Yikes: the first time I really went clubbing, on the eve of my 18th birthday, the song that really blew my mind was a techno remix of Sarah McLachlan’s “Sweet Surrender.” That’s a good case for not messing with certain judgment-impairing drugs, but it’s also telling in how thoroughly integrated electronic music used to be with the mainstream. It ain’t that way anymore, but inimitable Cologne label Kompakt has come closest this decade to bringing the freshest sounds in house and techno (most blanched in a signature “minimal”—stripped-down, but still danceable—style) to the furthest reaches of the world. And that means rock fans and Pitchfork readers who a few years ago wouldn’t touch a techno artist album like Gui Boratto’s Chromophobia, released on Kompakt last February. Most fans I know flipped out over the Brazilian producer’s track “Like You” on Kompakt’s annual Total compilation, but his 8.3-garnering full-length is one of the label’s strongest releases, showcasing Boratto’s skill in creating driving, atmospheric dance tracks with a timeless appeal. And, occasionally, a female vocal that’s unabashedly, unashamedly pop. Tell the world. With live sets by two of our best local producers, Lusine and Jerry Abstract. Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020. $10 adv./$12. 9 p.m. RACHEL SHIMP

Wed., Jan. 23, 9 p.m., 2008