Soulfully inclined producer, MC, and turntablist ST/MiC (pronounced "Saint Mike") was a musical prodigy at a young age, learning to play the bass, guitar, and drums all by the time he was 14. In high school, he shifted from live instruments to sample-based electronics and DJing, and studied under house-dance remixer and producer Holmes Ives. Using the spelled-out moniker "St. Michael," he cut his teeth as a DJ on the East Coast's electronic dance scene, performing his hip-hop and drum'n'bass productions throughout the '90s. His first release on wax was the drum'n'bass cut "Scared Before," issued by Random Recordings in 1998. He also made many appearances on mixtapes by frequent collaborator DJ Ragz, one-half of hip-hop group Jazz Addixx. Though he released more recordings in the 2000s, including some low-key EPs and collaborative projects with rappers the Unknown and other half of Jazz Addixx, M.U.D.D., he devoted his time to honing his production and self-taught audio engineering skills, and he eventually settled down in Virginia. In that time, he was responsible for mixing down songs for Skillz, Rass Kass, C-Rayz Walz, and, of course, Jazz Addixx. In 2007, Australian-based Vibra Online issued ST/MiC's first full-fledged effort, the MP3-only On My Days Off, an instrumental LP combining edgy, angular drum'n'bass with relaxing downtempo soul. The decidedly hip-hop album Life's Work, featuring guest spots and production by the Unknown and Jazz Addixx, arrived a year later on Domination Recordings. ~ Cyril Cordor