Diplo

Perhaps Diplo should be regarded as a curator rather than a DJ or producer, given his knack of pulling together a clutch of seemingly disparate influences and presenting them in a way that seems to make perfect sense.

Born Wesley Pentz in Tupelo, Mississippi, Diplo spent his formative years in Florida, which acted as something of a musical melting pot for the sounds of Miami Bass from the north and southern hip-hop from the west.

It wasn't until his landmark 2003 debut, Never Scared - recorded while working as a social worker in Philadelphia - however, that the DJ honed his skills, marking his flailing versatility with a mix that effortlessly shifted from The Bangles and Baltimore club to The Clash and The Cure.

In 2004, Diplo partnered with British artist M.I.A. on her Piracy Funds Terrorism mix tape, leading to the Grammy-nominated crossover hit "Paper Planes" three years later.

The success of that particular collaboration has led Diplo to find himself in a peculiar place of late, producing a string of unashamedly brash pop hits for the likes of Britney Spears, Chris Brown and Beyonce. But however commercial Diplo's work, it always carries an irrefutable air of experimentation and influence. Indeed, the minimalist, echo-laden strains of his 2004 album Florida can be heard in the reflective sound of of-the-moment indie artists, The xx and James Blake.

Key to Diplo's wily way with different styles is his reputation as a truly international musician, with most of his time spent exploring global musical movements and instigating others.

As well as contributing to his own releases, Diplo's work in locales as disparate as Jamaica, Africa and Brazil has led to an incredibly eclectic roster for his Mad Decent imprint, boasting acts as diverse as Blaqstarr, Gucci Mane and Bonde do Role.

Indeed, his particular affinity for Baile Funk has spawned a series of oddly enlightening mix tapes and documentaries that have served to transport the sound and styles of Brazilian dance music from the ghettos of Sao Paulo to international dance floors.

Recently, Diplo has combined his mash-up skills with a love of roots reggae to form Major Lazer, a dub-inspired dancehall collaboration with London DJ Switch.

Recorded in Jamaica, their 2009 debut, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do, found celebrated dancehall names such as Vybz Kartel and Elephant Man sharing vocal duties with U.S. artists including Santigold and Ricky Blaze. And in March, the Mississippi-born spinner expanded on the theme with Riddimentary: Diplo Selects Greensleeves, a compilation album featuring an inspired track list of old-school dub and dancehall handpicked from the vaults of the legendary British reggae label.

Offering an insight into some of the influences of Diplo's characteristic mixing style, the album is a crate-diggers dream, combining alternative cuts of classic one-drop rhythms with the inimitable toasting of '80s dancehall pioneers such as Yellowman and Eek A Mouse.

British roots duo Alpha & Omega open the album with "Who Is the Ruler?," a heavily politicized call to arms that packs a similar urgency to their Jamaican forebears, while immortal anthems such as Gregory Isaacs' "Night Nurse" and John Holt's "Police in Helicopter" are familiar enough to appeal to those with no more than a passing interest in the genre. However, it's the likes of "Telephone Love," the late '80s crossover hit from London MC J.C. Lodge and the echo-laden experiments of legendary producers Joe Gibbs and Prince Far I, that are more interesting, chronicling the transition from the analog sounds of classic roots to the digitized tones of dancehall.

Diplo, it seems, has struck gold yet again. His performance at Lucerna - his first visit to Prague - is sure to bring the crate diggers out of the woodwork and onto a packed, pulsating dance floor. 

Andrew Fenwick can be reached at
afenwick@praguepost.com