Top Five Must-Sees at Closer Electronic Music Festival

JOHN TEJADA
By MITCH LILLIE

John Tejada (Friday, Refuge)

The meticulous, melodic house master (pictured) is bringing his all-hardware (read: MacBook-free) set to Portland for its stateside debut. Eat your heart out, San Francisco.


Masa Ueda (Friday, Refuge)

Old-school Pacific Northwest techno-heads may remember Ueda from his days as one-third of '90s breakbeat trio Energon Cube. These days, he's the head of the Osaka-based Torque label, putting out hard-hitting machine techno from both sides of the Pacific.


214/J. Alvarez (Friday, Refuge)

The Miami-via-Seattle producer was named one of

XLR8R

's top new artists of 2012 thanks to his rigid sampling and booming synths inspired by the bass music of his hometown.



Grown Folk (Saturday, Holocene)
This Montreal production duo has certainly grown up fast. Though only together for two years, they craft precise, transcendent house and techno released through San Francisco-based “weird house” label Icee Hot.

The Beat Broker (Saturday, Rotture)
Most won’t like to dance to the Beat Broker’s Italo disco beats, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Electro-house jams will be available, too.

SEE IT: The Closer Electronic Music Festival is Thursday-Sunday, June 20-23. Multiple venues. $35-$50. 21+. See closerpdx.com for schedule.

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