The best part of Halloween isn’t that it’s a free pass to dress as
outlandishly as you want—it’s that the days leading up to the
occasion buzz with activity. Even here in too-cool-for-school Seattle,
there’s a palpable energy surrounding Halloween, people out for
a good time and promoters competing for those good-time dollars.
Thursday, October 25, kicks things off with a visit from Japan’s DJ
Krush at Neumo’s. While “abstract hiphop” faded into the background
years ago, DJ Krush has been quietly pushing the art of beat crafting
forward, combining East and West, past and future. He’s touring in
support of his new History of DJ Krush DVD, which serves as a
good primer for any of you unaware of what Krush has done over the
course of his lengthy discography.
Friday, October 26, starts the weekend and the series of “Where
should I go?” dilemmas. For all the house heads not turned off by the
recent spate of disappointing appearances, there’s Mark Farina at Trinity. Hopefully Farina’s set will match the energy of those in
attendance. Just down the block at the Last Supper Club is Dutch jock
Sander Kleinenberg. He’s known around progressive house circles,
but it’s not so easy to pigeonhole him these days, since his latest mix
CD contains Rhythm & Sound, Gui Boratto, and Robert
Babicz—names familiar to the techno-inclined. If you’re looking
for something more… massive, there’s Freak Night 11 at the
Pier 30 Events Center, with MSTRKRFT, Infected Mushroom,
and all of the crowds, accoutrements, and revelry associated with
rave’s heyday.
Saturday, October 27, presents two major options, Múm and Orange. Iceland’s Múm is back for the first time in
years—at Neumo’s—in support of their excellent album, Go
Go Smear the Poison Ivy. Since their last visit, the group have
whittled themselves down to the original creative duo (with other
members rounding out the sound), and the new album takes on a poppier
feel than past releases. Their newfound accessibility maintains the
band’s twinkly, dreamy IDM, but removes some of the melancholy, a
change that should translate as well live as it does on the disc.
Orange at Lo_Fi features two rooms, with Jazzanova and
ex–Trüby Trio member Roland Appel headlining one, and
Lusine and Scientific American in the other, a
destination for those looking for more of a party.
Absolute Minimal Mondays at the Capitol Club brings a bit of
a respite from the weekend’s debauchery, with a special dubstep edition
on October 29. Sure, the night’s got a loungey vibe, but dubstep is
deep, sinister music, certainly in the evil spirit of the season.
All of which builds to Halloween itself, awkwardly falling on a
Wednesday this year. If you’ve still got the energy, you’re left with
surprisingly sparse options (outside of the normal weeklies). Down in
the U-District at the best-named venue in the city, Dante’s hosts a
free shindig featuring a slew of local DJs, headlined by
Hatiras. There’s another grip of local talent at the
CoCA-sponsored Boogie Monster at the Shilshole Bay Beach Club,
which also features the visual accompaniment of the “morbidly
delightful” Necromorph exhibit, providing low-brow debauchery along
with high-brow art.
Regardless of whether you celebrate or ignore Halloween, there’s no
excuse to discount the events going on this week. Get out, stay safe,
and wear earplugs. 