FRIDAY JUNE 18
FOURTHCITY LAPTOP BATTLE (REGIONAL FINALS)
Following two sold-out Laptop Battles at Chop Suey, this PowerBook scrap determines who goes on to rep Seattle at the nationals at September's Decibel Festival. Two-time champ Kris Moon defends his title against Nordic Soul, Zapan, Franklin Mazzeo, Buck Nasty, and many more. The winner takes home cash and some coveted Ableton Live software. These battles always deliver huge bang for your buck, and the energy and excitement rival that of a WWF crowd--but with a higher IQ. Chop Suey, 1325 E Madison St, 324-8000, 9 pm-2 am, 21+, $6 adv/$10 DOS.
SATURDAY JUNE 19
PROEM
Austin, Texas' Proem (Richard Bailey) came slashing out of the Schematic Records school of razor-sharp, accelerated electro rhythms and heart-piercing melodies. On his 1999 debut, Burn Plate No. 1, he pitted these seemingly contradictory elements against each other to create a spine-compacting tension. Lacing tricky beats with extreme textures, Proem tracks surge and pulse with gamer-addict adrenaline. His new disc, Socially Inept (Merck), is a more soothing affair. The music's still rhythmically nimble and meticulously arranged, but here Proem stresses sweetly lambent tunes. With Nordic Soul, ndCv, DJ Greg Skidmore. Mantra Lounge, 210 S Washington St, 9:30 pm-2 am, 21+, $7.
ÜBERZONE
For nearly a decade, California's Überzone has brought much-needed weird funkiness to America's rave circuit. Ironically, for a drug-abstaining Christian, Überzone creates music geared to tweak the synapses of tripping masses. His homemade gizmos wibble, burble, and twang like a massive rubber band plucked by the twitchy hand of God. Überzone's transitioned naturally to the Brit-dominated nu-breaks scene, as his new Y4K mix CD proves. Premier, 1700 First Ave S, 382-7877, 9 pm-2 am, 21+.
MONDAY JUNE 21
BROKEN SPINDLES, PASSAGE
Faint bassist Joel Peterson's Broken Spindles is one of the few "indie-rocker electronic side projects" worth a damn. Against great odds, classical melodic sophistication and beauty harmoniously coexist with Gang of Four-style edginess on the new fulfilled/complete (Saddle Creek). The disc abounds with dramatic dynamics and accomplished playing. Anyone who can evoke both Oval and Italian horror-flick soundtrackers Goblin demands respect. On The Forcefield Kids (anticon), Passage fuses scrappy guitars and keyboards, bratty vox, and nerdy tunefulness, splitting the difference between Sebadoh and cLOUDDEAD. With Restiform Bodies and Aqueduct. Chop Suey, 1325 E Madison St, 324-8000, 8 pm-2 am, all ages, $8.
