Japanese DJs feature - Published in Japanzine, 2007

This piece is the first work I’ve had published in Japan since moving here. It’s based on the work I’ve done and keep doing with various members of the Japanese DJ and tablist scene. Big up to James at Japanzine for giving this some space. Visit spinscience.org.uk for a series of features and interviews with various Japanese DJs and producers mentioned in this piece.

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Ichiban DJs

If you speak about a Japanese DJ culture, and especially a hip hop and turntablist tradition, then the one name that will always crop up is DJ Krush. A godfather to the Japanese hip hop and DJ scene for 20 years, both in and out of the country, the man has become synonymous with the scene for many people outside of Japan. However since the turn of the century a new breed and generation of DJs, turntablists and producers have come out of the shadows and showed that Krush and the other Japanese pioneers planted the seeds for a new revolution that is now in full growth.

Leading the pack of this new generation is Kentaro, the diminutive tablist powerhouse who won the DMC hands up in 2002 and has since built a worldwide reputation as one of the finest and most interesting club DJs of the last few years – finely blending his tablist roots with the kind of selection and appeal that hasn’t been seen since DJ Craze and the Scratch Perverts left DMC and turntable geekery behind for more popular, and better paid shores. On the eve of the release of his first solo album, Kentaro seems to have a bright future ahead if the last 5 years are anything to go by.

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written by Laurent

DJ Spinbad feature - Published in Undercover Magazine, 2004

This feature is based on a full length q&a with Spinbad which can be found online at spinscience.org.uk.

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Not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good!

In the world of DJing there aren’t many things DJ Spinbad hasn’t done. He made his name in the 90’s and is now one of the most revered and appreciated DJs worldwide, exporting his very own brand of funky and infectious party music to all corners of the globe. I recently had the chance to sit down with the man and pick his brains about his history, politics of the business, his work and the most bootlegged tapes in history.

Spinbad first got hooked on the turntables when he was growing up in the 80’s, learning to beatmatch on his step-brother’s friend tables. Following this he started making pause tapes for his friends and local bboy crews and became inspired by the work of local DJs as well as Jazzy Jeff, whom he credits as the inspiration for wanting to turn this new found hobby into a living. When he finally got his first decks, which much like everyone else’s at the time “were really quite shit”, he recalls trying to imitate what Jeff was doing but “of course the turntables were belt drive and they would be all over the place!”

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written by Laurent

Procryptix feature - Published in Undercover Magazine, 2005

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Pioneering duo Sparkii and Naba, aka Procryptix, have been around too long to make a fast exit. An integral part of the ever growing London hiphop scene for near enough 20 years in many shapes and forms, including production and lyrics on enough classics to make your head spin as well as being a key part of the Battle Scars and Lyricist Lounge club nights, they are still one of the more unknown elements of the UK’s hiphop history. Yet this hasn’t stopped them from doing their thing and regularly releasing EPs that have kept their legendary status alive, even if it’s been under the radar. As their new EP hits the streets this autumn, Undercover decided to take a trip to Brick Lane and find out what they’ve been up to.

Best place to start would be what you’ve been up to since your last release?
Sparkii: Since ‘Break in a 950’s Shadow’ we’ve concentrated on getting out and about and expanding our family. We’ve linked up with some cats out in Holland and France, we’ve done shows in Japan, Taiwan, and a few low key festivals. The rest of the time has been spent recording the new album, preparing the videos…
Naba: A hell of a lot of orchestrating things to make sure they fall into place later on. Since we started the ball rolling, whether it be as Procryptix or what we were doing in the clubs with Lyricist Lounge and Battle Scars, we’ve spent a lot of time making sure everything is planned so that it all goes well for us. We’d be doing stuff and then there was something else needed in the chain to move along so instead of working from month to month, we took a huge chunk of time out and got everything sorted and formulated. We’ve also got a lot of material to drop, potentially even another EP as we’re now affiliated with a crew out in the Tri States.
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written by Laurent

DMC UK Finals 05 review - Published in Undercover Magazine, 2005

This is quite possibly the best review I’ve ever written, not necessarily based on penmanship though. It’s also the only review to ever get me ‘threats’ by the subjects of the review.

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DMC UK Finals 2005 – Sheperd’s Bush Empire

What a night… the UK has a new champion… and DMC has lost the last shreds of relevance it so desperately has been clinging onto.

Let’s get the good stuff out of the way first. Muzzel is the new, deserving DMC champ. Having pulled off a flawless set on the night, he came out on top of all the favourites. As one of the most underrated DJs and tablist in the UK it’s good to see him win the trophy and hopefully you’ll be seeing and hearing more of him in the coming months. If he can capitalise on his win the way Blakey did last year the future should be pretty rosy for him.

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written by Laurent

2tall feature - Published in Undercover Magazine, 2005

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Scratching, what is it? Some say it’s noise, some say it’s music. For 2tall it is most definitely the latter.

2tall’s musical background goes back to his early teens, when he learnt to play various instruments and use early computer software before turning to what would become his instrument of choice: the turntable. But unlike many DJs today who are exposed to the technical feats of scratch pioneers such as Q-Bert or MixMasterMike before anything else, 2tall took a more traditional road into the world of DJing and music making. Starting with production, 2tall then learnt to mix records as a DJ before discovering scratching thanks to DJ Hype, whose scratch styles he remembers trying to emulate using a test tone record and line switch. These first dabbling with scratching led to his discovery of battle records as a source for a DJ’s sonic arsenal, which in turn led him to master the art of scratching and realise the musical potential of the turntable, on its own and coupled with traditional production.

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written by Laurent

Euro Starz feature - Published in Undercover Magazine, 2005

The full q&a interview this feature is based on can be found online at spinscience.org.uk.

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3 is the Magic Number

As De La immortalised on their classic ‘3 feet high and rising’ LP, 3 is indeed a magic number. Three is also the number of DJs involved in a new project shaping up to be one of the most interesting projects to come out of the often stale and much debated DJ battle scene. Three is the amount of countries these three DJs come from. And three also is… well no actually three isn’t anywhere near the number of world titles these guys share between them. The three in question are Tigerstyles (from the UK and world winner of every title in 2003), Rafik (from Germany, member of the Lordz of Fitness crew and ITF 2004 world solo and team champ) and Pfel (from France, member of two times DMC team winners C2C) and this project sees them coming together to perform live on stage and bring to the public a whole new take on what can be achieved with turntables, mixers and a whole load of gear.

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written by Laurent

DJs For Life review - Published in Scratch Magazine (US), 2006

This is a review of the DJs For Life conference and event which was held in Birmingham in December 2005, and at which I had the pleasure to be one of the panelists. This review was published in Scratch Magazine in 2006.

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DJs for Life – Birmingham UK, 9 & 10 December 2005

The UK’s biggest DJ culture conference and event was held at the Drum Arts Centre over 2 days in December last year with over 30 legends from the US and UK brought together by the Punch organisation to discuss and showcase everything from its origins to its current multiple facets, its past, present and most importantly, its future.

Seminars and master-classes over both days saw originators & pioneers from both sides of the Atlantic, including Jazzy Jay, Steve Dee, Theodore, Supreme, Swift & Pogo, exchange stories, ideas and insights while newer talent and current leaders, D-Styles, Rob Swift, Quest, Tigerstyle, Woody & 2tall, discussed new directions in scratching, equipment and production. On the last day both old and new school came together for a great discussion on the origins and development of the scratch artform, from Theodore’s accidental discovery to the music being made today by the likes of D-Styles and Rob Swift.

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written by Laurent