Tops in technique, but A-Trak can’t quite get his groove on

Who is A-Trak? C’mon, you know him. He’s the DJ studiously manning the decks amid hip-hop star Kanye West’s intricate stage settings, scratching and cutting with skills so sharp, he conquered all comers in the world of one-on-one DJ-ing and retired from battling at the ripe old age of 18.

Now 24 and launching a solo career, the Montreal native (born Alain Macklovitch) showed off those skills Saturday at the El Rey during a long night celebrating his new DVD, “Sunglasses Is a Must,” which chronicles his journey from 13-year-old prodigy to international phenom. The show felt like one big hangout for the participants, who milled about on stage all night. They included New York DJ crew the Rub; rappers Aloe Blacc and Dudley Perkins from L.A. hip-hop label Stones Throw; and electro-funk band Chromeo, led by A-Trak’s big brother, David.

Behind a long table stacked with turntables, laptops, mixers, a sampler and other equipment, A-Trak nimbly shifted groove gears, juggled discs and scratched up a storm. Alone and with the Rub, he jumped all over the pop map, chopping up and slamming together everything from old-school rap to classic soul, even lacing in shards of such seemingly incongruous tunes as the Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and the Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian.”

Still, the thrills weren’t much more than academic, and curiously old-fashioned. The half-capacity audience steadily thinned out, with many appearing most excited by Chromeo, whose undistinguished ‘80s-style, vocoder-flavored party music recalled Cameo or early Prince, except without actual songs. Indeed, despite the evening’s emphasis on booty-shaking licks, the attention-deficit groove spans and lightning-fast breaks that demonstrated A-Trak’s prowess made it hard to sustain a truly bangin’ dance floor vibe.

-- Natalie Nichols