JEROME SYDENHAM @ GARAGE
416 With DJs Blueprint, Moreno. Fri, Apr 18. Revival, 783 College. $20 advance tickets at Play De Record, Cosmos, Delphic, milkaudio.com.
Jerome Sydenham thinks big. The New Yorker launched his career in dance music with a DJ residency at then-hot-spot Nell’s in 1987 and has since become hugely sought-after. Following a five-year stint of doing A&R at major labels, Sydenham started his own Ibadan Records in 1995, and now also has a hand in five other labels, including Avocado (Denmark) and Apotek (Germany). Like frequent collaborator Dennis Ferrer, Sydenham moves effortlessly between house and techno, classic and futuristic in both his productions and DJ sets. Sydenham’s tech-minded collaboration with Tiger Stripes, “Elevation,” is still filling floors, his new In the Barbershop EP is brilliant and an album with Ron Trent is in the works.

ELI ESCOBAR
With Nasty Nav. Fri, Apr 18. Wrongbar, 1279 Queen W. $5 before midnight.
Veteran New York DJ, producer and remixer Eli Escobar is the man with the golden ears. I’ve spent hours on www.outsidebroadcast.blogspot.com, lost in Escobar’s posts and links to disco, new wave and hip-hop rarities, re-edits and remixes. His own productions rise well above standard blog fare, as is evident in work he’s done with artists including Pase Rock, Chromeo, and Neon Neon. Also recommended are Escobar’s excellent Money Lotion EP and his recent, mind-blowing remixes of Keyshia Cole’s “Shoulda Let You Go” and Mark The 45 King’s “900 Number.”

CHAMPION SOUND
With DJ/hosts TCB, JSS, Christopher Sandes. Fri, Apr 18. Supermarket, 268 Augusta. $5 before 11pm, $10 after.
As the whole blog house-nu rave-crunchy club (yeah, I made that last one up) thing starts to wear thin, it’s no surprise that DJs and audiences alike are searching for some soul. Here, a trio of indie adventurers launch a new monthly with a focus on Motown, soul, hip-hop and dancehall à la Barrington Levy, Sean Paul and other superstars. And while you’re in the neighbourhood, you can catch some live dancehall toasting from Bonjay’s Alanna Stuart just down the street at “dancehall, dance music and street hop” monthly Boom (Teranga, 159 Augusta), hosted by Stuart, DJ T-Wrecks and Stuart’s Bonjay bandmate DJ Pho.

MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO
With Badawi. Wed, Apr 23. Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor W. $16.50 advance tickets at Rotate This, Soundscapes, Horseshoe front bar, Ticketmaster.
Before breakbeat, The Prodigy and rave music, there was industrial. Acts such as Ministry tend to receive the most recognition, but Jack Dangers and his Meat Beat Manifesto project were equally groundbreaking. The transplanted Brit who calls San Francisco home has turned out many a dub-influenced, futuristic classic including “Helter Skelter” and “Radio Babylon,” has produced or remixed artists from Public Enemy to Nine Inch Nails and now tours in support of Meat Beat’s 10th studio album, Autoimmune.

TYCHO
With DJs Rollin Cash, Aia. Sun, Apr 20. The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen W. $8.
Thanks to NewElectronic, producers of this show, for introducing me to San Fran producer Scott Hansen (a.k.a. Tycho). As Tycho, Hansen creates warm and languid electronic works that wash over you like a late summer evening. He’s had releases on labels including Merck, Gammaphone and most recently Ghostly International who will put out Tycho’s sophomore album mid-year. Hansen is also a celebrated visual artist known as ISO50, and will speak on April 21 at the FITC design and technology festival.

Email us at: LETTERS@EYEWEEKLY.COM or send your questions to EYEWEEKLY.COM
625 Church St, 6th Floor, Toronto M4Y 2G1