Only One Thing To Do: Smells like minimal techno

Published May 13 2009, 12:37 PM by Michael Brodeur

Obviously, clearly and going so freely along without saying that it’s reached what appears to be a full gallop, the place to be tonight is Middle East Downstairs, as Mr. Dan Deacon and his Dan Deacon Ensemble test the limits of the club’s sound and ventilation systems with their popular, populous dismantling of everything that used to be really organized and unscented about electronic music. Joining them will be fellow B-More purveyors of throaty man-jams THE FUTURE ISLANDS and fellow B-More slingers of scratch-trance TEETH MOUNTAIN. We’re all so excited over here our Degree has worn right off. And without a moment to spare. Unfortunately for anyone I just aroused with my enthusiasm, the show is sold out. Well, shit.

We actually tried to talk to Deacon before this show, but were told by his very friendly tour manager Stefani that, no, we could not do that. Why? Oh yes, Google reminded us, we called him Unsexy -- overweight and smelly, to paraphrase. Granted, it’s not like we pulled this shit out of thin air; but of course I understand why Mr. Deacon wouldn’t be all that amped to speak with the Phoenix. The royal “we” did, after all, consign him forever to the annals of “unsexy.” To be fair, though, he was #99 out of a list of #100. I’m no math major, but that’s borderline sexy. Plus, as I’d explain (all night if necessary) to fellow finalists Rick Ross (#92), Carlos Slim (#79), Kevin James (#28) and Kevin Youkilis (tied for #25), one man’s unsexy is another man’s woofy. So take it with a grain of salt/puff of Glade. Whichevah.

For anyone unable to squeeze into the ecstatic kerfuffle that the Deacon show will doubtless be, do not be too disappointed, for just down the block at the Phoenix Landing comes another installment of Soul Clap’s Midweek Techno series. This time featuring:

Cassy. Real name: Catherine Britton. Resident DJ at Berlin’s Panoramabar, head of her own eponymous dance label, and a DJ of minimal house that shakes free of the “classy” cliché in favor of some serious actual rawness. I still listen to her Panoramabar 01 mix (Ostgut) on a weekly basis--usually right when dusk is about to crack. Anyone looking for a set of increasingly ramping minimal techno bliss that’s got some blood, guts and foxy hair to it would be well-served by some floor-time with Cassy. And ten bucks says she doesn’t smell like a gyro you left in your gym bag.

CASSY @ MIDWEEK TECHNO | Phoenix Landing, 512 Mass. Ave., Cambridge | 9 pm | $10 | 617.576.6260 or www.soulclap.us