Jarret Spiegel

If you boiled down the true kingpins of American techno music to what you could count on your fingers, Daniel Bell would easily make the chosen few. This DJ/producer's resume laundry-lists the most respected and consistently relevant techno labels in the world: Tresor, Force, Inc., Transmat, Novamute, Poker Flat, Peacefrog, M_nus, Perlon... to name a few. Bell is best known for his work as an early member of Richie Hawtin's Plus 8 Records and for his seminal "Losing Control" single (as DBX, one of his many aliases) in 1994. He has maintained status as a pioneer of hard, minimal Detroit-style techno and has championed the sound for years. It deserves to be noted that there is also a distinct Chicago acid element to his aesthetic that makes him something of a local favorite. His influence is most clearly heard in the recordings of Hawtin, and possibly to a greater extent, Josh Wink. Bell's recent visibility can be attributed to the release of "Blip, Blurp, Bleep: The Music of Daniel Bell," which neatly compiles his most influential recordings into thirteen tracks of indispensable music. It also helps that there is something of an acid revival currently happening in electronic music, proving an artist like Bell every bit as relevant as he was ten years ago. The timing for a Chicago visit is impeccable and now that Bell has relocated, joining the global techno massive's convergence upon Berlin, it is likely that this chance to see him will not come around again anytime soon.

Daniel Bell plays with Matthew Martin at Your Formula Life at Tini Martini, 2169 North Milwaukee, (773)269-2900, on January 7. Free before 10pm, $8 after. (2006-01-03)

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