Danny Howells

Over the past five years, renowned U.K. DJ Danny Howells has built a sterling reputation on the strength of his live sets and mix CDs — which straddle the line between deep underground cuts and more accessible tracks — and a series of stellar productions under the moniker Science Dept. Today he stands with luminaries such as John Digweed, Nick Warren and Deep Dish as one of the premier purveyors of the dark, muscular sound he helped develop. Howells's strength lies in his ability to find common ground between seemingly disparate sounds and styles, creating a distinctive mix that balances sexy, funky house against more driving progressive tracks. His ability to pull this off well enough to please fans in both camps is a testament to his skills behind the decks. This Saturday's set at Vinyl should be full of sexy space disco, pumping tech house and splashes of beatific trance.