THE ELECTRONIC BEAT SOMBIONX & LINDSAYIn order to help celebrate the one-year anniversary of "Life," the Baltic Room's monthly house-music party, Uniting Souls and Viva! Records are calling in Chicago house technician Sombionx (AKA Adam Nelson) and vocalist Lindsay Frkovich to deliver their funky tracks, sultry vocal hooks, and Dionysian spirit.

Nelson moved to Chicago in 1990 and founded Q Studios, a full service audio/video vehicle for him to hone his craft as a music producer. Nelson met Frkovich about four years ago at a train station; they now work on music together, and Frkovich manages Q Studios. Coincidentally, she cut her teeth in the business by singing in her dad's recording studio in Milwaukee. Since meeting, the duo has released tracks on house labels such as Lowdown, Doubledown, and Viva! Records. Their latest single, "Reptile," is an upbeat tech-house exploration that would work as well during peak dance-floor hours. When Lindsay sings lines like "I love the way you taste," they're devoid of the trendy, nonemotive, cold irony that we seem to hear so much of these days--instead delivering them with warm, unapologetic Chicago soul.

Sombionx and Frkovich are yet another byproduct of the Chicago music scene that has nurtured black underground music from the start. With its rich pioneering history, though, the Chicago house scene still seems to fall under the radar at home. "If you ask the average Chicagoan what house music is, they'd probably just look at you with a blank stare," Nelson says. "It's a small scene, but tight," Frkovich adds.

Sombionx and Frkovich are gaining notoriety for trying to liven the dance floor with outlandish costumes and a "tomorrow never, tonight always" attitude, reminding the scene that house was built around the party. So just what kind of behavior does this duo inspire? "We have a friend who is an extreme dancer," explains Nelson. "He gets really crazy, but he has no rhythm; we have a special area just for him because some of our friends get a little freaked out." NICOLAE WHITE

Life: One-Year Anniversary w/Sombionx & Lindsay, Jon Lemmon, Jeromy Nail, Sat Nov 2 at Baltic Room, 1207 Pine St, 625-4444, 9 pm-2 am, 21+, $10.