Lets say there are two main modes in electronic dance music: the hands-in-the-air peak hour mode, and the tasteful, slow-burning mode. Each has its pitfall: the former can all too often turn into garish excess, be it wailing house diva nonsense or Justice/et al rave rock overload; the latter can all too often simmer down to little more than ultra-modern lounge music, the stuff of slick hotel lobbies rather than desirable dance floors. The respectively Boston- and NYC-based DJ duos of Soul Clap and Wolf + Lamb, who recently teamed up for an entry into the DJ Kicks mix series, operate well within the tasteful, slow-burning mode of dance music, but they never fall into the dreaded chill-out trap. Their mixes keep things mellow but moving, artfully extending grooves touched by disco, funk, R&B, and deeper house into all night long durations. Tonight, they DJ for five hours straight, and you wont want to miss any of it. ERIC GRANDY
Fri., May 13, 9 p.m., 2011
