When the thump-and-sparkle of techno first escaped Detroit in the mid-80s, it wasnt just a new beat to step to. It was a form of time travel an invitation to step into a future where mysterious machines would compel us to shake our bodies in mysterious ways.

Derrick May was there from the jump. Strings of Life, the epic techno track he released in 1987 under the pseudonym Rhythim Is Rhythim, is essentially the Stairway to Heaven of techno music. And nearly 30 years later, May is still gracing nightclubs across the planet, proffering his vintage futurism in a way thats turned the time-travel of techno into something delightfully wobbly.

Such blurry, back-to-the-futuristic sensations arent uncommon at Flash, a nightclub on the margins of the Districts busy U Street corridor, which regularly hosts veteran DJs of all stripes. The crowds are diverse, too: Stylish old-schoolers and fresh-faced party people all move to the same beat, eagerly waiting for yesterdays tomorrow to arrive.

Saturdayat Flash, 645 Florida Ave. NW.(Doors open at 8 p.m.)202-827-8791. http://www.flashdc.com. $10-$15.

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Techno pioneer Derrick May and the future sounds of yesteryear