Saturday - June 25th, 2005
Club Footprint, Nanki-Shirahama, Japan

The DJ has evolved immensely since the days when DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa first introduced their skills to hordes of people in the Bronx more than two decades ago. But the ripples from the achievements of those DJs remain to be an intrinsic part of Japan’s underground music scene. Keeping hip-hop enthusiasts across the country dancing all night long, the hip-hop DJ is unquestionably “The People’s Champion.” In order to keep everyone bouncing to the beats, he or she must not only accurately read the crowd’s intensity, but also be able to match it through energy, technique, and presence; thus forming a symbiotic relationship with the audience. Such talent requires many hours of practice behind the wheels of steel. Depending on the level of involvement, the DJ truly committed to cultivating unique and complex sounds will inevitably ascend the status of a normal DJ to become what is known as a turntablist.

In Japan, there are many turntablists who have made names for themselves around the world by amazing audiences with lightning quick speeds and acrobatic-like animated live performances from behind the decks. Recently, Japan gained recognition as” the Land of the Rising DJ” due to hometown hero, DJ Kentaro, winning the most prestigious DJ award: The DMC (Disco Mix Club) World Title (a title shared by famous DJs such as Q-bert and Craze). In the wake of DJ Kentaro’s victory, two Japanese DJs have worked endlessly to push the standard of modern turntablism and help the scene reach the next level of evolution. Osaka’s virtuosos, DJ Yasa (short hair) and DJ HI-C (long dreaded hair with mustache), both known for their skillful wizardry from behind the decks, have taken a DJ Shadow-esqe approach to turntablism by incorporating sophisticated video imagery with their cutting-edge sound. In 2004, this dynamic duo joined forces and began performing together under the name Kireek.

In late June, Kireek was scheduled to make landfall at one of Japan’s most prominent underground nightclubs, Club Footprint, located directly across from Japan’s beautiful west coast oasis, Shirahama Beach. For the past five years Club Footprint has remained a stomping ground for both DJs and MCs in the Japanese hip-hop circuit. While famous artists like reggae superstar, Moomin, and rapper, Sphere of Influence, have all astounded sold out audiences at Club Footprint; it remained a mystery whether Kireek was capable of generating a similar type of response from the crowd. On the night that I received an invitation to the show, Club Footprint owner, Oka Hiroyuki, confidently proclaimed that Kireek’s performance would be nothing less than spectacular. Soon after speaking with Mr. Hiroyuki, however, I asked myself: what is turntablism? Before witnessing something great it is important to understand why it is great; and so after much time spent researching, the proverbial rabbit hole of hip-hop history began to transform into a cornucopia of legendary stories.

Although the term “Turntablism” was originally introduced in 1995 by DJ Babu (Beat Junkies and Dilated Peoples), the actual concept began in the late 70s in Bronx, New York. According to the International Turntablism Federation (ITF), a turntablist is defined as: “One who uses the phonograph turntable as a component to make music as well as an instrument to literally play music.” During a 1996 interview with Christo Macias, DJ Babu defined a turntablist as “a person who uses the turntables not to play music, but to manipulate sound and create music.” In short, both definitions explain how the turntablist makes music with his decks, which introduces the first evolutionary stage of the hip-hop DJ. It was in 1973 when a group of people combined three important elements of being a DJ and created a “Tri-Force”, kicking off the earliest stages of turntablism history. As published in an article on jam2dis.com, DXT (formerly known as Grandmaster DST) describes this imaginative “Tri-Force” of DJs consisting of Kool DJ Herc (presence), Afrika Bambaataa (energy), and Grandmaster Flash (technique). DJ Herc carried a special mystique that was impossible to ignore from the audience during his set. He knew how to keep the party going all night long, and that alone gave him an insurmountable amount of presence in the clubs. Likewise, Afrika Bambaataa’s energy not only helped organize and promote the events, but was also a major force in making sure things ran smoothly and with no violence. Being a DJ is a spiritual thing to Bambaataa, and getting everyone to dance to his lush beats was all part of the job. It was Flash that came across with a more technique/showcase approach to DJing with all his behind-the-back skillful moves, which showed the DJ as more than just a supplier of music; he was also an entertainer. “Herc, Flash, and Bambaataa had the most profound influence on the development of hip-hop culture,” described DXT. “Their examples inspired young teenagers from all over the Bronx to become hip-hop DJs.”

