Beats Per Week

Portland's Best Dance Music Options, 4/17-23

Tags: Wheez-ie, Scuba, Blankstairs, gulls, jonas rake, halo, Vektroid

Wheezie plays Thursday at the Rose with Gang$ign$, Massacooramaan, SPF666 and Commune.

In this column, WW music calendar and contributing writer Mitch Lillie helps the discerning club-goer put together their weekly calendar by compiling Portland's best dance-music options for the next seven days. Turn up, tune in, drop the bass.

Club Chemtrail is about to get a new home at Holocene, which means that Thursday is your last chance to cram into the Rose and get down. The guest this month is Houston’s Wheez-ie of Trouble & Bass. He’s a master of high-energy bass and juke music and an able curator, so keep an eye on Wheez-ie’s newborn imprint Southern Belle Recordings as it releases its first records this year. (10 pm, $5, 21+)

He may not have been as public as Skream, but former dubstep kingpin Scuba has denounced the wobble all the same. He’s got an excuse, though, having moved from the UK to four-on-the-floor-happy Berlin in 2007. Much of early dubstep’s echoes and moodiness still ring true in Scuba’s house and techno tracks, especially those on Phenix 1, released last month on Scuba’s own Hotflush Recordings. The new Scuba will fill the biggest of rooms at Rotture on Friday. (9 pm, $12 advance, 21+)

Recess Gallery and Internet label Blankstairs are halfway through Concept, an amazing exposition of local electronic artists each Friday in April. This week, they host melodic basshead Gulls, techno and house deconstructionist Tabor Dark, Olympia house duo Braxton/Palmer and maker of very non-basic beats Acid Farm. Vibes are in full effect in the cozy second floor space that reaches subtropical temperatures—just don’t open a window. (10 pm, $5, 21+)

Jonas Rake doesn’t get much attention around town, but his live techno sets are phenomenal. Formerly known as Dampkrane, he’s been slowly releasing quality cuts on Soundcloud. Please, Portland electronic scene, sign him—or just support him live at the Blue Monk on Saturday. (9 pm, $5, 21+)

In case you missed it in WW’s Scoop or all over social media, everyone’s favorite multi-genre, low ceiling event space, Langano Lounge, is closing down in early May. There are some cool rock shows planned for the official closing weekend, but for all the dancers out there, Belegdeh/Balekdeh, the 4/20 show this Sunday, might be your last chance to swing from the ceiling. Shannon Phone, IBQT and Spliff Angel will all perform live, with some Dropping Gems DJs. (8 pm, free, 21+)

This is Hollywood Bowl’s first appearance on Beats Per Week, but also unfortunately the last. The northeast entertainment staple is throwing a going away party on Sunday, and they’ve rolled a turkey (sorry) by landing San Diego house producer and Surface boss Halo as a headliner with plenty of local support. (10 pm, $12 advance, $15 day of show, 21+)

Vektroid—who also records as Macintosh Plus and a bunch of other monikers composed of Japanese characters—does not play live very often, so it’s worth arriving at Valentine’s early on Tuesday to catch the vaporwave pioneer play alongside Magic Fades. (9:30 pm, $3-5, 21+)

Follow @wweek