Weird Records is a rare gem in New York, a truly underground record label that throws weekly events which passionately herald the analog synthesizer -- a breath of fresh air from the current reliance on computer-based creation. Every Wednesday night, a troupe of like minded DJs gather at Home Sweet Home, a bar with a curious decor, and spin only the rarest and coldest of minimal wave, celebrating the humanistic touches of the once futuristic music form.

The label has been around since 2003 and is also notorious for releasing and promoting a variety of analog-based artists, culminating most recently in a 4LP compilation, available next week. Every Wednesday at Home Sweet Home, friends and affiliates of Wierd take to the floors for an intimate live performance. Last night's was even more curious and singular than usual, as Swedish electro-wave performance artist Tobias Bernstrup was on the slab. On record, Tobias employs catchy yet distanced wave in the spirit of Tubeway Army and the early Human League.

Live, clad in skintight peace officer PVC, Tobias was at home in the fog-filled basement, employing shadowplay and strobelights to support his otherwise captivating performance. His one-man set was short, but sweet, pulsing with octave driven synth lines and pulsing with drum machines a go-go; vocals laced with dark imagery and a deep, detached timbre. The crowd fit in the palm of his outstretched hand as it twisted and contorted with perfect calculation as the lights flashed and the music raged.

Tobias Bernstrup's brand of art-driven songcraft is more fundamentally alien than most of the Wierd family, but behind the cold, futuristic exterior lies a much more romanticized touch, an immediate organic element that makes his music not only catchy and danceable, but also extremely humanistic. No longer does the analog synthesizer embody an apocalyptic world in the not-so-distant future, but Wierd's mission to encourage its extension and acceptance as an organic folk instrument is alive and well, a Very Rare treat in these synthetic times.