Five don’t-miss Red Bull Music Academy Festival happenings

Among the nearly two dozen events occurring throughout October as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival are a number of one-of-a-kind happenings.

Below are five to mark on your calendar:

Oct. 11: A conversation with director Floria Sigismondi. Over her career as a director, Sigismondi has directed seminal music videos for Sigur Ros, the White Stripes, Fiona Apple, Katy Perry, David Bowie, Rihanna and dozens more. She’ll discuss her work at Cammilleri Hall at USC’s Brain and Creativity Institute.

Oct. 18: Open Beta: Arca presents a night with Alejandro. At a downtown locale it’s dubbed “Open Beta,” Red Bull will host four nights of cutting-edge experimental beats, with each artist transforming the space to fit their needs. The Venezuelan beat-maker Alejandro Ghersi, who records as Arca, will present angular, abrasive rhythms of the kind he’s crafted for artists including Kanye West, Bjork and FKA Twigs.

Oct. 20: A conversation with Bappi Lahiri. The Bollywood composer Lahiri has scored hundreds of Indian films and is cited as the man who introduced disco to Indian cinema. He’ll discuss his life’s work at El Cid in Silver Lake, and afterward will perform selections from his best-known scores.

Oct. 22: Diggin’ in the Carts. Inspired by the Red Bull radio show of the same name, this event celebrates the music of Japanese video game composers Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima. Joining them will be video music expert Nick Dwyer and Hyperdub Records label head Kode9.

Oct. 29: The Ecstatic World of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda. The free jazz artist is best known to non-jazz heads as John Coltrane’s wife, but since her passing a decade ago, Turiyasangitananda’s music has eclipsed her fame as a spouse. In celebration of a recent reissue by the acclaimed label Luaka Bop, the performance will be inspired by those works, which were part of ceremonies she held at her Buddhist ashram.

For tips, records, snapshots and stories on Los Angeles music culture, follow Randall Roberts on Twitter and Instagram: @liledit. Email: randall.roberts@latimes.com.