Music

If the city feels like a dead zone, that’s because the music industry has deserted it for two back-to-back conferences—South by Southwest and the Winter Music Conference. Those dance music enthusiasts who got left behind, either of their own choosing or not, can take solace or flip the finger at those sunning in South Beach at the special F*Ck WMC Bunker, which has an all-star lineup for the underground—Skam’s Rob Hall, Tigerbeat 6’s Timeblind (another New Yorker who moved to Berlin), and Romo. Hall, the owner of highly respected electronic labels Gescom/Skam, is also an exacting DJ who frequently tours with Autechre. Fri @ 10, Subtonic, 107 Norfolk, 212-358-7501

Another Brit, Mr. Scruff is on a mini-tour of New York—he had a gig last week, but if you missed him, you have two different opportunities this week see him spin. Sort of like a British Moby (he makes cartoonish line drawings and owns a tea shop) with a heavier hip-hop background, Scruff’s spinning with Turntable on the Hudson‘s Nickodemus and Mariano. Together, the trio is like a supergroup of DJs, spinning funky, soulful dance music infused with buzzy breakbeats and a jazzy mood. Thu @ 10, Cielo, 18 Little W 12th, 212-645-5700; Fri @ 10, Element, 225 E Houston, 212-254-2200

The Glimmers, Mo Becha and David Fourqaert, are the latest in the fierce lineup of guests heading the Phono party, which is becoming the anti-trance big-club night. Last year’s Studio !K7 mix disc by the Ghent, Belgium–based DJ pair exposes their penchant for new music made in a post-punk dance mind-set—Peaches, Lindstrom & Prince Thomas, and Two Lone Swordsmen all make appearances. With FC/Kahuna, who make good deep house but are not as adventurous as the headliners. Sat @ 10, Avalon, 662 Sixth Ave, 212-807-7780

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