistic and carefree take on music and the success of its artists, spearheaded by Justice. On this occasion, Winter is bringing with him DSL, one of the label's stars, and he is selecting some of his favourites in a showcase which reflects the Ed Banger philosophy and personality beyond its own catalogue.

www.edbangerrecords.com

Since it was created ten years ago, the Ghostly International label has been a hallmark of the best electronica in the United States (from techno to ambient to electro to cosmic funk). Over the last decade, Sam Valenti and his coterie have built up a faultless catalogue, which includes veterans like Matthew Dear, Osborne, Lusine and Dabrye, and new talents like Michna and The Sight Below, who are featured at Sonar 2009. Happy birthday.

http://ghostly.com

On her programme on BBC Radio 1, Mary Anne Hobbs separates the wheat from the chaff in the increasingly leafy forest of new urban rhythms (dubstep, grime, abstract hip-hop etc.). She is choosing the most interesting representatives to shine at Sónar for the third consecutive year; and in passing, shows her unerring instinct for finding and promoting hidden talent.

www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/maryannehobbs/

If Berlin is the epicentre of the best techno being produced in Europe right now, Ostgut Ton is one of the main guilty parties. Created around Berghain/Panorama Bar, one of the continent's most impressive clubs, at Ostgut Ton they believe in renewing the classic sound of Detroit and giving dance-based electronica a touch of depth and gravity.

www.ostgut.de/ton/

A paradigm of the minimalist and experimental electronica that has emerged in Germany in the last decade, Raster Noton is one of Europe's most respected and admired labels, for several reasons: its special treatment of sound, its scientific and conceptual perspective of music and its painstaking image. It has been bringing the future of electronica into the present for over ten years.

www.raster-noton.net

Founded in Berlin in 1998, the Red Bull Music Academy is a creative platform for those who shape our musical future. Every year, the Academy brings together 60 aspiring inspiring producers, DJs and vocalists from around the globe with full-fledged musical icons, in workshops, studio sessions, and club nights. At Sónar, some of the most forward-thinking alumni come back together to recapture the unique Academy vibe and shed a bright light on the now-school of club sonics.

www.redbullmusicacademy.com

What started out as a Sunday night party created by the presenter and dj Rob Da Bank in 1995 has become a highly influential and dynamic label on the British scene. In the past, it has given opportunities to groups that are now very popular such as Groove Armada and Bent, while today it continues to sign talented artists like dan le sac and Grand National, among others.

www.sundaybest.net