Playing other people’s music is not what made these three amazing pioneers turntablists. A turntablist uses the decks not only to make a crowd controlling collage of other people’s music, but also produces his or her own music into the mix. To create music with turntables, it is important be familiar with the two essential fundamentals of turntablism: scratching and beat-juggling. “Scratching” is the most commonly associated part of the DJs repertoire. This sound is unmistakable, and, more often than not, has the ability to drive parents absolutely insane! It sounds similar to a tire screeching when someone applies the brakes too fast, and can be created by moving a record forward or backward on a record player. The first person to invent this sound was Grand Wizard Theodore in 1975; and he did it at the tender age of 14. “Theodore was messing around with his record player when his mom walked in his room,” according to jam2dis.com. “As she walked in, Grand Wizard stopped the record with his fingers to listen to her while unconsciously moving the record back and forth over the same drumbeat, creating a scratch.” The scratch really took the mainstream by storm when jazz musician Herbie Hancock peformed his hit song “Rockit” with Grandmaster DST (now DXT) at the 1983 Grammy Awards. Possessing a splash of futuristic mystique behind his dark sunglasses, Grandmaster DST’s sound shot around the world like Hank Aaron’s record breaking homerun, inspiring legions of fans along its path. World famous DJs such as Cut Chemist and DJ Numark (Jurassic 5), DJ Q-bert (Invisibl Skratch Piklz) and DJ Shadow all admit to receiving inspiration from Grandmaster DST’s Grammy Awards performance.

The other essential of turntablism is beat-juggling. This technique is used to create new rhythmical compositions by taking two records and adjusting the sequence of the elements: breaks, drum sounds, etc. (The “break” in a song is the point where the drum rhythm is isolated and accentuated.) DJ Kool Herc, the presence part of the original “Tri-Force,” was one of the first people to extend relatively short breaks in songs by using an audio mixer, as well as two identical records to continuously replace the desired piece of music which created a new, original sound.

Although scratching and beat-juggling were used in the mid 70s, it was not until 1981 that the hit single, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” first demonstrated the electrifying skills of the hip-hop DJ. Grandmaster Flash, the technical part of the “Tri-Force,” was the first to do turntable tricks and would often throw huge block parties by illegally hooking up his sound system to street lights and other main cables, usually attracting the police. The security for these block parties was often supplied by the energy part of the “Tri-Force,” Afrika Bambaataa. The name, Afrika Bambaataa means “affectionate leader” (this name was inspired by the film Zulu, which portrays the 1879 battle between British Troops and the Zulu tribe). In 1982, Bambaataa re-mixed Kraftwerk’s pioneering techno hit, “Trans-Europe Express,” which gave it a danceable, funkdafied facelift, and proving that no musical genre was outside the hip-hop DJ’s grasp. The success of this “Tri-Force” of pioneering DJs and Herbie Hancock’s Grammy Award winning, “Rockit,” gave turntablism national exposure and created an extensive audience of devoted fans. The scene became so big that in 1987 the DMC (Disco Mix Club) held its first annual DJ competition, prompting the next evolution of the hip-hop DJ.

The DMC (Disco Mix Club) is an international organization that hosts both DJ competitions and battles. These events give DJs the chance to showcase their talents to the world and gain international notoriety. It was at the 1990 DMC USA Finals that history was made when “The Cut Professor” Steve Dee used the art of beat-juggling to remix and create a new and original piece of music with a distinctly separate sound from the records he was spinning. Soon after, many famous DJs started looking at Steve Dee as inspiration for their future careers. “I started doing mix tapes for my high school, then house parties,” confessed 1996 ITF (International Turntablist Federation) World Champion and current member of The X-ecutioners, DJ Total Eclipse to the Hip Hop Congress. “From there I discovered Steve Dee, the original founder of X-Men (now X-ecutioners) when I saw him in the ’90 DMC USA finals – not actually live, but on a videotape – and I just mimicked everything that he did. From there I just found much love. The person that I idolize is Steve Dee.” Steve Dee was not the only unique prodigy to spawn from the DMC competitions and battles. Current Beastie Boys DJ, Mix Master Mike, DJ Shortkut, three-time WMC champion Miami-native DJ Craze, and perhaps one of the most gifted DJs in the world today, DJ Q-Bert, have all contributed to the international success of the hip-hop DJ.

