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WEDNESDAY
Discerning couch potatoes swear by Amon Tobin. And sure, the Brazilian-born DJ messes with tweaky atmospherics, reconstituted exotica, and spooky excursions, but what truly separate him from the rest of electronic music’s dramatists are his percussion skills. Traditional breakbeats and drum ‘n’ bass runs are mutable forms for Tobin, and he rarely lets a groove ride away without spanking it, warping it, or lovingly dusting it. And he’s even more cinematic than usual on Out From Out Where. Maybe he’s been reading too much Harry Potter or Tolkien, or maybe he figured the world needs a little extra escapism these days. In any case, his latest sounds lost somewhere between the open sea and outer space: This time around, Tobin seems to have back-burnered his penchant for screwing with ’60s jazz (a la “Get Your Snack On” from 2000’s Supermodified) and set out on a mission to fully explore the mystic, slightly cartoonish darkness that has always framed his music. Moody swells of bass and constellations of drums compete for attention, while weirdass samples attempt to provide some direction. But before you say, “Sounds like Laser Floyd at the planetarium,” remember that Tobin loves percussion above all else; even when he’s blatantly trippy, there’s a beat to hang your brain on. Step into the picture with DJ Food, P Love, and Bonobo at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $15. (202) 393-0930. (Joe Warminsky)