RECOMMENDED

Electric Picnics at Millennium Park have been going swimmingly this summer. Who knew that a little bit of twitch with your ham sandwich could be so enjoyable? Helping to round off the summer series is a celebration for the twentieth anniversary of Rephlex Records. Richard D. James, better known as Aphex Twin and the founder of the label, has been lying low for the past few years. While he hasn’t released anything personally, his label has been churning out records from other artists, including Squarepusher and Kevin Martin. Rephlex must be feeling extra celebratory, as they’re having a party for each decade that it has been around: one at Pritzker Pavilion and the other at the Empty Bottle. Read the rest of this entry »

RECOMMENDED

Freakeasy’s two-year run in the underground loft scene is over but the vibe lives on in a post-Thanksgiving soiree at Metro that features Deee-lite’s former songstress, Lady Miss Kier. The Freakeasy 2nd Anniversary Freakin’ Ball celebrates the continued tenure of the fabled Freakeasy initiative and rumor has it this won’t be the last time it visits Metro. Expect the finest underground sounds from the illmeasures DJs, including Striz and Justin Reed, a live set from Brad Miner, Radiohiro and MC Zulu. Additional highlights include live art installations around the venue to complement the musical performances. Presale tickets are available at http://freakeasy.net. (John Alex Colón)

November 26 at Metro, 3730 North Clark, (773)549-4140. 8pm. Tickets $20-$30. 18+.

Black Devil Disco Club

RECOMMENDED

Smart Bar and Red Bull Music Academy support the Sónar festival’s inaugural visit to Chicago by presenting quite possibly the show of the weekend. Out of the library and onto the stage bounds Black Devil Disco Club, the reclusive astral traveler whose compositions on early French, Italian and UK experimental labels inspired Richard D. James at Rephlex. Influencing James, aka Aphex Twin, brings a heavy dose of street cred, which explains the fervent anticipation surrounding Bernard Fevre’s visit to this Sonar Club Night. Also on the bill is Skull Disco alum Appleblim, whose work with Shackleton and Tempa Records propelled him into dubstep’s royalty. His nods to techno elements are well-known, his stark, metallic percussion often playing bad cop to Shackleton’s rhythmic, dub-inspired efforts. These two heavyweights are not alone on this special night: Space Dimension Controller offers a live set, Todd Osborn brings his spectral side to bear, and Cosmin TRG drops his signature ‘hitek-house’ dubs. Get there early, folks. At $5 all night, this show is on everyone’s radar. (John Alex Colón)

September 10 at Smart Bar, 3730 N. Clark, (773)549-0203, 10pm. $5 all night.

RECOMMENDED

The annual weekly summer jazz series “Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz” makes a welcome return to Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion tonight for six weeks of Thursday night concerts through September 2. Spotlighting Chicago’s leading jazz artists across the spectrum of the genre—from Latin and Big Band to experimental, avant-garde and fusion forms—the series, a collaboration between the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs, the Jazz Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park, will include world-premiere commissions, international collaborations and major artist centennial and anniversary celebrations.

First up is Tortoise, formed in Chicago in 1990 with roots reaching across the city’s jazz, indie-rock and punk scenes and considered pioneers of the post-rock movement. This twentieth-anniversary-year lineup, dubbed Tortoise 2.0, is made up of Dan Bitney on bass, keyboards, drums, percussion and guitar; John Herndon on drums, synthesizer, percussion and electronics; Douglas McCombs on bass, guitar and keyboards; John McEntire on keyboards, drums and percussion; and Jeff Parker on guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizer and percussion along with special guests for this special appearance that include Ed Wilkerson on reeds; Greg Ward on saxophone; Nicole Mitchell on flute and piccolo; Jim Baker on piano and vintage ARP synthesizer 2600 and Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and electronics. Read the rest of this entry »

Phaded

“We’re on there with the Kaskades and the Heathers—that certainly wasn’t lost on me,” remarks Vic Holloway, better known as Chicago’s Phaded. Calling it “both exciting and humbling,” Holloway is discussing Smart Bar’s historic addition of two dubstep DJs—he and Chris Widman—to its traditionally house-heavy resident roster, a move that signals the venue’s commitment to underground sensibilities. That the term “underground” is more cliché than defining adjective is beside the point. Gone are the days when rave-goers lamented electronica’s march into nightclubs and properly administrated venues. What remains is the will to foster a range of musical experiences for new generations of club-goers and Smart Bar’s Nate Manic is happy to oblige. Read the rest of this entry »

