Monkey Mafia is a gang of one, British DJ Jon Carter, whose remixes for U2 and other megabands have made him one of the premier knob twiddlers of the past three years. Carter's U.S. debut shows why, boasting deep, dubby dance mixes, reggae toasting and puréed sample soups thick enough to clog a speaker. Carter owes a debt to his idiosyncratic studio collaborators. Shirzelle's sweet, silky vocals give the chill "Long As I Can See the Light" a breathing soul. The U.K. dance hit "Blow the Whole Joint Up (Coughing Up Fire Mix)" gains a quirky individualism thanks to Lee Spencer's twee analogsynth melody, which scampers among the beats like an anachronistic leprechaun blowing raspberries at the digital age. The biggest star is Krash Slaughta, whose frenetic scratching on "Make Jah Music" and "Work Mi Body (Chicken Scratch Mix)" lend Shoot the Boss a ragged, street-smart edge too seldom found on the polished postmodern dance floor. (RS 801)

NEVA CHONIN