21+ // $5 // 9pm - 2am

Glitch-hop / IDM sensation Machinedrum stops in from Brooklyn to share his sound with Chicago at Sonotheque. Local musician Justin McGrath opens with gritty electro party beats and residents Emulsion and Liz Revision DJ
ambient, glitchy techno, electro, and IDM.

Machinedrum will school you in partying like you're in a Brooklyn art loft

“Which is better, New York or Chicago?” This innocent little question explodes a heated debate between fans of either city. Chicago has less-expensive housing, but New York has a superior public transit system. New York has a phenomenal restaurant scene, but Chicago smells better in the summer. Chicago has Ramp Chicago for quality electronic music nights and New York has Machinedrum's Cassette fêtes—all-night art / film/ dance parties featuring a who's who of contemporary electronic music and indie hip-hop. When Machinedrum takes over the PA at Sonotheque, you'll get to experience a taste of Brooklyn in the swanky sonic environment of Sonotheque here in Chicago–and you just might just feel the urge to take your shirt off.

It's easy to see why Travis Stewart's Machinedrum project has been compared to artists like Prefuse 73, Autechre, and Funkstorung. Take Autechre's algorithmic glitch, combine it with Prefuse 73's micro-sampled hip-hoppery, toss
in Funkstorung's genre-crossing prolific remix power, then add the melodic sensibility of Plaid and you can start to imagine his sound. As one of the first artists on the much-lauded (but now defunct) stateside IDM label Merck Records, he sold out albums, raised the label's popular consciousness, and garnered critical acclaim. Look for two upcoming releases on the Normrex label this year.

And he knows what it takes to make a party go off. Along with two-time DMC World Champion DJ IE.merg he released a ground-breaking battle record for turntablists. Taking his music to the next level, Travis also organizes monthly Brooklyn-based dance parties featuring art openings, live painting, and film screenings under the Cassette banner. Past performers include Jimmy Edgar, Praveen, Telefon Tel Aviv and more.

Make sure you get to Sonotheque early enough to catch local talent Justin McGrath—a one-time producer of dense, emotional IDM who's switched lanes and now cranks out noisy, analog synth-based dance tracks while still
maintaining his characteristic sweeping melodic lines and dense orchestration. Don't think it can be done? Justin will prove you wrong. And Machinedrum will keep the party going, bringing the sounds of a Brooklyn art loft to one of the best-sounding clubs in Chicago.