I saw a movie today titled "Scratch"

[LEONARD REMIX RROY]

It was all about "Turntableist" beat juggling and mixing their ass off in competition for the DMC world spin off.

I enjoied that movie alot and if I could go back in time 25 years, I'd be in New York showing skills on the tables and learning from the best of the best.

I love House hands down but, I rather be mixing - scratching - beat juggling & doing tricks with wax. I love and miss that style of playing that Farley, Steve Hurley & I did back in the day.
The history of DJing that I saw in the movie was on point and everybody really gave it up for Grand Mixer DST (he did that scratch on rocket).

That movie really got me pumped up. They also talked about how DJ's are not as big a part of a Rap Show as they once were and how they were working on a concept of {a group of DJ's doing beats / music / etc all with turntables and no samplers} making a work of art. I was really feeling that.

Over the weekend I was talking with a guy whom Exe Producer is "LiL Kim" He is trying to make a music company happen here in Chicago. In short she said Chicago people don't support each other. That is sad but true and the really bad part is - it came from a Rap Artist.

I look at what happened here when The Casper Slide got released. With all these people in Chicago and popular as that song was, there aint reason for the lack of units moved in Chicago. I purchased a copy just because he is a local artist. All while the song was getting popular Chicago radio did not touch it until Universal begain to distribute to CD.

Had Casper recieved local support I can see 200K copies rolling off the shelf. It was a crossover hit and I base my numbers on the total of votes casted is the last election here.

600K =/- people voted and if 1/3 of them bought a Casper Slide CD that is 200K out the door.

Sad, really sad.

['Magic' Juan]

"Scratching - beat juggling & doing tricks with wax. I love and miss that style of playing that Farley, Steve Hurley & I did back in the day."

I completely concur. That style seems to be dead now, except in hip hop. Some DJ's say there is no place for this sort of thing in House music, but I completely disagree. I miss those days ....

magic_juan

[ March 04, 2003, 04:22 PM: Message edited by: magic_juan ]

[LEONARD REMIX RROY]

I should leave here in ten minutes, insted of going straight home, I may stop at Guitar Center and buy a set of 12's and get my skills back up.

In no way to battle, the young guys I saw would eat me alive on the ones & 2's. It may be no place for it in House but, who made that rule? I wonder it anybody has the Book Of Guidelines on what a House Music DJ should / should not do. In my hay day we made it up as we went a-long, Farley - Steve & I were doing tricks, scratching etc so....I guess the rules changed.

[D J 1 3 8]

I went to my first "ghetto-tech" party last week just out of curiousity.

Ghetto-tech, in case you aren't familiar, is this weird form of detroit techno that sound like Miami Bass with techno drum sounds, and all the lyrics are "booty lyrics" about ****ing and sucking and what-not. Amusing to say the least.

Anyway, what did surprise me were the DJs, who were cutting the shit out of everything and beat juggling like crazy and this was at like 150 bpm!

Despite my lack of appreciation for most techno, I was glad to see that there were still forms of it that still had some hip hop skills present. I would guess that most of these DJs used to be hip hop battle DJs who got bored with hip hop.

And on top of all that, there was actually some black folks up in this party, which, from what I understand, is pretty rare for NY techno gigs.

[Mocambo]

My faves from the film:

1.Old film of Stevie Dee beat jungling for the first time in competition.
2. Jazzy Jay admiring his collection of records. Literally thousands.

[ March 04, 2003, 05:07 PM: Message edited by: Silhouette ]

[Austin/Dallas]

Hey Leonard!!!

Dude you are going before days at the Rink Zone days I assume..

[the crackhouse]

Leonard, I would be very happy to hear this kind of (not mix...) art.
I liked it when farley (in DHP mixes) was scratching and so did Hurley, and they were making of breaks in the songs a new track.

Please do us (me?) the favor of some mixes in that style and get off the skills, it's all about the emotion.
I think it's part of the "body" of house. Before the sampling, there were 2 same records, and with these similar cuts, you would repeat the same sequence to infinity... Without the mechanism of a computer, with the fragility of two human hands (and sometimes a tongue, a nose, an elbow, whatever...).
That is art, that is live !

Please do the way you know Leonard, I'm 100% support of this idea !

