Goldie

The history of dance music tells us that Goldie is an important figure. And Lord knows, you can't argue with history. To his credit, for a brief moment in the mid-'90s, Goldie reached a level of fame few dance artists achieve. People who had no idea what "jungle" was knew who he was — mainly because he was dating Björk. But strip away the outsized persona, the Icelandic celebrity shaggings and those eponymous gold teeth, and what's left? Looking back, it's hard to make a real case that his musical contributions were crucial. Some of Goldie's best work was done with other, more talented producers. And personally, even his hits were underwhelming. Apart from possibly helping spread the idea of jungle to a lot of Björk fans, his biggest contribution was proving that image and attitude can equal a successful career — even in the largely anonymous, faceless world of electronic-music production. Judge his contribution for yourself this Friday, February 22, when Goldie plays at 753 Santa Fe Drive (visit www.sonusdnb.com for more info).