BeatBox

NYC MC and Anti-Pop Consortium member Beans stands as the finest example of what used to be called glitch-hop -- a late-'90s/early-'00s subgenre that attempted to temper the rough literalism of independent hip hop with the splintered abstraction of intelligent dance music (IDM). While the novelty of glitch-hop has come and gone (mainly due to the fact that its practitioners were often unable to execute their heady concepts in a compelling manner), Beans' clever wordplay and his penchant for evocative sci-fi imagery make him one of its most intriguing MCs. His upcoming show at Rx Gallery on Saturday, Oct. 23 -- which should be an interesting confluence of head-nodding beats and head-scratching rhymes -- will be a release party for his second full-length, Shock City Maverick; call 474-7973 or go to www.blasthaus.com.
-- Sam Chennault

Although Afrika Bambaataa may not have invented hip hop, he was the first hip hop idealist: He realized both the artistic and the political potential of the culture. In the economically devastated NYC of the '70s, Bambaataa propagated the idea that hip hop could be a surrogate for violence, and he transformed the street gang the Black Spades into the Afrocentric subcult the Zulu Nation. That sense of adventurous optimism bled into his music as well. The electro-funk of his seminal early track "Planet Rock" was about 20 years ahead of its time. It not only predated the sound that the Neptunes and Timbaland would ride to fame and riches, but it also helped inspire such genres and subgenres as Latin freestyle, Miami bass, electronica, house, hip house, and early techno. On Saturday, Oct. 23, Bambaataa spins an exclusive two-hour set in support of his recent album, The Millennium of the Gods, at the "True Skool 5-Year Anniversary" party at the DNA Lounge; call 626-1409 or visit www.true-skool.org.
-- Sam Chennault

DJ Doc Martin comes from Los Angeles, and I like that. Whereas most notable DJ talent stems from the sanctified streets of New York City or London, Martin cut his teeth on the house scene down south -- and here, producing eight-hour sets (whew!) at San Francisco raves, warehouses, and the deepest underground parties. Now, after making the rounds at the Love Parade earlier this month, he comes to Ruby Skye for an entire night of solo love. On top of his legendary blend of house and disco-ish tunes, he'll also churn out some pretty nifty acid, funk, and tribal beats -- completely failing, while so many other DJs succeed, at making those genres sound really annoying. Catch him back in the city on Saturday, Oct. 23; call 693-0777 or visit www.rubyskye.com.
-- Brock Keeling