[Bold Soul]

Cats throwin' doubles and triples, looping breaks just using two copies of vinyl and two turntables, serious scratching, WBMX style... [img]graemlins/grinyes.gif[/img]

I remember when these things would make house crowds go wild! Serious screams and chants! I could never understand how this was phased out of the typical house DJ set. [img]graemlins/jpshakehead.gif[/img]

[Jamie 3:26]

Originally posted by Bold Soul:
Cats throwin' doubles and triples, looping breaks just using two copies of vinyl and two turntables, serious scratching, WBMX style... [img]graemlins/grinyes.gif[/img]

I remember when these things would make house crowds go wild! Serious screams and chants! I could never understand how this was phased out of the typical house DJ set. [img]graemlins/jpshakehead.gif[/img]

When Hardy and Knuckles started playing the high school sets...

[Bold Soul]

Originally posted by JAMIE 3:26:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Bold Soul:
Cats throwin' doubles and triples, looping breaks just using two copies of vinyl and two turntables, serious scratching, WBMX style... [img]graemlins/grinyes.gif[/img]

I remember when these things would make house crowds go wild! Serious screams and chants! I could never understand how this was phased out of the typical house DJ set. [img]graemlins/jpshakehead.gif[/img]

When Hardy and Knuckles started playing the high school sets...</font>[/QUOTE]Ah...Union Hall parties and stuff like that. I suppose - but I still remember there being some serious turntablism at a few of those. The Bismark as well.

Then again, I've been everyone's asshole as of late, so what do I know? [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img]

[Ish]

I know quite a few DJS who practice juggling and scratching over house.

Terrence Parker was pretty skilled at juggling with the house cuts, sometimes a little too much, but I liked his mixes nonetheless!

[img]smile.gif[/img]

[House]

Yo...what i liked is that it really related the true ballsiness and cutting edge of hiphop...cats like craze, shadow, jazzy jeff, steinski and cut chemist explored how this scene is always searching out new forms to throw into the mix..

i'm looking for this on dvd - its classic

[Savoir-Faire]

There are tons of videos and dvd's out there that give an inside look on turntablism. How to videos like "Turntablism 101" by Shure are very informative in nature. It basically breaks down each facet, style and the history of the craft. IMO by far, this video is a must have for those interested in gaining knowledge of Turntablism. It is a true artform that is only gaining exposure and respect. [img]graemlins/grinyes.gif[/img]

Personally, computers and its programs aside, some form of turntablism can always be incorporated into our "norm" of play today. There's nothing better than doing an on the fly edit or effect just by manipulating the vinyl or the line and fader controls and having people believe that you're using an effects box of some kind... and then have someone watching you while you do it and they say "How'd you do that!?!"
[img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

[ March 05, 2003, 07:47 AM: Message edited by: Faire One ]

[JR JAM]

Yeah I peeped this last night/early morning! :D

What about that record store that had all that wax in the basement!!!

[JL]

Scratch was amazing - really well done documentary film about an artform that isn't that commercially succesfull. Also check out a flick called "Breath Control" if you can - another really well done film on the art of beat boxing that covers the history, culture, and current state of the art. I can only wish and hope that someday soon someone will cover the history of house so well in a feature film documentary.

[DJCA]

I foud myself up late last night and caught "Scratch" on TMC It was excellent. Those turntablist were on their shit. Steve and Farley
along with DJ's like Lil John,Chip Veasley, Pharris and Lil-Boo were real good at scratching and all those turntable tricks. I use to do some scrathing and tricks, during battles, but nver to the extent of the artist in the movie.

[jurren]

Originally posted by DJ 138:
I went to my first "ghetto-tech" party last week just out of curiousity.

Ghetto-tech, in case you aren't familiar, is this weird form of detroit techno that sound like Miami Bass with techno drum sounds, and all the lyrics are "booty lyrics" about ****ing and sucking and what-not. Amusing to say the least.

Anyway, what did surprise me were the DJs, who were cutting the shit out of everything and beat juggling like crazy and this was at like 150 bpm!

Despite my lack of appreciation for most techno, I was glad to see that there were still forms of it that still had some hip hop skills present. I would guess that most of these DJs used to be hip hop battle DJs who got bored with hip hop.

