It's difficult to think of any other Beijing-based DJ versatile in style and willing to push the musical envelope as Mael Thibaut. "I was long into reggae music, but I went really mental about it when I started going to drum'n'bass raves,"The Syndicate's co-director explains. "I'd say the first time I really got inspired was when I saw Kemistry and Storm playing in Paris in early '99, because that set was so intense." While his first Beijing gigs in the summer of 2006 with fellow Parisian d'n'b heads DJ Pitch-In and MC Taiwan secured his affiliation with The Syndicate, Mael still throws everything from his beloved reggae, to breakbeat, electro-jazz, and funk, but admits that electronica's newest kid on the block, dubstep, has had the biggest influence on his current sound. We picked his brain a bit to find out what Beijing's dark prince of the underground likes to throw when he's not poised at the bar nursing a rum and coke.

-- Goth Trad, "Ending" (remix): This is an exclusive track, not sure who the original is from, to be listened to on Goth Trad's myspace page. Simply the most twisted dubstep tune I've heard in a while, frantic bongos, jungle type of amen breaks, and a faaaaaaaaat sub.

-- The Bug, "Skeng" (Kode 9 remix): The original was already an arse-kicking tune. Hardcore ragga flow on a dubstep beat. But master Kode 9 took it to another dimension with that panic-provoking tune. Adding scary synths for an imminent explosion feeling, sophisticated 8-bit sounds, and dirty bleeps everywhere, the track is just deliciously paranoid!

-- Djunya, "Uprise": Big tune from a 'Frisco based producer. I love it for its tribute to both dub and drum'n'bass. Sweet dubby guitar skank and very dark synths that remind me of the darkest side of d'n'b.

-- Jahcoozi, "Fish": German darkness. Dirty, slow electro with totally sick lyrics. My kind of sh*t!

-- Shackleton, "New Dawn": A strange tribal garage track, very minimalist with the sickest bassline, lightning and thunder dub vibe. A pure trip!

Don't miss DJ Mael getting dark and dirty with DJ Otra every Monday for Retox at Alfa, or at any Syndicate-hosted event, where he's usually not too far from the decks to cause some trouble in the late hours.