DJ /rupture

Plenty of DJs claim to "take you on a journey" with their sets, but Jace Clayton, better known as DJ /rupture, is one of the few capable of actually drawing a map. Despite the disjuncture his name implies, /rupture's eclectic mixes--ranging from militant hip-hop and raga to his own noise-filled drum 'n' bass productions and beyond--never feel willful. Instead, he finds the links between each style, articulating his vision of Africa's musical diaspora while rocking the party, sort of.

Gold Teeth Thief, originally self-issued last year, is his potent manifesto, exploring hip-hop's recent obsession with Arabic sounds (the opening one-two punch of Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" segueing into the instrumental mix of QB Finest's "Oochie Wally"), offering similar ideas about drum 'n' bass and ending with a beautiful live track from Miriam Makeba.

The new Minesweeper Suite picks it up from there, with a mix of North Africa's Mahmoud Fadi and hip-hop producer J-Boogie, and explores the nuances of Thief's broad canvas. Occasionally, the noise overwhelms, making Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song," which appears near the disc's end, a good joke. Matching that cut with a slowed-down instrumental of Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody," he brings the journey full circle.