DJ Nate Manic

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If you think spiritual community and musical entertainment are a strange coupling, we probably wouldn’t blame you. But the open collective known as Brilliantly Mad has been trying to do just that over the last twelve years, initially through publishing, but evolving over time to private events. But in partnering up with BodElectric (house veteran Soul Foundation’s more eclectic outfit) to throw Synergism, the two groups are hoping to “find balance between the body, mind and spirit of Chicago,” using the talents and energies of musicians and DJs, along with live art, body painting, acro yoga and belly dancing performances and much, much more, starting with an opening Vinyasa yoga session. While this all sounds enlightening, what if you’re merely along for the ride with your yogi, poi-spinning better half? Well, no worries, there. With DJZ , Puffs Baggswelle x Psy-phi, Nag Mani (live), BTMG (live), BRC & RM and Nate Manic tending to the music, there will be deep, uplifting and techy, quirky house, electro house, and late night dubstep sounds until 5am, no matter whose shakra is retrograding your downward dog. Also featured: live video mixing, healers, love guides, art installations and a fashion show. And gift bags for the first 100 RSVPs. Whew! (Duke Shin)

May 8 at Kinetic Playground, 1113 W. Lawrence, (773)769-5483, 8pm-5am. $5 before 10pm with rsvp to rsvp@brilliantlymad.com, $10 after.

Akufen

Montreal-based non-profit electronic arts organization MUTEK has enjoyed tremendous growth in its eleven years of operation. What began as a modest and very small-scale performance showcase aimed at a niche market of experimental-music enthusiasts, new-media artists and audiophiles has grown into a globally recognized tour de force. With tremendous contributions to Canada’s sound and visual arts, MUTEK presents the premier cutting-edge electronic-music and arts festival in North America, respected for its avant-garde programming, innovative visual artistry and its many educational panels and workshops. MUTEK now throws several editions of its festival on multiple continents, operates its own record label and promotes its core roster of artists on tours around the world.

A preview of the Montreal festival’s eleventh edition, “Avant Mutek,” is making a tour stop in Chicago for the first time. Headlining are two fantastic artists known for their engaging live performances and their contributions to the evolution of experimental house music. Legendary Montreal producer/DJ Akufen of Perlon fame and Musique Risqueé mainstay Stephen Beaupré will perform at Green Dolphin Street, along with a diverse lineup of local DJs: Leo123 of Dark Party, Meiotic’s Hernan Sanchez and Fear of Music’s Jeff Pietro. Read the rest of this entry »

RECOMMENDED

Flying Lotus is touring in support of his upcoming Cosmogramma album on Warp and early notices cite an impressive array of instrumentation and several high-profile collaborators. Fusing elements of dubstep, hip-hop and soul with breakbeat variations remains the thrust of his sound, but an earnest appreciation for Lil Wayne, Prince and Björk, and heavy inspiration from aunt and Alice Coltrane are pushing FlyLo to new heights. Along for the ride is Hyperdub honcho and London dubstep producer Kode9, whose efforts are best described as “bass-driven electronic music.” His use of dub samples and varied song structures offer listeners a rhythmic journey through glitch-influenced breaks and the layered pads and keys of house music. Catch these innovators at Double Door this weekend, and don’t forget it’s an early show. (John Alex Colón)

April 2 at Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee, (773)489-3160, at 8pm. $5 advance, $10 at the door.

RECOMMENDED

2009 was a banner year for Caspa, West London’s dubstep ambassador. His debut album was well-received and his residency at Fabric is an enduring success. He recently added new artists to his labels (Storming, Sub Soldiers and Dub Police) and somehow manages the increased demand for his remix skills between tour dates. His 2009 schedule left Caspa with little time to visit the studio, but fans were rewarded early this month with Fabric’s release of “I Beat my Robot” and an Original Sin remix of “Marmite.” Abstract Science and Dubfix lure him back to Chicago for a night of uncompromising basslines layered with elements of hip-hop and R&B. (John Alex Colon)

March 25 at Smart Bar, 373o North Clark, 773)549-0203.

RECOMMENDED

Prepare for wobble madness this week at Smart Bar as Excision, in his Chicago debut, drops dubstep science with a heavy twist. His productions and mixes are permeated by elements of drum ‘n’ bass, heavy metal and hip-hop, and this rising star from Canada is set to bring his aggressive and energetic style to the Windy City. Rottun Recordings, Excision’s own label, is tearing up charts and boasts upcoming collaborations with top-shelf names like SPL, Bassnectar, and Pendulum. Excision is bound to drop some favorites, but expect a few exclusive peeks into Rottun’s plans for 2010. Adding fuel to the fire are “Dubstep Massacre” alum, DJ Belly, and Akademy from NYC’s famed Proper Villains crew. (John Alex Colon)

March 11 at Smart Bar, 3730 N. Clark, (773)549-0203, 10pm.