DJ Yasa and DJ HI-C both recognize the skills of DJ Q-bert and DJ Craze, as well as praise their accomplishments as champion innovators. It is the championship spirit that helped encourage both Yasa and HI-C to become the ingenious turntablists of today. DJ Yasa was first exposed to DJing as a high school student when he watched DJ Yoshikazu (now DJ Fencer) scratch at his favorite skateboard shop. When DJ Yasa was able to save up some money, he bought his first turntable and delved into the art of scratching. He practiced non-stop for days on end, melding together as many different musical genres as he could get his hands on. At the DMC World Finals for 2003, DJ Yasa ranked fourth among some of the best DJs in the world. The next year DJ Yasa placed second in both the 2004 DMC Japan Finals and the 2004 Vestax Extravaganza World Finals. Coming in at a close third in both those competitions, however, was Kireek partner, DJ HI-C.

DJ HI-C bought his first turntable in 1999, not becoming serious until 2000 when a video game, Beatmania, sparked his interest. After playing Beatmania, HI-C thought that DJing was not difficult; however, when testing his skills behind the turntables, he quickly realized what he was getting himself into. Initially discouraged by the arduousness of spinning, DJ HI-C was on the verge of quitting until he witnessed Japan’s nationally renowned DJ Akakabe at the 1998 DMC Japan competition. DJ Akakabe’s performance was enough to revitalize HI-C’s interest in the turntable. From that point on DJing has been a full-on commitment for him. Since forming Kireek, these two DJs have developed a strong reputation and loyal following throughout the underground circuit; and so by the time Kireek finally graced the stage at Club Footprint, everyone appeared ready for a mind-altering barrage of sonic mayhem.

Upon entering Club Footprint, Kireek’s setup instantly caught my attention. Behind the DJ booth was an arsenal of equipment consisting of four turntables, two mixers, CD mixer, machine to mix visual images, one Macintosh laptop, and a mass of colorful wires. The setup resembled Q’s old laboratory from early James Bond films. Once Kireek had properly adjusted all the equipment, the smorgasbord of electronic manipulation began. With thunderous authority, a bombastic sound projected from the enormous subwoofers surrounding the dance floor and created a wall of controlled chaos. A montage of intriguing visuals enhanced Kireek’s seismic vibrations, causing the audience to be bombarded with an overwhelming amount of audio-visual stimulation. Some of the images included old pictures of New York street graffiti, eerie looking dark-skinned Japanese girls (known as ganguro girls), computer-generated pictures of various cities, and scenes from civil-rights demonstrations, to name a few.

During the set, both DJ Yasa and DJ HI-C switched positions, leaving DJ Yasa behind the turntables under the multimedia screen and landing DJ HI-C behind the sleek Macintosh laptop. It was at this moment that Kireek pulled off its most visually stunning part of the evening. DJ Yasa, displaying superb technique, scratched and beat-juggled with breathtaking speeds as DJ HI-C maneuvered the visuals to coincide with the sound. With mind-blowing rhythmic scratching and beat-juggling mixed with mesmerizing visuals, Kireek filled Club Footprint with a magnetic field of energy strong enough to draw in the millennium falcon. Resistance was futile as Kireek’s sound hypnotized the entire audience. Even Mr. Hiroyuki felt the energetic vibe as Kireek managed the mixer, turntables, and images simultaneously with unnatural speed and grace. It was as if someone in the audience was pushing a “fast-forward” button. The most amazing part was the video imagery, which was mixed live by DJ HI-C, and remained in perfect synchronicity with DJ Yasa’s beat-arranging extravaganza. Kireek’s strong presence from behind the booth became an undeniable force and completely engulfed the entire audience. By the end of their set, DJ Yasa and DJ HI-C had both confirmed Mr. Hiroyuki’s earlier proclamation of a truly eye-opening and inspirational performance.

Kireek displayed the true essence of turntablism by using scratching and beat-juggling to bring energy, technique, and presence to Club Footprint. Everyone in the audience recognized that Kireek produced something special. The most accurate way to describe Kireek’s performance is as the third evolution of the hip-hop DJ: visual turntablism. Back when the “Tri-Force” was throwing block parties in the Bronx, nobody would have imagined that more than two decades down the road two Japanese turntablists would be amazing audiences with superior technique and captivating visual stimuli. Turntablism has produced some skillful champions in its short history, and it is the audience that benefits most from the dedication and perseverance. Like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, a hip-hop DJ evolves into a turntablist; but despite the changes that may occur in the future, one thing will always remain the same: the person behind the wheels of steel will continue to be “The People’s Champion.”