July 1- 7, 2004

musicpicks

Sixtoo/Jaga Jazzist

HIP-HOP/ROCK

"You think we're just a trip-hop label from '96? Fine. Here's the best of our back catalog. Now fuck off, we don't want to talk about this ever again." And then the door slammed. Wait, that's not right. Ninja Tune's North American manager Jeff Waye is speaking figuratively, regarding the label's recent ZEN RMX: A Retrospective of Ninja Tune Remixes. The collections comb the depths of Ninja's roster but bypass recent, solid signees like Sixtoo (pictured). The Anticon. alum draws his debut from live sources: namely members of Godspeed You ! Black Emperor and Can's Damo Suzuki, who growls, scats and sings like Louis Armstrong on absinthe. The result is rooted in hip-hop, but reaches into a psychedelic rock realm darker than Pink Floyd's side of the moon. Sixtoo will conduct a trio at the Church, while co-headlining with 10-piece Jaga Jazzist — imagine the best of Blue Note backed by Squarepusher on sedatives.

Wed., July 7, 8:30 p.m., $10, all ages, First Unitarian Church, 22nd and Chestnut sts., 800-594-TIXX.

—Andrew Parks