FORMAT.FM

FFM329

FORMAT-REC

FFM329.2 | JS ALVAREZ

Smartbar Resident, Chicago 
Format Recordings 

Scientist by day, DJ by night. Brenda's life is a dynamic blend of science and music. A classically trained pianist and saxophonist, music has been a lifelong defining force. Active in Chicago's underground scene since the late 90s, Brenda is now a Smartbar resident, A&R for Format Recordings, and co-curator of Format events and the Format.FM podcast series. She creates a symbiotic relationship with the dance floor, feeding off its energy and giving it back tenfold, drawing inspiration from soulful jazz, dark, gritty drum & bass, and beyond. While her sets maintain consistent themes of darker, harder, hypnotic techno, she also explores moments of ethereal sound, harmonious melodies and jackin' stompers. An advocate for women in both music and science, Brenda, who holds a PhD in molecular and cellular biochemistry, champions diversity in all pursuits. She finds mentoring deeply rewarding and is committed to giving back to the underground culture—building community, fostering connections, and empowering others.

TECHNO / UNDERGROUND / CHICAGO

Want to be showcased on Format.FM? 
Send your demos to: format.fm.radio@gmail.com

Producer/DJ/Promoter/Organizer/bonehead/etc - [Bounce House] -  they/them - PHL @bounce-house-phl
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For booking, production, remix work, promos, or any other inquiries, please write to: furtivetrax@gmail.com
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Upcoming Dates:
8/23 - System Activate, VT
9/19 - Making Time, PHL
9/27 - TBA, PHL
10/10 - TBA, PHL
10/11 - TBA, PHL
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Furtive is a full-gonzo rave conjurer and relentless creative tinkerer, intractably committed to the rave as a Philadelphia-based producer, DJ, underground event organizer, and dancer. A shifting sonic chameleon, Furtive brings a scintillating, sentimental, and psychedelic touch to their artistry, rooted in wormhole-traversing technoid propulsion and dependably delivering riotous, slack-jawed whiplash moments of the delightfully unexpected. Their many polished and focused genre-spanning productions are informed by over thirteen years of experience in the studio, yielding a rich selection of tracks across their self-released discography, vinyl pressings, and contributions to compilations. A veritable product of the contemporary American underground, Furtive cut their teeth as a DJ and DIY event organizer in Washington, DC’s warehouses, where they once played a variety of turnkey roles in putting on some of the District’s more proper techno parties. Furtive co-founded and co-runs Bounce House, an intimate, blossoming off-the-books venue in Philly where they regularly hold court as a resident. Furtive is on broadcast monthly through Ashen Vanity, a radio residency at Philadelphia’s indispensable cultural mainstay Great Circles. As a DJ, Furtive has played hallowed halls (recently rampaging at Nowadays and Basement), dingy holes, roaring renegades, broadcast booths, and festivals (The Great Beyond '23, '24, and headlining in '25, Honcho Campout '24) - always with eclectic selections and a steadfast focus on pacing and dynamics while regularly jumping genres to build moving and impactful sets, often alongside internationally celebrated, no-nonsense acts. Beyond the fog and speaker stacks, Furtive creates art in a variety of mediums. They're as unapologetic in their sincerity and flair as they are in being a die-hard True Believer in the rave.
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Learn more here: https://www.attackmagazine.com/features/introducing/furtive-the-astronaut-in-a-pool-of-mermaids/
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As a closing note: the journey can be summarized in their own words (or, a cheeky amalgamated existential portmanteau): “I aim for the stars, but sometimes I land in a pool of mermaids.”

https://furtivetrax.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/furtivetrax
https://www.instagram.com/furtive.sasha/
https://ra.co/dj/furtive

25 years in business 
Vinyl + Diggi + Roland Groovebox + Sampler
Techno , Hard , RAW , Deep , Groove , Detroit, etc.

powered by :

Technics , Pioneer , Allen & Heath , Korg , Roland , 
Nativ Instruments , Rekordbox , Mac Book .

Please ask me here by mail for booking !!!!

Research & Development
Podlasie
Chicago

JS Alvarez is a shape shifting lizard that succumbs to no one genre and can be found exploring the depths of mutant techno and unruly bass music alike. He is the founding member of Research & Development. ﻿What started as a monthly event series at Smartbar took on a new path with a biweekly mix series focused on nurturing new sounds, experiences and atmospheres while exploring the music and culture it was born or mutated from. Find him at Podlasie Club or sweaty basements and warehouses in Chicago and beyond.

Just another aficionado of electronic music.

Based in Chicago, R&D is a music event/mix series focused on nurturing new sounds, experiences and atmospheres while exploring the music and culture it was born or mutated from. Techno, electro, EBM, bass, breaks, club and beyond.
Current personnel
Jeremy Alvarez - JS Alvarez
Eric Fernandez - Makeen
Shanti Chu - Shanti
Dan Hood - Dan B Hood
Kona Mazariegos - Zona Cinco