Sole and Pictureplane's new monthly music series, 187Ultra, aims to bridge gaps

When we think of monthly electronic music series, we tend to assume they'll follow a very specific theme throughout their existence. That's not exactly the case with 187 Ultra, the new musical series being curated by Sole and Pictureplane at the hi-dive -- although you could argue that eclecticism is a theme in itself. John Wagner and San Francisco-based electronic musician, Egadz, are co-hosting and helping the pair curate the night, which isn't a DJ night per se, but a place where out-of-town experimental and electronic acts can perform each month.

The name of the night comes from a reference to MK Ultra, the mind control experiments of the '60s that gave us LSD. "It's not meant to evoke brain washing through music," notes Sole. "We just wanted something that sounded bold, aggressive and summed up the aesthetic we were going for." The aesthetic, it turns out, is a bit of a blank slate, where each monthly experience will start with a new idea, with expectations erased and the only real theme being a means to discover new music.

"It's going to be a monthly where we start bringing in out-of-town electronic, experimental and any other music we love here," says Sole, whose band, Sole and the Skyrider Band will be releasing their new record, Hello Cruel World at the monthly's second installment on July 17. From there, each of the four curators will help usher in local and national acts to take the night on, each of them bringing in their own diverse backgrounds to hopefully provide the audience with a new experience each time.

The first installment is slated for June 16, and is already looking pretty solid, with Mush Records artist K-The-I??? joining Egadz for the trip from California, with Pictureplane and Sole pulling in the local flavor.

From the looks of it, 187 Ultra seems to be aiming for the same style of monthly's that dance clubs do, where they'll bring in out of state musicians who aren't necessarily on tour, to play small, intimate sets. We're certainly looking forward to seeing what this talented and diverse group can do in the future.