North by Northwestern

WNUR's Streetbeat DJs strive to share music that is typically underrepresented on the radio. Sometimes, this duty calls them to open for massive weekend festivals.

On Friday, Streetbeat DJs Edrick "Hai-Chu" Chu and Madeline "Acidtot Prophet" Higgins will open for New Jersey-based DJ MikeQ and rising New York rapper Cakes Da Killa at VIA Festival, sponsored by WNUR. The Pittsburgh-founded festival, in Chicago for the first time this year, launched in 2010 to celebrate emerging audio and visual artists, particularly within the underground electronic and hip-hop scenes.

Both Higgins and Chu are excited to represent Streetbeat at the fest, as volunteer-run radio stations are an endangered species. They want to uphold the values that Streetbeat set at its inception, committing themselves to the tradition of exposing the underground while informing listeners with fresh, diverse sounds.

“When Frankie Knuckles and house music were coming up in the ‘80s, Streetbeat was around. Streetbeat was one of the first radio stations to play house music and really get it out to the city,” Higgins said. “We try to keep the music that we play to non-major labels in order to expose people to music that they wouldn’t hear otherwise. We just want to broaden people’s perspectives of what music is.”

Higgins’ personal style is born from a multitude of influences, ranging from 20th century composers like Steve Reich to hip-hop artists like A Tribe Called Quest, but her greatest source of inspiration comes from her peers at WNUR. “My friends at the station have influenced me the most. They encouraged me to really get in there and start learning and not give up,” she said.

These days, Higgins spins a lot of upbeat club and drum tracks, UK grime and UK garage. “One of my personal favorites is Chicago footwork, which is fast-paced, polyrhythmic dance music. It has a really soulful, nostalgic feel to it.”

Chu also enjoys playing UK grime and Chicago footwork, among other dance sub-genres such as Baltimore club, Angolan kuduro, and dancehall from the West Indies, as well as sub-genres of hip-hop including New Orleans bounce, Chicago bop and Bay Area hyphy.

“I personally like to dig deep into music genres from other cultures and mix them with pop music. So much music out there has elements that are pop-friendly, you don't even know until you put an Ariana Grande vocal over them,” Chu said. Fellow genre-blending artists like Murlo, Dubbel Dutch and Nguzunguzu are his primary influences.

Also this weekend is WNUR’s Fall Kickoff Concert, featuring performances by Princess Nokia, Dre Green and TALsounds, a lineup that Chu calls “a trio of femme fatales.”

WNUR general manager Brain Campbell predicts that the success of this year’s Fall Kickoff will soar in comparison to last year.

“Last year, all the artists were either students or friends of students. This year, there are some bigger names,” Campbell said. “The other big difference is the location. Being out on the lakefill [last year’s event location], you don’t really get any foot traffic. We’re expecting a lot more foot traffic at Norris.”

Added Higgins, “Before, it was a cold night on the lakefill. Now, it’s during the day, so it’s going to have more of a laid-back Sunday afternoon feel.”

The WNUR Fall Kickoff Concert will take place Sunday from 2:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. on the Norris East Lawn. Admission is free for both students and the public. In case of rain, the backup location will be the Norris Ground Floor/Food Court.

At VIA Festival, Chu and Higgins perform at the 8:00 p.m. show in Wicker Park on Friday. Tickets are available for $15.