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IF.THEN.ELSE/SOLENOID
These two underground electronic acts, performing as part of the ongoing local "/bin" series, record for the new Berkeley imprint Emanate, run by Deno Vichas, aka If.Then.Else. Most of Realizations, the first If.Then.Else album, sounds something like early Aphex Twin, with gentle melodies, spacey effects, and fusionoid flourishes over twitchy electro breaks, though there are a few darker cuts: in "Anachronism," a sinister bass pattern snakes along over grating percussive fragments; "What If" is barely there, an echoey approximation of deep space on disc. Portland's Solenoid, aka David Chandler, has yet to release a full-length, but from what I can tell he's a bit more drawn to the dance floor than Vichas--"Pillow Speaker," his contribution to the 1998 Emanated compilation, starts out with a dry tick-tick-ticking, then breaks into big, rubbery reverberations and, eventually, what sounds like processed blasts from brass instruments. British sound installation artists Greyworld are also on the program. Friday, 10 PM, HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo; 312-362-9707.
Peter Margasak
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): uncredited photos.
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