Atom TM & Tobias @ Viaduct Theatre 8/11/12

One of the most esteemed and influential figures in modern electronic music makes a rare Stateside appearance on Saturday, August 11th, when Uwe Schmidt (aka Atom Heart/Atom TM) performs alongside Tobias Freund of .NSI at the Viaduct Theatre in Chicago. Although Schmidt is best known for his Senor Coconut output, (which consists largely of Latin-flavored covers of Kraftwerk songs) he is a remarkably versatile & prescient producer capable of accomplishing just about anything he puts his mind to; his Lassigue Bendthaus material pre-dated the 80's revival by years, and his recently-issued archival live record "Cold Memories" on the Sahko imprint is astoundingly fresh, considering its age. He's here supporting his new album as Atom TM, "Winterreise", and he's also just released "Grand Blue", a collaborative record with Tobias Freund, whose "Leaning Over Backwards"(on Ostgut Ton) was one of the more striking dancefloor full-lengths in recent memory. There will also be a 2nd room featuring Chicago-based artists Radius, and saki's own Karl Meier; mainstays Chris Widman and Frankie Vega will also be DJ'ing. This event doubles as a fundraiser for ESAC Chicago, a self-described "civic-minded electronic music education initiative and creativity cultivator." More info about ESAC here. Viaduct Theatre is located at 3111 N.Western. 9pm showtime, 21+.