MUSIC

DANCE-OFF Coney Island lost Astroland this week: It’s certainly a blow to the neighborhood, historically and nostalgically, but with any luck, festivals such as the one taking place this weekend will help the neighborhood retain its glory and charm. Minitek is a three-day, two-night festival that was created to highlight minimal techno, a form of electronic dance music that relies on understated rhythms and the gradual use of repeating beats to create a sleeker form of techno music that’s miles different from pop dance remixes. The first music festival of its kind in the city, Minitek is bringing both well-known and underground artists to New York, including Richie Hawtin, Audion (also known as Matthew Dear), M.A.N.D.Y., and François K. The “day” portions of the festival (which actually last until well past sundown, so note set times) take place in Coney Island, while night performances take place in Manhattan at Penn Plaza. Be prepared for late nights: On Friday and Saturday, artists are booked from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. And if the music isn’t enough, Minitek is also presenting a number of musically-based art projects in its “Innovation” tents at both the Coney Island and the Manhattan sites, including James Patten’s Audiopad, an instrument that creates sound by tracking the position of objects on a flat surface and associating sounds with the objects when they’re moved.

For those uninitiated in minimal techno, but who still want to dance, there is another option this weekend. On Saturday, a techno supergroup of sorts, Midnight Juggernauts, performs at the new art space (Le) Poisson Rouge. Based in Melbourne and formed in the mid-2000s, the band has already gained a devout following among fans and fellow bands, having toured with the French electronic group Justice last year. With a strong online presence through Web logs, and various remixes of songs by groups including the Scissor Sisters and Cut Copy, Midnight Juggernauts represents a poppier, faster side of electronic dance music as opposed to minimal techno. But both Minitek and the Midnight Juggernauts show (which also features Grandmaster Flash and Bumblebeez) are dance events that make this weekend possibly the biggest of the year so far.

Minitek, Friday, 10 p.m.-6 a.m., Saturday, day portion, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., night portion, 10 p.m.-6 a.m., Sunday, day portion, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m., day venue, Stillwell Avenue at Bowery Street, Coney Island, Brooklyn, night venue, Penn Plaza, 401 Seventh Ave., between 33rd and 34th streets, weekend pass, $95, VIP weekend pass, $195, Friday pass, $35, Saturday day pass, $40, Saturday night pass, $35, Sunday pass, $40. For complete information and to submit questions, go to minitekfestival.com.

Midnight Juggernauts, Saturday, 10:30 p.m., (Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., between Thompson and Sullivan streets, 212-228-4854, $10.

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