Preview: Dopplereffekt at Beauty Bar

Information about the members of Dopplereffekt is scarce; active since 1995, the group has never been interviewed. They rarely play live. And what we do know, we can break down for you fairly quickly: the founding, and initially sole member of Dopplereffekt (they’ve been a duo since 2003) is generally thought to be Gerald Donald, AKA Rudolf Klorzeiger, once half of the pioneering electro group Drexciya. Sundry Germanic references populate many of the group’s early recordings, and as such it may not surprise you to learn that the music, most of which was collected on 1999’s Gesamtkunstwerk, is essentially a minimal electro homage to Kraftwerk.

Since 2003 however, with the addition of To Nhan Le Thi (a pseudonym, natch), the duo has all but forsaken the Autobahn in favor of contemporary physics (see song titles such as “Niobium Resonators” and “Holomorphic N-0 Form”) and a sound reminiscent of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop’s musique concrete compositions. Their unlikely but very welcome gig at Beauty Bar is one of only four dates comprising Dopplereffekt’s first US tour, and they’ll have support from Swedish DJs cum bloggers Discobelle, as well as local disco/house maven and Daft Punk aficionado Markus with a K. The event is sponsored by Scion, and like all Scion parties, this one is free with your RSVP.