OT - What do you think of turntablists/scratch djs?

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:31 pm

I'm glad I saw that, too!

That's changed my perception of turntablism from the QBert-style circus act into actual musicianship...

ek · Post by ek » Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:35 pm

Ok so it sounds like I am probably the only person who skratches in the thread so Ill give a little information about the history and the "whose who" of the skratch world.

So from 1996-2001 is considered by many in the "know" to be the golden-age of skratching, at least in the terms of new techniques developed etc . etc. This time period you have a couple really big crews dominate, like the Invisbl Skratch Piklz or the X-men. Battling was really big back then, & it was actually considered one of the best forms of advancing the art.

Things have changed dramatically, many of you are familar with the old form of skratching, which was like battle/solo oriented. Skratch musicians like D-styles, Ricci Rucker, Mike Boo, Toadstyle, Excess and others whom Im forgetting to mention actually changed the entire "game" about 5-6 years ago.

These musicians are making full musical compositions made entirely out of skratching. This includes skratch drumming a beat, chopping & cutting a bassline or melodic lead, adding musical samples rearranged, sometimes in a largely improvised way, to make compositons largely like electronic musicians who use alot of samples.

So, just like any musician, these songs have created a definete style that is really popular in the skratch world right now. With loop pedals some of these musicians can make these compositions live by themselves.

DJs like Qbert, albeit extremeley talented, are becoming apart of a dying breed. There are people with the same level of skill as Q who aren't 1/10 as famous, just like any musical industry, marketing is a huge part of why you know who you know. Qbert also was a complete innovator back in the day, hes the posterboy for skratching skill, but at the sametime he is also the posterboy for solo skratching... which is just soloing over a beat.

Granted, that is the style almost everyone knows, it also happens to be what people think about when they even THINK of skratching, and many musicians are put off by the sound because their ears cannot follow the rhytmic patterns being created. You wouldn't believe how many musicians Ive had to explain what it is they should even be listening for... Its unlike any form of traditional music expression so their are alot of "rules" that are constantly being bent.

Im sure there is alot more Im forgetting, Ill probably have to post again.

ek

deckme(N)tal · Post by **deckme(N)tal** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:39 pm

i scratch too...

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... D=95848425
check the videos...italian turntablists with bass player..

kennerb · Post by **kennerb** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:49 pm

X ecutioners. cool JDj PRemiere, nice, Qbert swell, Birdy NaM NAM groovy

But tha real reprezenta is right here

http://ontr.textamerica.com/?r=2413675

funknotik · Post by **funknotik** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:27 pm

M. Bréqs wrote:A turntablist with the minimum aptitude to perform in public (and not embarrass him/herself) has ten times the talent of the best mix DJs on the planet.

I consider them musicians, not DJs. To associate turntablism in the same category as mix DJs is a disservice to turntablists.

I consider the master turntablists (at the level of mix master mike, Q-Bert, etc) to be on par with virtuso musicians like Yngwie Malmsteen, Itzhak Perlman, Arturo Sandoval, and Carlos Santana.

As composers, I consider many of them (for instance Kid Koala) visionaries, on the level of Dave Brubeck or Charlie Parker.

Some of them have attitude. Admitted. But unlike mix DJs with attitude, turntablists have earned the right to have that attitude.

This is the best response ive ever seen on a forum. I would love to see a qbert yngwie collaboration in the future!! Excellent comparison...!

Contra · Post by **Contra** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:34 pm

ek wrote:Ricci Rucker

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
this fucker mentioned Ricci Rucker!
thank you very much, this guy is mad dope!

pz.

Contra · Post by **Contra** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:37 pm

hambone1 wrote:I'm glad I saw that, too!

That's changed my perception of turntablism from the QBert-style circus act into actual musicianship...

i beg to differ Qbert is very musical, actually helped developed a style of sheet music for turntablists to scratch to and "write" their music in the sense of notes.....

maybe youll like this, Lamont from Real Tablist, (yea its obviously rehearsed as many scratch acts) but this is more music creation and using.,.....oh ! oh!......Ableton Live!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bq0F4y5sIE

Contra · Post by **Contra** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:41 pm

kennerb wrote:X ecutioners. cool JDj PRemiere, nice, Qbert swell, Birdy NaM NAM groovy

But tha real reprezenta is right here

http://ontr.textamerica.com/?r=2413675

beng-beng-beng-b-beng....SUPA GREG! NUMBA ONE!

Contra · Post by **Contra** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:48 pm

deckme(N)tal wrote:i scratch too...
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... D=95848425
check the videos...italian turntablists with bass player..

youve been myspaced!

Pepehouse · Post by **Pepehouse** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:44 am

Not my style but I have so much respect for turntabilists, they do amazing things.

STRATEGY_510 · Post by **STRATEGY_510** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 2:11 pm

ek wrote:Ok so it sounds like I am probably the only person who skratches in the thread so Ill give a little information about the history and the "whose who" of the skratch world.

So from 1996-2001 is considered by many in the "know" to be the golden-age of skratching, at least in the terms of new techniques developed etc .

Hilarious, thanks teach.

STRATEGY[/quote]

subterFUSE · Post by **subterFUSE** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 2:27 pm

hambone1 wrote:I can listen to a turntablist for about thirty seconds before it all starts sounding the same. ... Kinda like spinning plates on sticks to me.
...

That is a pretty good way of putting it.

Or maybe it's like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IZE-4ZjPVI&eurl=

ikke · Post by **ikke** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:05 pm

hambone1 wrote:I can listen to a turntablist for about thirty seconds before it all starts sounding the same. I don't deny that is is skillful, sometimes musical, and possibly even talented, but IMO they're one-trick ponies, and more visual masturbation that music. It's show business. Kinda like spinning plates on sticks to me.

It's not just turntablists, though. Electronic musicians with their full-body-motion filter sweeps and head bobbing, rock guitarists pulling faces as they slam a simple power chord, DJs punching the air...it's all the same to me. Hollywood show business.

I'd much rather listen to quality musicianship and songwriting than watch a 21st-century Spinal Tap.

That's just me, though...

youre a big jerk you know that

Approach · Post by **Approach** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:30 pm

http://www.djswamp.com/photos.html

I like this guy alot.

rbmonosylabik · Post by **rbmonosylabik** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:30 pm

I just took on turntablism. I'm still not very good, but I'm having lots of fun with it, and I'm trying to incorporate it into my music to add some spice (check out first attemp in podcast, link in signature).

While working on a DJs expo in the Tascam stand, I had the opportunity to see D-styles perform from less than 2m away. During the three days of the expo I listened to tons and tons of guys behind the decks, and most of them only produced crabs wankery. D-styles comes and starts to make real music. That's the moment I realized I wanted to try this.