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Concert Thu Feb 21 2013
Mouse on Mars play the Mayne Stage, plus a contest
Electronic music seems to be the current musical lingua franca, if one follows the business very closely. Acts like Skrillex and the Swedish House Mafia are playing arenas rather than basements, and the dance beats and synth-reliant riffs are truly becoming mainstream. Amidst the tide of new electronic music, it's easy to overlook the fact that, in many ways, this generation's electronic artists are kind of just reinventing the wheel. Fair enough, but Chicago is in for a treat next week, as CHIRP welcomes German IDM/Electronic duo Mouse on Mars to the Mayne Stage Theater in Rogers Park as part of their first U.S. tour in six years.
Formed in 1993, Mouse on Mars consists of Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma. Over a nearly two decade career, the duo has specialized in a very Krautrock-tinged version of IDM, often somewhat herky-jerky, occasionally challenging, but always thoughtful and well-composed. The result is often a kind of musical pointillism, somewhat disjointed in its individual components, but cohesive when appreciated in its entirety. The band itself released material on Chicago's Thrill Jockey records, and St. Werner has continued that relationship releasing material under the name Lithops, and has collaborated with fellow German avant-artist Oval.
The duo is touring in support of their new record Parastrophics and mini-album WOW. Parastrophics is testament to the duo's history and influences, mining various genres, while WOW is billed as a more clubby (and somewhat less esoteric) counterpoint. There's always a lot to like about Mouse on Mars' music, and this show, supporting a brace of solid and somewhat genre-spanning recordings, promises to be a treat for those in search of interesting electronic with some history.
If you'd like to head to the show for free, just email us at contests@gapersblock.com with the subject line "Mars!" and you and a friend will be heading to the Mayne Stage with some complimentary tickets this Tuesday night. We'll pick a winner by noon on Friday, February 22. [Update: We have a winner! Congrats to Phil!]
Mouse on Mars plays at the Mayne Stage Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave., on Tuesday, February 24th, at 7:30pm. Tickets are $23. Chicago's SvengalisGhost opens.
