My eyes and ears perk up when I see the names Jan Jelinek and
Frank Bretschneider—even if it’s in an e-mail from an
unknown electronic outfit. Such was the case with San Francisco’s
Mem1 (Laura and Mark Cetilia on cello and electronics,
respectively), who cold-contacted me about a show they’re playing at
the Rendezvous on Thursday. They mentioned their new CD involving
collaborations with those two genius minimalist producers, plus seven
others, including Steve Roden. As it turns out, that disc,
+1, burrows into microscopic furrows in the stereo field,
tickling the most delicate cilia in your ears and forcing you to focus
mightily on the subliminal friction between catgut and silicon chip. At
times you feel as if you’ve been inserted into somebody’s body and can
hear their internal organs (mal)functioning. The prevalent mood is
mournful yet tranquil, evoking the aftermath of a tragedy and the
resultant calm; think of the music moving from wah to
aaahhh, very gradually.
Similarly, Sun Circle (Greg Davis and Zach Wallace) explore
beatless space, but in a more expansive manner. Whereas Mem1 score the
body’s inner gurgles and expirations, Sun Circle, as their moniker
implies, radiate solarized drones that wax and wane in intensity
in subtle increments. The sound is akin to that of Davis’s
Kranky Records labelmate White Rainbow: Cursory
listens could trigger knee-jerk accusations of “new age”–ism, but
the music of both artists is too interesting and psychedelic for that
tarnished term. More accurately, Sun Circle create a rarefied,
spiritual strain of healing music whose only gods are Terry
Riley and Pauline Oliveros. Check out Sun Circle’s split
12-inch with Eleh, Fading Spectrum of Darkness/Parhelion (on Important Records), for ample proof of their gently ecstatic,
peace-inducing vibe rations.
By contrast, DJ T. (Germany’s Thomas Koch, founder and
publisher of the taste-making magazine Groove) is a beats man,
one in high demand globally for his productions and deck-rocking
capabilities. He’s also one of Get Physical‘s bosses, so he has
dexterous fingers on the pulses of house, electro, and techno’s
international elite. With over two decades of DJing experience, T.
should provide a mobile, exuberant musical lesson in those and other
genres. Expect a lot of shiny shirts to need wringing out by night’s
end. 
Mem1, Wyndel Hunt, Steven Barsotti, Tiflin perform Thurs Nov 5,
Rendezvous, 10 pm, $6, 21+; Sun Circle, Aures, Eric Ostrowski, Story of
Rats perform Fri Nov 6, Josephine,
9 pm, www.myspace.com/thejosephine;
DJ T. performs Fri Nov 6, See Sound Lounge,
9 pm, 21+.
