MERCILESS
DJ Naha's new night promises to accelerate heart rates to dangerously high levels with music she daintily calls "the digital darkside." Ms. Naha--who appears to be an Alec Empire disciple--is shoving the riotous German's DHR legacy into the future. It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it. Tonight Datz Cold brings crypt-dark hiphop that broods like an Emerald City Gravediggaz. We applaud Naha's efforts to unleash sonic chaos on a dance scene that's sometimes too damned smooth. With Zacharia (360BPM) and Travis Baron (darktechno-records.com) at Noc Noc, 1516 Second Ave, 223-1333, 9 pm-2 am, 21+, $3.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19
AMON TOBIN
Brazilian-born Brit Tobin's tracks are analogous to Salvador Dali's paintings: maniacally detailed, deeply disturbing, and as surreal as your last magic-mushroom trip. A sampling maestro with killer arranging skills, Tobin transforms minute sound bites into compositions that mutate drum 'n' bass, samba, hiphop, exotica, and ambient into unique hybrids that are simultaneously panoramic and claustrophobic. He's one of the few producers who improve as they go along, and, as 2002's Out From Out Where and the recent Verbal Remixes & Collaborations prove, this Ninja Tuner has moved into a rarefied zone of originality. With Kid Hops and Zion 12 at Chop Suey, 1325 E Madison St, 324-8000, 9 pm-2 am, 21+, $13 adv.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20
JOHNNY FIASCO
With releases and remixes on labels like Cajual, Distant, and Yoshitoshi, and a residency at Smart Bar with Mark Farina that began in 1988, Chicago house luminary Johnny Fiasco has cred as phat as his Windy City brethren's beer guts. Those looking for a crash course in Fiasco's productions should peep the outstanding Cycles: A Mixed Retrospective on Bombay Records. Fiasco isn't afraid to inject hypnotic techno oomph into his tracks, and we're betting his DJ set will keep the groove suitably tumescent. This is the CD-release party for Fiasco's Aphrodisio v.01. With Jon Lemmon (Viva Recordings, Seattle) and DJ Ajda (Lowlite Productions, NYC) at Re-Bar, 1114 Howell St, 233-9873, 10 pm-2 am, 21+, $7 before 11 pm, $10 after.
EARTHDANCE NW
Shake your ass for world peace, brothers and sisters. Held at Skamania County Fairgrounds, 35 minutes east of Portland, Earthdance NW runs from noon Saturday to 5 pm Sunday. DJs/producers (none of whom I've ever heard) will perform on five separate stages. Organizers hope to raise consciousnesses and funds to contribute to the elimination of evil vibes from this planet. (Their job is cut out for them.) Profits go to the International Red Cross. Tix available at Zion's Gate, 1100 E Pike St, 568-5446, or www.campevents.org/earthdance.
