Decibel Festival traditionally offers a cornucopia of electronic-music excellence on each of its five days, and tonight is no exception. Highlights include Nine Inch Nails member Alessandro Cortini’s serene and ominous Buchla synth excursions at Nordstrom Recital Hall, the unconventional yet danceable analog-synth-powered techno of Simian Mobile Disco at EMP’s Sky Church, and Marcel Dettmann’s intense, psychotropic minimal techno at Q, which is hosting an after-hours party till 7 a.m. Decibel’s motto: Nothing succeeds like excess. (Various venues, see dbfestival.com for details, Sept 24–28)

Dave Segal is a journalist and DJ living in Seattle. He has been writing about music since 1983. His stuff has appeared in Gale Research’s literary criticism series of reference books, Creem (when...