Usually the beginning of the year is a wasteland, with promoters and clubgoers taking a few weeks to recover from NYE and time with family. Not so this year, as 2008 maintains the momentum with which 2007 closed.

The cover to Egyptian Lover's 1984 album, On the Nile, features the Lover himself standing in front of a sphinxlike statue, hands on his hips, in an unbuttoned shirt and leather jacket, with a glorious Jheri curl. His look has (thankfully) changed in the decades since, but Egyptian Lover still tours with his original old-school electro partner in crime Jamie Jupiter, making his first trip to Seattle in ages for the 10th Broken Disco. The sound is decidedly retro—think Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo–esque hybrids of electronics and hiphop—but this isn't some kind of revival; testimonials from his visits to Portland reveal that Egyptian Lover's music and performance acumen have stood the test of time. The hiphop bebop don't stop.

Moving to future music, Saturday, January 12, marks the return of Alland Byallo, resident DJ at San Francisco techno monthly Kontrol. Byallo was last in town performing live to a sparse Decibel crowd, but this time he'll be manning the decks for his second visit to Krakt. When he played there in late 2006, he was with two other Kontrol DJs, tag-teaming with the Krakt residents for the duration of the evening. The track selection was excellent, but the constant swapping left little room for anyone to build momentum. This visit should be less of a hodgepodge, with Byallo revealing more of his individual tastes. Hopefully he'll drop some of the material set to arrive on his debut LP, due later this year.

For the househeads, Saturday is also the return of Mark Farina. I've spewed a lot of vitriol in Farina's direction the last few times he's come to town, and while I stand by every word, it's a new year, and it's time to let old grudges die. Farina's a perennial Seattle favorite and has no shortage of DJ cred, with billions of frequent-flier miles, a well-selling discography, and a big heap of the responsibility for the West Coast house scene. Perhaps it's best to focus on that legacy and hopes that he's regained the spark that causes a clubber's eyes to light up when they think of their best "Farina moment." If he doesn't deliver with this first visit of 2008, the vitriol will be back; having a legacy doesn't mean you're allowed to rest on your laurels.

Speaking of never resting, it's also time for this month's edition of Konkrete Jungle. This newish night has been bringing the heat for its first few months, this month bringing in the UK's Remarc, "king of the Amen break." The ragga jungle veteran influenced later breakcore with his beat de/reconstruction, and despite rising to fame in the early '90s is only now making his first tour stateside.

Egyptian Lover and Jamie Jupiter play Fri Jan 11 at Broken Disco at Chop Suey, 9 pm–2 am, $12 adv, 18+.

Alland Byallo plays Sat Jan 12 at Krakt at Rebar, 10 pm–2 am, $8, 21+.

Mark Farina plays Sat Jan 12 at Neumo's, 9 pm–2 am, $15 adv, 21+.

Remarc plays Wed Jan 16 at Konkrete Jungle at CHAC, 9 pm–2 am, $8 before 11 pm/$10 after, 16+.