FRIDAY 2/3

BEATS: MORE BEATS THAN YOU CAN SHAKE AN MPC2000 AT

Al Nightlong's Beats weekly at Vermillion has become one of the city's foremost gatherings for advanced rhythm science. Set up in the bar/gallery's back section, Beats thrives as a workshoplike atmosphere where producers and DJs can air their works in progress and their newly minted masterpieces before a crowd of their peers and interested onlookers. If you want to dance, that's cool, too. This week, heavy All City Records artist Knxwledge brings some of that Low End Theory–esque, atmospheric-jazz-funk sensibility somewhere between Flying Lotus and Teebs. The Philadelphia beatmaker also infuses his tracks with some of his city's vaunted soulfulness. Portland's DTCPU takes this post-hiphop gestalt to even hazier, shoegazier territory. Dude gets pretty abstract and spacey on his A Bird album, which he cut while living on a Costa Rican beach. With Brownbear. Vermillion, 9 pm, free, 21+.

STROBE'S FLASHY TECH-HOUSE

Strobe is a newish monthly happening first Fridays at Re-bar featuring three local crews with vast, acute knowledge of techno and house: Uniting Souls, Sweatbox, and Innerflight. With Re-bar's new, improved KV2-powered sound system, it's become one of the greatest spots in town to hear club music. Giving the KV2 a workout will be LA DJ Justin Sloe from the Droog clique. Sloe prefers the sultrier, subtler realms of house and techno. His selections should get you in the mood as much for post-gig horizontal action as they will sleek moves on the floor. With Ramiro, Rhines, J-Sun, Ctrl_Alt_Dlt, Deepvibez, Kadeejah Streets, others. Re-bar, 11 pm–4 am, $5 before midnight/$10 after, 21+.

SATURDAY 2/4

TRASHED HOSTS DON'T TALK TO THE COPS!, PURPLE & GREEN

Seattle's Don't Talk to the Cops! (djblesOne, emecks, and El Mizell) keep the torch of raucous, rock-informed rap and electro that the Saturday Knights lit in the mid '00s flaming into whatever we're calling this decade. Tonight's record-release party for Let's Quit (out February 14) should be a sweet display of their pop-culture-vulture, action-maximizing hiphop. Portland's Purple & Green (vocalist Justin Leon Johnson and producer Adam Forkner) make extroverted R&B that's at once slick and alive to recent developments in bass music. Don't expect the solemn, sacred drones of Forkner's White Rainbow guise. With Trashed residents Sean Majors, Bgeezy, and Hanibal. Baltic Room, 9 pm, $10, 21+.