Marquee your calendar

No matter how you Size up the situation, this week you’re bound to get Connected. When the stress builds and you think the Van Dyk’s about to break, sit back, cross your legs, breath deeply and say Om. Maybe some reggae will “Scratch” that itch. Any way you cut it, there’s bound to be an event this week to satisfy anybody and everybody. Here’s a guide to the week’s best offerings:

Thursday, March 22
RONI SIZE & REPRAZENT, PEPE DELUXE (Earthlink.Live) — Starting off the week are Bristol’s Roni Size Reprazent. Coming from the same streets as Massive Attack and Smith & Mighty, Roni Size — along with DJs/producers Krust, Suv and Die — has been producing drum ‘n’ bass that evolved since the early ’90s to include all Size’s influences — from dub to hip-hop to be-bop. It wasn’t until 1997’s New Forms that the rest of the world became hip to Size’s hybrid sound — all snappy snares and throbbing basslines, deceptively complex simple sounds. Now, with Reprazent, Size brings to life his tunes, touring behind In the Mode, an album that grew out of the organic environment Size and Reprazent found on their last tour. For his Atlanta stop, Size is bringing along Finnish act Pepe Deluxe, whose Super Sound — a shagadelic mix of Big Beat trip-hop — has been heard before, but is still catchy enough.

Friday, March 23
SOUNDS OF OM 2001 (eleven50) — The first thing I remember about San Francisco’s Om Records was 1997’s Deep Concentration, still one of the best collections of turntablist tracks in print. But, next thing you knew, Om had released funky deep house, some esoteric junkyard drum ‘n’ bass from the East Coast and signed up several distinct performing acts with one thing in common: lush organic production. Yes, Om Records is a quality label for deep tribal house and several of their artists roll into town to exhibit why.

Seven-piece Soulstice have the soft sound of Prada loafers on plush carpet. They perform cosmopolitan Latin-tinged house and drum ‘n’ bass — mellow and full bodied, a California red zinfandel perfect for eleven50’s 1920s theater setting. Sade fans take note. Four-piece aFRO-mYSTIK take a more tribal approach, blending samba and samples with drum ‘n’ bass and hip-hop. And DJ Mark Farina — who, along with Miguel Migs, is a deep-house Bay Area favorite — showcases more of the kind of tracks for which Om has become known.

PAUL VAN DYK, JERRY BONHAM (Club NV) — Leave it to Liquid Groove to bring a huge international crowd-pleaser to intimate Club NV (the former Loretta’s). Since the late ’80s, Paul Van Dyk has been putting out popular progressive trance. His early ’90s work, when he recorded as Visions of Shiva, had a much harder edge. Now, as showcased on his most recent album Out There and Back, he puts out pleasing trance and breaks that help him maintain favorite status in clubs in New York, England and Germany (where he has residencies), as well as at one-offs all over the world. Van Dyk’s sine waves take ravers on a roller coaster through the peaks and valleys of anthemic elation. If you take a trip to San Francisco, however, you’ll find out that the city has as good DJs as Europe offers. Jerry Bonham, also a Mute recording artist, is one, and he joins Van Dyk to spin his more tribal style of trance to offset Van Dyk’s more synthy set. Locals including Marcos Pieras and Michael Scott also spin. Saturday, March 24
CONNECTED (Masquerade) — The best value for your money this week is Pleazure’s annual “Connected” party, bringing back some of their most popular talent. Gavin King (... of the beats), aka Aphrodite, leads the pack, his jump-up jungle always guaranteed fresh every time. From remixes of N.W.A. to Luniz, King’s productions have remained favorites of the not-so-tuff ruffnecks. While Aphrodite remixes hip-hop, Roger Sanchez grew up in New York along with several influential hip-hop and electro producers. But it’s the S-Man’s work on house tracks for Strictly Rhythm that has built his reputation.

Darren Emerson leans toward acid trance and lean techno. Formerly the DJ for Underworld, Emerson helped steer them toward their current direction, but he went a different direction.

Dean Coleman is a local DJ and producer who leans toward harder house. His productions benefit from his being a gizmo tester for Roland, so he knows his gear inside out and usually brings a few tricks to the tables when he DJs.

Speaking of tricks, Pleazure is known for bringing some of the world’s best turntablists, including DMC World Champ Craze and his crewmate Infamous, and this show brings Atlanta’s own DMC US Champ Klever (now part of Craze and Infamous’ crew, the Allies). Expect a mix of hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass from some of the quickest fingers in the country. Maybe Klever will try out some routines to practice for next year’s DMC championship. The local crew Break Mechanics, with which Klever is associated, also spin.

LEE “SCRATCH” PERRY AND THE MAD PROFESSOR (Variety Playhouse) — If you’re in the mood for something totally different and more whiggy than anything you could see even on acid, check out dub pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry and Mad Professor at the Variety Playhouse. Just pray Perry doesn’t decide to perform in the nude. It could happen.

Wednesday, March 28
ATB (Riviera) — The single “9 PM (Till I Come)” by Andre Tanneberger, aka ATB, has been certified the biggest-selling dance single of 2000 by Billboard, and ATB’s sound — melodic, tender, soft, echoing yet anthemic — is a favorite among the progressive trance set. ATB is touring on Two Worlds, which showcases his latest dance tracks as well as more downtempo material. He’ll most likely play the more upbeat tracks here.??