Rob Mazurek

by Sean O'Neal

Dance/electronic

Such fusion of organic and digital music is generally off-putting. Some serious jazzheads might be unsettled by the way ambient-ish, heady layers of found sound bounce gently with Moog tones and cornet fragments on Rob Mazurek's laptop.

"I started using computers around 1998," he remembers. "The transformation was more of a realization that sound is sound. So instead of approaching something from the platform of a specific or un-specific form or style, I began to only think in sonic terms. The idea though is to break these fucking walls down and let it rip or contract."

Drawing from free jazz, hard-bop, experimental electronica and minimalism, the abstractivist, cornetist, improviser, composer and multimedia artist has long been a key factor in the Chicago post-rock and avant-jazz scene. He's co-founder and a member of Chicago Underground Duo/Trio/Quartet/Orchestra and Isotope 217 (both Thrill Jockey bands). He also appeared on albums by Stereolab, Tortoise, Pan American, Jim O'Rourke's Gastr Del Sol, Godspeed You Black Emperor and others.

Mazurek's latest album, Sweet and Vicious Like Frankenstein (Mego), is two long-winded tracks that make up one hour of digitized sound-frolic that'll leave Oval fans awestruck. Mazurek calls the album an abstract twist on the Frankenstein story. "It deals with the concept of good and evil, hard and soft, sweet and vicious."

In addition to his solo stuff, Mazurek has recently been working with Black Goat Ensemble -- a new Chicago group including bassist Matt Lux of Isotope 217 -- with two bass guitars pushing the bottom while two horns push the top over a rhythmic driving force, dense harmonics and electronic sounds.

Thu., Nov. 20, 10 p.m., $8, with Black Goat Ensemble, Grey Ghost and Niku, Silk City, Fifth and Spring Garden sts., 215-592-8838.