DJ Cheb i Sabbah is an Algerian-born veteran DJ who got his start playing American soul records in Paris in the '60s. He later put together music for experimental theater groups, which led to him DJing what some call "outernational" (Eastern-influenced dance music) at a San Francisco club called Nikki's for more than 12 years. Sabbah naturally progressed into the production arena as well, creating music with internationally renowned artists like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and jazz/worldbeat guru Bill Laswell while his own music was getting remixed by Talvin Singh and Fila Brazillia. On Sabbah's productions, his respect for the music he explores and represents is mixed with a rich attention to detail, arrangement, and the subtle incorporation of electronic beats.

Sabbah's latest album, Krishna Lila (Six Degrees), is the final installment in a trilogy of albums where Eastern classicism meets the dance floor. Krishna Lila is broken into two parts, paying homage to the traditional devotional music of India, starting with the Carnatic music of the south and Hindustani music of the north. Often, incorporating world elements into dance music comes off as kitschy--a friend of mine always jokes, "Great... not another 'safari house' track!"--but Sabbah's songs are the real deal. There are no rip-off samples here; skilled musicians created original recordings during Sabbah's treks to India over the course of two years, then he brought the recordings back, tracked his beats on top, and added his own production touches to the mix. He also invited Bill Laswell and a host of other talented musicians to contribute their virtuosity to his work.

From the get-go, Krishna Lila swirls and shuttles through layers of intricate percussion, sweeping violin, sarod and vocal runs, droning sitars, and discreet electronics. The first track, "Narajanma Bandage," opens with a mesmerizing vocal by Baby Sreeram that's chased by a mimicking violin before the song breaks into a dubbed-out, downtempo pulse. "Raja Vedalu" is truly where East meets West--the drum 'n' bass rhythm mixes with the traditional bhajan, reinforcing the undeniable connection between ancestral and modern dance music. Many times, the present-day aspects of this album are so subtle that you forget it has anything to do with the contemporary world--aside from the fact that the beats are interchangeable with today's breakbeat, downtempo, dub, and drum 'n' bass rhythms.

Sabbah's longtime role as an international music devotee allows him to create transcendental bridges between genres. You don't have to hike your ass to the Ganges River in order to realize that the music he is paying respect to is timeless. NICOLAE WHITE

Cheb i Sabbah w/ David J of Bauhaus, Dahlia, and Peter Madril, Fri Sept 6 at I-Spy, 1921 Fifth Ave, 374-9492, 9 pm-2 am, 21+, $12.

nicolae@thestranger.com