THURSDAY 5/21
UK DJ SCUBA'S MIND-EXPANDING DUBSTEP/TECHNO
Studio 4/4 hits the jackpot again with Scuba (aka Paul Rose), the British DJ/producer who runs the influential Hotflush Recordings. From these three angles, Scuba is advancing the cause of bass music/techno fusions, striking a balance between clubby hedonism and studio-wiz mindfuckery. You can get a grasp on where his mind's focused lately by checking out a recent two-hour mix he did for BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix show. Dude gets deep from the get-go and then keeps expanding your mind until enlightenment beams into it. With Kadeejah Streets and Kinjo. Q Nightclub, 9 pm, $14, 21+.
FRIDAY 5/22
PAUL EDGE AND ROMAN ZAWODNY'S REMORSELESS TECHNO
For a certain type of head (mine, for instance), the sound of remorseless, hammering techno on a big system will always hold tremendous appeal. With the right specimens of that genre, one can experience the bliss of obliteration that synthetic, pulverizing 4/4 beats and hallucinogenic atmospheres bring on. Two of the most skilled practitioners of this mode will threaten Corbu Lounge's structural integrity tonight: LA-via-London's Paul Edge and Seattle's Roman Zawodny. This is the launch of the Harder and Deeper night and the release party for Edge's The Outer Limits Experience LP on Zawodny's UKR label. Edge's powerfully psychedelic tracks make you feel absurdly indestructible, even as they're damaging your structural integrity. With Kristina Childs, Larry K, and Mascara. Corbu Lounge, 9 pm, $7 before 10:30 pm, 21+.
THREE WOMEN ENTER AN ACOUSTICALLY RICH ROOM, STRANGE AMBIENT MUSIC ENSUES
The Wayward Music Series presents what should be an amazing evening of ambient and abstract electronic music from three local producers. Raica (aka Chloe Harris, Further Records co-owner) continues to improve with every live performance—and she plays often. Her sets are always distinctively mind-altering and divergent from previous outings. Stella Haze (aka Cristin Miller) has formal training in composition, voice, and piano, and what little I've heard of her music suggests a rigorous command of voice as atmospheric enhancer and a knack for ethereally beautiful drift tones. Pulling Out the Light (aka Briana Jones) has emerged as one of the city's most compelling electronic musicians—her long-form, beatless pieces plumb chthonic depths of mood, and she extracts bizarre textures from her gear, conjuring fascinating dystopian vistas. Yes, there's a lot of such perilous sci-fi soundtrackage floating around now, but Pulling Out the Light's ascends to higher planes than most. Chapel Performance Space, 8 pm, $5–$15 suggested donation, all ages.
