Captured by Area 51

Local technophiles have a potential utopia in Area 51, which has catapulted the Rhino Room into electronic orbit on Tuesday nights.

Since late January, EJ (Edward J. Mines) and Brett Robinson of Just Bee Productions have been flashing futuristic Japanese animation on the club’s video monitors, projecting psychedelia on lollipop round screens above the dance floor and ensuring a trance-like vibe with resident deejay Sean Rubio of Groove Radio (103.1). Guest deejays include Automatic, a.k.a. Jesse Schultz, a Chicago transplant who favors break beat, and tranceman EJ, who spins regularly at Cohiba in Long Beach.

“The techno crowd keeps growing, but there are too few techno clubs in Orange County,” EJ shouted above the hard-edge sound on a recent night. “We’re trying to catch it up to speed.”

Named after a Nevada desert site believed by some to be where the U.S. government is hiding a crashed UFO, the new gig (where house also is heard) is sponsored by Higher Source in Huntington Beach. O.C.’s freshest record-club fashion store allows deejays and others to try out vinyl on a dozen turntables encircling a big old aquarium with real live fishies inside.

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Gone South: Club Thrive, which concluded a four-year stint at Irvine’s Metropolis two weeks ago, has migrated to the Country Rock Cafe in Lake Forest.

Nothing but the venue’s been changed for the popular, alternative-music Thrive, added Aksu, whose Unity Productions recently launched a Top 40/disco/hip-hop night, Star 69, at Costa Mesa’s Shark Club on Saturdays.

Meanwhile, like other cowboy venues that vary formats to something more profitable than all country, all the time, Country Rock has given over Saturdays to rock en espanol. In cahoots with Spanish-language radio KSSE-FM (97.5), the club occasionally will bring in live bands. Hours are 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Cover is $12 for 18 to 21, $10 for 21 and up. Thrive starts at 9:30 p.m.; Cover is $10 for 18 to 21, $5 for 21 and up.

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Nature Calls: Now may be the time to revisit Cook’s Corner. Thanks to all the rain, the grassy hills of Santiago Canyon surrounding the 66-year-old country and western bikers’ bar are electric green.

Such country bands as Tex Aholics, Dark Horse and Appaloosa play for dancing every Friday and Saturday (8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.). Live rock and blues bands preside beside pool shooters on Wednesdays (6:30 to 11 p.m.) and Sundays (4 to 9 p.m.). Weather permitting, bluegrass bands play outdoors on Sundays (2 to 6 p.m.).

BE THERE

Area 51, at the Rhino Room, 7979 Center Ave., Huntington Beach; (714) 428-2805. Tuesday, 9 p.m.

Thrive, at Country Rock Cafe, 23822 Mercury Road, Lake Forest; (714) 455-1881. 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m.

Cook’s Corner, El Toro and Live Oak Canyon Roads, Santiago Canyon; (714) 858-0266. No cover.