And on top of all that, there was actually some black folks up in this party, which, from what I understand, is pretty rare for NY techno gigs.

another thing about ghetto-tech is that these guys play everything! i've heard di'jital in detroit 2 years ago, and his set was full of disco and italo sped up, but still... and they play contemporary hiphop aswell through their sets along side techno, electro and whatnot.

as for house dj's still scratching and beat juggling, terrence parker comes to mind, and claude young occasionally plays house aswell. come to think of it jeff mills plays house/disco/funk on occassion, how i would love to hear/see that!

jurren

[LEONARD REMIX RROY]

I always give an example of turntablism at The Kazbar. I recieved a complement from a woman monday night. She had never seen a DJ manually play a song backward on one table and mix another song that is going forward on the other and it not sound like a train wreck.

It's cool for a DJ to let their music collection talk for them but, what can they do other than blend. I would love to see Chicago jocks Battle and show off turntable skils - like it should be done.

Sean Sounds has me on Video from last summer busting out my turntable-ism, when I was done everybody began to clap & cheer.

The way we did it (Farley, Steve & I) we say little as of talking crap like Ali, we take it to the DJ booth and give everybody a show.

Alfrikka Bambatta (S/p) played at the Rainbow and was cutting up Optimo by Liquid Liquid and the crowd was going wild. I went to the booth and told Farley, "man you better get him!" When Farley got on and started scratching, he did the infamous Violin Scratch, He put the 1200 on his sholder and scratched with a record, I was completely undone!

That's what I miss most of all. I love what was going on at The Box & The Plant but, I miss the days when Farley, Steve & I were Knights of Chicago turntables, and Steve Hurley was the first DJ I ever saw do a triple.

That happened on a cold winter night at a club located on Roosevelt & Halsted name The Penthouse. Steve was playing the instrumental version of "Give It To Me" by Conquest and he made verses repete 3 times and not the standard 2 time back beat repete. Wayne Williams and every other DJ walked up to the booth to watch him do it again. Thoughs were that days!!!!!!!

[JR JAM]

[LEONARD REMIX RROY]

Originally posted by JR JAM:

Yea boy, that's what I like to see. I can watch any DJ blend and play with a isolator or the EQ on a Rane mixer. I like seeing Turntabalist!

Grand Mixer DST kicked something serious off in 1984 at the Grammy Awards.

[JR JAM]

Originally posted by LEONARD REMIX RROY:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by JR JAM:

Yea boy, that's what I like to see. I can watch any DJ blend and play with a isolator or the EQ on a Rane mixer. I like seeing Turntabalist!

Grand Mixer DST kicked something serious off in 1984 at the Grammy Awards.</font>[/QUOTE]Hey Leonard I remember this scratch you used to do with Liaisons Dangerueses 'Perhaps Maybe' [img]graemlins/clap.gif[/img]

[SENSE MGMT]

Yeah that movie was so well produced and helps alot of people to understand that art behind turntablism. It's some tough n tricky stuff and there is always room to innovate in turntablism. It's also real entertaining to watch. I've mastered scratching but I still got along way to go when it comes to juggling but that's where my heart is at as a DJ.

[LEONARD REMIX RROY]

I have been looking for that tape from the rinkzone for years now. that last known time I listened to it was before my son was born. I really should go buy a set of 12's and stop bojangeling.

Really 12's were not important to me back then, I used Techniques D 2 semi automatic turntables back then.

Thoughs tables are long gone but, they paid for themself and then some, an initial investemt of $170 gave 2 Chicago DJ's their start...my and Jamie 326 :D

I'd love to have them back just to hand on my wall.

My kids are as interested in DJing as putting a extra hole in their head.

My daughter wont record / gear shop with me because - in her words "It's no boys there" all my son wanna do is fish.

[statuskuo]

a very well-done documentary. concise, and i did learn something from it. is there a comparable dance music documentary out there that is done in this fashion... i want the quality stuff.

peath

[beemoe44]

I saw "Scratch" some months ago in SF. Well done documentary. Similar to "Standing in the Shadows of Motown".It`s interesting the talk about DJs getting pushed to the curb. It`s funny how many rappers started with DJ`s and now you don`t see those DJ`s anymore. When was the last time you saw LL with the "Cut Creator" or Rakim with "Eric B" or better yet when was the last time "Dr. Dre" djed? It reminds me alot of Ice-T`s rebuttal of Derrick May.