Repair, Eric Downer, JAP @ Drake Underground

This whole evening served to remind me of the greatness (and timelessness) of records like G-Man's "Avanti", Deadbeat's "Cesium Beam", and Basic Channel's "Octagon". Although they strayed from the smooth tech-house upon which they built their reputation, Repair were every bit as funky and infectious as I've come to expect from them. In their more stripped down moments, they successfully reached for the greatness of the aforementioned godlike records. The small but active crowd at the Underground even saved a bit of energy for Eric Downer. His dark funk laced a Nathan Fake-ish mixture of beats and noise, providing a virtually ideal soundtrack for last call.