Djing & Turntablism

Beat Juggling

2011-12-07T22:33:00.000+01:00

Beat juggling is the act of manipulating two or more samples (e.g. drum beats, or vocal phrases), in order to create a unique composition, using multiple turntables and one or more mixers. This can involve pauses, scratching, backspins and delays.

It could be seen as fingertip sampling, and the turntable and mixer combination could be seen as an instrument from which sounds are made, from the sounds of other instruments(samples).

Beat Juggling has its roots in cutting, in which a small section of a beat is looped using two copies of the same record. This was first done byKool DJ Herc, and later refined by DJs such as Grandmaster Flash in the early 80s. Two other fundamentals of modern beat juggling technique include "tapping" or "walking," where the DJ taps the record in between percussion sounds, stopping it momentarily to slow down the beat, or pushing it faster to speed it up, and "shuffling" or "strobing," where the DJ loops the two records at different points in the beat, literally remixing the record live by playing new combinations of the sounds on the records.

The term is an invention of the media, and not the actual title given by the creators. Juggling the beat merely describes what is being done. The inventor of the technique, DJ Steve Dee from Harlem, NYC, referred to it simply as bringing "The Funk" out of a record. He effectively made his own beats from reconstructing different parts of songs. The technique was refined by the DJ group The X-Men, whom DJ Steve Dee founded, they later were to become The X-Ecutioners.

Scratching

2011-10-13T22:05:00.000+02:00

Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique originated by Grand Wizard Theodore, an early hip hop DJ from New York (AMG). The technique is designed to accentuate the work of the DJ by creating an assortment of sounds through the rhythmical manipulation of a vinyl record, and has spread from hip hop culture to a number of other musical forms. Within hip hop culture, scratching is still of great importance in determining the skill of a DJ, and a number of competitions are held across the globe in which DJs battle one another in displays of great virtuosity.

Notable Hip-Hop DJ's :

Afrika Bambaataa

DJ Babu (Beat Junkies)

Eric B.

Funkmaster Flex

DJ Grandmaster Flash

Jam Master Jay

DJ Jazzy Jeff

DJ Kay Slay

Kid Capri

Kool DJ Herc

DJ Mike T (CMW)

Mix Master Mike (ISP)

DJ Muggs

DJ Premier

DJ Q Bert (ISP)

DJ Scratch

DJ Spinderella

Terminator X

Turntablism

2011-10-13T20:09:00.000+02:00

Turntablism :

is a subgenre of pop music which emerged from hip hop. One who engages in turntablism is a turntablist, a term coined by DJ Babu whose mix-tapes bore the name "Babu the turntablist". Turntablists are DJs who use vinyl disc records, and turntable techniques like scratching or beat juggling in the composition of original musical works. Turntablism is generally focused more on turntable technique and less on mixing, rapping or vocal delivery. Some turntablists seek to have themselves recognized as a legitimate musician capable of interacting and improvising with other performers.

DJ Grand Mixer DXT is credited with inventing turntablism, the rhythmic scratching of a record on a turntable, then using different velocities to alter the pitch of the note or sound on the recording, making the turntable a fully performable and improvisational instrument (Alberts 2002).

Turntablists like Roc Raida, Q-Bert, A-Trak, and Kid Koala owe a distinct debt to old school DJs like DJ Kool Herc, Grand Wizard Theodore, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and DJs of the "Golden Era of Hip-Hop" such as Eric B, who originally developed many of the concepts and techniques that evolved into modern turntablism. There are also more experimental turntablists such as Christian Marclay, Otomo Yoshihide, Philip Jeck and Janek Schaefer. Within the realm of hip hop, notable modern turntablists are the cinematic DJ Shadow, whose influences stretch to both Diplo and RJD2, among others, and the experimental DJ Spooky, whose Optometry albums showed that the turntablist can perfectly fit within the classic jazz setting. Cut Chemist and Nu-mark, members of old school hip hop collective Jurassic 5, and Mixmaster Mike, who collaborated with the Beastie Boys on 1998’s Hello Nasty, are also known as virtuosos of the turntables.

Turntables were actually first used as musical instruments in the 1940’s and 1950’s by musique concrète and other experimental composers, such as John Cage and Pierre Schaeffer, who used them in a manner similar to digital sampling. Hip hop DJs developed independently of the earlier techniques.

The International Turntablist Federation (ITF) is an organisation which aims to promote turntablism, it also organises a turntablist world championship on a yearly basis (1997 - Present).

Another prominent turntablist world championship organiser is the DMC (Dj Mixing Championship) Technics World Dj Championship

(1986 - Present).

The selection of a champion comes from the culmination of the battles between turntablists. Battling involves each turntablist performing a routine (a combination of tricks) within a limited time period, after which, the routine is judged by a panel of expert judges. The winner is selected based upon score.

Dj-ing

2011-10-13T19:32:00.000+02:00

Djing hip hop element Turntablism

DJing (turntablism) in hip hop refers to the art of using turntables as a musical instrument. Records/albums are used as tools to create many different styles of music. Some of the techniques used include cutting, scratching, body tricks, needle drops, and blends or mixes.

Traditionally, a DJ will use two turntables simultaneously. These are hooked to a receiver, an amplifier, speakers, a mixer (or fader) and various other pieces of electronic music equipment. The DJ will then perform various tricks between the two albums currently in rotation using the above listed methods. The result is a unique sound created by the seemingly combined sound of two separate songs into one song. A DJ should not be confused with a producer of a music track (though there is considerable overlap between the two roles).

Some famous DJ's : Grandmaster Flash, Mr. Magic, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Scratch from EPMD, DJ Premier from Gang Starr, DJ Miz, DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill, Jam Master Jay from Run-DMC, Eric B., Tony Touch, DJ Clue, DJ Shadow, DJ Q-Bert, DJ D-Styles and DJ Spooky.

Before coming into their own as music makers, an MC’s role was to get the crowd into the DJ’s mix. Hip hop used to be, above all, about getting your audience to dance. In Europe this attitude has been more enduring than in the U.S., where MCs quickly became hip hop’s central focus. Disillusioned with this new culture, some DJs further explored the art of spinning records, creating the turntablist scene.

A DJ needs turntables, a good sound system, and scratch fodder, which typically comes in the form of vinyl records. Some early recorded rap music does not contain any sampling or DJing, however; for example, none of the members of the Sugarhill Gang were actually involved in the DJing scene in the Bronx and thus couldn’t have done any, which explains the session player remake of "Good Times".