Blast or past?

By JACK OATMON

I know what you’re thinking. “Just what has Madrid’s premier hard techno and psychedelic darkwave producer, Ascii Disko, been up to for the past couple of years?” Aren’t we all preoccupied with such questions? Well, he’s DJing tonight, Thursday, April 9, at Parking and he’s just the sort of semi-obscure gem that slips through the ol’ hipness radar, so I ventured a little listen to his latest licks. He put out three EPs last year, each with its own insinuative title to make it clear to listeners just how melodramatic and wacked out a character they’re dealing with. A Bureaucratic Desire for Revenge features “Black Acid,” a disturbing attempt to make acid, already the most vicious, druggy form of techno available, even more gradual and psychotic, with interesting results. But, again, do you really want that type of music to get any more alienating than it already is? The B-side, “H.O.W.L.,” is the closest sonic approximation of motion sickness I’ve heard in months. His “MDMA” single has a trio of versions of a butt-rockin’ electro ode to the tangy truth powder and Until the Light Takes Us, easily the best of the three releases, is a trio of gradual, six- to eight-minute emotive electro rides.

In other happenings tonight, down the street at les Saints, we’ll all get our chance to hear screechy, quirky British new wave revivalists Late of the Pier live as well as Kitsuné darlings the Whip, who’ve also got a few catchy numbers, though they often lean toward the cheesy. And on Saturday night, desperate as you will likely be to escape the repulsive clutches of MSTRKRFT’s horrendous and regrettable new sound, try dropping by Divan Orange for an eclectic little do with the D’Urbervilles, Ghetto Pony and Lioness. That should be enough urgent riffs, post-punk button-punching and sequenced indie Cancon to lighten just about any heel, loosen any tight workaday tie and maybe even unbutton the odd sweaty pair of trousers. Only time will tell.

TRUNCATION AND TRIBULATION ARE MY DESSERTS!
jack.oatmon@gmail.com