This Week in a Scrumptious Stew of Something New

  It's a new year, and deceit and pretension are so . . . well, not very 2006, so let me just come out and say this: I know absolutely nothing whatsoever about electronic music. I cannot draw for you a flow-chart progression of electronic music's evolution throughout the years; I cannot regale you with tales of upstart labels and emerging artists; hell, I can't even describe to you what electronic music sounds like much beyond a meager reference to its influence on the Björks and Radioheads and Postal Services of my CD collection, and crap, it looks like I just wasted that meager reference, so now where are we?

Oh, right: we're with Pietrobot and Freakquency Modulator (a.k.a. Pietro and Francesca), the friendly, knowledgeable and dedicated hosts behind Digital::Nimbus, KUCI-FM's weekly Friday-night electronic show. And actually, oops, that was sort of a lie, since Pietro and Francesca aren't actually, like, standing next to me or anything. But here's what I'm getting at: this Friday night beginning at 10 p.m., Digital::Nimbus is going to school me—and you, if you need schooling, and chances are you do—with the n5MD label showcase, an ambitious five-hour show featuring live, in-studio performances from seven electronic artists, including two (the U.K.'s Keef Baker and Canada's SubtractiveLAD) who'll be making their U.S. debuts. Also scheduled to perform are Another Electronic Musician, Bitcrush, Damiak, Portland and Run_Return.

So what's this all mean? I really wish I could say. But after listening to tracks from these artists over the past few days, I can tell you it's good—all good. There are head-nodding beats, how'd-they-do-that? instrumentation and start/stop glitch grooves that all come together to form a scrumptious stew of something new. It's a listening experience rarely heard in these parts (unless you know where to look), and well, finally we do.

Break out of your Pavement rut as Digital::Nimbus presents the n5MD Label Showcase, KUCI-FM 88.9, (949) UCI-KUCI; digitalnimbus.com; streaming at kuci.org. Fri., 10 p.m.-3 a.m.