Dave Chamberlain

With the current musical climate that makes rock stars out of DJs--and compilation/mix CDs more important than purely original music--the denominators of rock criticism fall to the way side. Instead, it's far more vital to critique a vibe presented by a DJ, and in those terms Miguel Migs stands tall. A native of northern California, Migs shucked away the granola-activist vibe (though he did get his start in a reggae band) and helped define the downtempo, ultra-chilled out house flavor that presently dominates the SF/Santa Cruz house scene. Migs' debut mix record, "Nude Tempo One" (Astralwerks), is a beautiful re-defining of house music and modernized soul/disco, spiked with deeply impacted dubs for nearly psychedelic texture. His treatment of tracks like Onda's "Happiness is Free," Blue Six' "Love Yourself" and Satin Souls' "Aziza" instantly begs comparison to King Britt's house stylings, but with the uptempo replaced by "Shaft"-like woka-wokas and dreamy use of the echo chamber. Though DJ-mix CDs have become as ubiquitous as a four-four beat in clubs, "Nude Tempo One" is striking in its ability to set a sonic and emotional groove from the opening track and maintain it all the way through. Migs spins at the top of the new downtempo class--low-key but not low energy, more soul than house.

Miguel Migs will DJ March 15 at the Smart Bar, 3730 North Clark, (773)549-0203.

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