SATURDAY

Just as turntablism—the art of playing records—has made an instrument out of a medium, the movement’s DJs have made the transition from enablers to performers. Tonight’s djTrio event, organized by longtime record-player manipulator/collage artist Christian Marclay, seeks to put a little stress on that assumption by presenting three DJs in an improvised setting. A pioneer in the field of turntable collagistry, Marclay often sticks tape onto vinyl or sets off multiple refracted turntable cycles at once to achieve his concept of a “theater of found sound.” The compositional element of his work has attracted collaborators such as John Zorn, Elliott Sharp, and Sonic Youth. Partners are good for both Marclay and his medium: Sound collaging can feel too much like an academic exercise (Marclay is a professor of video collage and sound), and the introduction of other performers serves to liven things up. Joining Marclay is DJ Olive, who’s known for his experimental beats, and Toshio Kajiwara, whose glitchtronica will certainly further jar the proceedings. What will result from this turntable banditry is anyone’s guess, which is more or less the idea. Get spun for a loop at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s Ring Auditorium, 7th and Independence Avenue SW. $15. (202) 833-9800. (Mark Williams)