This is going to be a very busy week for Chicago’s techno scene. Tonight I’ll be covering Booka Shade at the Funky Buddha Lounge, provided I can stop myself from dancing foolishly instead of observing (quite seriously) and taking pictures. The night features support from Jamie Jones (Crosstown Rebels) and Dan Berkson & James What (Poker Flat), so don’t take too long primping. Ellen Allien rolls through town on Friday for a gig at Smart Bar with Safety Scissors. And as if I didn’t already spend enough time there, Smart Bar will also host Digitalism and Guns N Bombs Saturday night as an afterparty to the Presets show at the Metro. Make sure to bring your earplugs, as it’s bound to get loud and durrrrty.

My review of Hearthrob/Troy Pierce/Gaiser‘s MVS1 single is FINALLY up on Resident Advisor. I’m told all of M_nus’ releases were pushed back because of their massive website redesign. Good to see things have started cranking again.

Samim & Michal, “Dirty Big Mouse”

The Mole, “Conscience Down By The Tracks Near The 80”

Matt John, “Urban Wind”

Chameleon, “Zero Is My Country”

Ronan‘s recent post about Michal Ho and the rest of the Tuning Spork crew intrigued me enough to track down some of their stuff, and wow, was he dead on. Ho’s microtexturized house tunes pack all of the detail of My My but (to make a sweeping over generalization) with less emphasis on being beautiful and more on drawing beads of sweat on dancers’ foreheads. His work with Samim can be hit or miss for me; and if I had to take a guess, I would say his production partner is the reason why. And that’s not a dig, really, so much as a preference for their solo stuff. Regardless, Ho is not to be slept on. He’s releasing a full length in April or May on current home Tuning Spork, and you can hear it — mixed together — on his Myspace. Make sure to check that out and get your hands on his 2005 EP, “Frisky.” It’s excellent front to back and cheap on Beatport!

Edit: I feel it’s appropriate that I respond to Samim’s comment. I’ve taken down the song; sarcasm or serious, I want to be prompt in reacting to artists’ wishes. Perhaps I should have spent more time describing why I’ve developed more of a taste for Samim and Michal Ho’s respective solo material. I find myself enjoying elements of the former’s songs (the vocals, the touches of twisted R ‘n B, if I may liberally interpret them that way, the “broader sense of taste and musical output” Samim mentioned) more consistently by themselves than with the latter. That said, I still enjoyed their work enough to post a track, which seemed to be a mistake anyway. My preferences are not a decree of what others should think of their collaborative or solo work, just an opinion that I’m entitled to have. Hail minimal indeed.