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6
SATURDAY
Created under the duress of the war in Kosovo and its political fallout in Germany, Cologne/Dusseldorf duo Mouse on Mars’ sixth full-length, Niun Niggung, is infused with a humanity rarely associated with the group’s techno and electronica tags. Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma’s latest creations belie their image as cold, Teutonic technocrats. Live drumming, brass, and strings accompany the duo’s bubbling, hyperkinetic mix of electronic bleepage, which ranges from the dense, chaotic drum ‘n’ bass detritus of “Distroia” to the pastoral beauty of “Wald F.X.” In between those modern extremes, the two futurists flirt with the older sounds of four-on-the-floor disco, folk rock, and R&B, throwing them all into an aesthetic blender that yields—amazingly enough—something uniquely identifiable. Mouse on Mars performs (with London-based drummer Dodo Nkishi in tow) with Thrill Jockey labelmate Trans Am at 10 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $10. (202) 393-0930. (Brent Burton)