Your guide to Halloween weekend at L.A. clubs

Hard Day of the Dead used to be the high-water mark for fall raves in L.A. But now that Hard has shuttered that event (for now) following fan deaths in years past, there’s room for other dance music promoters to try new ideas.

And have they ever. This weekend is one of the year’s best and busiest for club music. Here are the top options.

FRIDAY:

Insomniac has always put on its own Halloween-themed events, but this year there’s new space in the mega-rave scene. To fill it, Insomniac has gone surprisingly underground with Claude VonStroke, Richie Hawtin, DJ Tennis and Jamie Jones, among many others, at Escape Psycho Circus in San Bernardino.

Four Tet returns for a six-hour stint behind the decks with Far Away. (His long-form L.A. set at the Shrine was one of the best package bills of the year.) At Union, the Ibiza summer stalwart Circoloco party-jets into town with an L.A. edition featuring Black Coffee, Damian Lazarus, Konstantin and the Martinez Brothers. Atop the Standard in downtown, beat-scene staple Nosaj Thing helms the roof scene to kick off the 13 Stories festival, which continues with Tiger & Woods and Maya Jane Coles over the rest of the weekend.

At the Lash, the night of techno and cumbia will be hosted by an undead Selena impersonator (perhaps the goth-iest move all weekend); and for rockers, Monty Bar has a Cramps tribute that looks worthy of the band that once played a pivotal set in a mental institution.

SATURDAY

If anyone will eventually claim Hard’s Halloween standard, it might be Minimal Effort, a busy new series that’s making a big push this weekend. Its Halloween show sports Pete Tong, Tiga, Tensnake and a long list of locals at L.A. Center Studios.

Elsewhere, DJ Richard and Barnt make for a night of smart, spooky techno for Lights Down Low; the Satellite will follow up its surprise Lady Gaga set with a witchier version of its indie-disco party Dance Yrself Clean.

And for a more formal option, L.A. Opera hosts a screening of “Nosferatu” with a performance of a new score by Matthew Aucoin at the Ace.

SUNDAY

By now, if your hangover is more frightening as anything you’ve encountered all weekend, there are options to taper down. Akbar’s Bears in Space team gets Berlin’s Discodromo for 10 hours on Sunday; Union goes recent-retro with its 90’s Goth Klub party.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Halloween weekend without the crown prince of spooky rock, and Alice Cooper at Pantages couldn’t possibly disappoint.

And if you can somehow keep it going, the cutting-edge Ostbahnof series pulls in the Acid Camp, Dig Deeper and Bears in Space founders for the Halloween nightcap to end them all.

For breaking music news, follow @augustbrown on Twitter.