Duke Shin

"I think the more intimate the setting, the better. It's like being on the dance floor with the kids. It's less of an onstage performance...you're just playing other people's records."

Reuben Wu of Ladytron sits on a recently recovered piece of luggage in an airport, taking a break to extol the virtues of DJing, and the good fortune of being in a popular band, as well. "Yeah, we're in Madrid. We're on a five-gig tour...We're kind of in the middle of writing a new album as well, so we've got this Spain thing to do, and then Mira [Aroyo, bandmate and partner for the DJ tour] and I are over in the States. And then we've got a couple more shows, and over the summer we need to concentrate on finishing the album, really. That's the plan for this year."

The last couple months have also had the band touring Europe as Trent Reznor's handpicked opening act. But surely, there must've been some friction between the uber-chic Ladytron and the most famous post-apocalyptic industrial band, right?

Wu laughs. "Everyone is really, really friendly, and very, very easy to get along with, and they treated us extremely well...Trent met up with us and had a chat, and he's asked us to remix a couple of his tracks!"

Wu switches back to talking about his first love, DJing. After all, joining Ladytron in 1999 was Wu's first experience in an actual band. As a member, he's been able to take time out to DJ all over the globe, including Australia and China. Also, Aroyo has DJed in her native Bulgaria, as well as other dates ranging from intimate London clubs to full-blown techno-raves in Spain.

"There's two things to consider when you're DJing," he says. "First of all, you want to play a good party for people to enjoy and dance to. Second thing is to kind of demonstrate the music that you like, the music that you respect, so people can see influences...So we don't just play a straight-up dance set--we try to make it as interesting as possible."

When asked what favorites tend to pop up during his sets, Wu concentrates on visualizing his record bag, mentioning Daft Punk's "Rolling and Scratching," "La Rock" from Vitalic and Erol Alkan's remix of Justice's "Waters of Nazareth." "Mira likes to play `I Was Made For Loving You' from Kiss,'" Wu adds. "We're really the best combination of the band. Mira tends to pick quite a lot of really, really interesting, out-there, hard-to-find gems that not a whole lot of people know about...I'm like that, too, but I like to mix a little bit more."

Reuben Wu and Mira Aroyo of Ladytron join Beta Theta residents Brock and DJ Misa May 18 at Darkroom, 2210 West Chicago, (773)276-1411, at 10pm. $15.

(2007-05-15)

Also by Duke Shin

Sweet Sweet Swedes
At the first of two sold-out shows at the Empty Bottle, the crowd listens gamely to the closing number from openers Au Revoir Simone--three keyboard-wielding Brooklynite girls, with a thrift-retro style to match their vintage electronics. Applause. Roadies rush the stage, setting up what has to be the easiest stage show
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Disco Dream
You'll have to excuse James Murphy for sounding exhausted. Calling from his Brooklyn home, the man from DFA Records and frontman of LCD Soundsystem is about to embark on a tour that will momentarily take him away from his duties
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Since the formation of DJ collective Orchard Lounge in 2000, members Spencer Lokken, Bethany Lokken and Ben Silver have been active around Chicago, with past and current residencies at such music-minded destinations as Sound-Bar, Funky Buddha Lounge and Moonshine
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DJs Warp and Radiohiro are perhaps the most notable tech-ethnomusicologists in Chicago
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Spin Control
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The Meat Offensive
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Spin Control
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Spin Control
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Spin Control
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Spin Control
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Tip of the Week
(2006-12-22)

The New Days of Disco
(2006-11-28)

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