Meet The Finalists… We asked all the finalists in the DMC ONLINE DJ CHAMPIONSHIP to answer some of our questions, here are the ones who replied so far. We’ll bring you others as we receive our answers…
DJ Fong Fong
France
When did you first start DJing?
“In 2002.”
Have you ever competed in a DMC or other turntablist competiton before, if so when and where?
“I won my Polymix battle in 2006 (it was my first battle), DMC France in 2007 and 2010.”
What appealed to you most about entering the DMC Online competition?
“The challenge.”
What do you think makes you different from the other competitors?
“I’m different ! Hahaha!.”
How much practise did you put in before submitting your video entry to the DMC Online competition?
“Two months, to produce and then practise.”
How many times did you film your set before you were happy to post it?
“Many times but I was never happy of my shoot…really never.”
Did a public vote have any influence on the music choices and creation of the set?
“No, not for me. Each time I try to be and play something original.”
Which other DJs / Turntablists do you admire and why?
“I like Rafik ’cause he is musical and technical.”
What type of music do you prefer?
“Music which makes people dance.”
Where do you purchase your music from?
“Sometimes on the internet but I prefer go to a shop in my town center.”
How do you think winning the Online DJ Championship will effect your life?
” I don’t think so, but we’ll see if it happens.”
How do you think the Online Championships could improve it’s format?
“Not my work daddy.”
If you win, will you accept the invitation to compete in the annual live DMC Championships Finals?
“OF COURSE , it will be a pleasure.”
ImageFromTheWood
USA
“I started DJing in 1995.”
Have you ever competed in a DMC or other turntablist competition before, if so when and where?
“I have entered quite bit of battles. 2001 DMC LA Regional, 2003 Guitar Center West Coast Regionals, 2003 DMC USA Supremacy, 2004 ITF USA Beat Juggling Finals, 2005 DMC San Francisco regional which I won, 2005 DMC USA Finals, 2005 DMC USA Supremacy, 2006 DMC USA Supremacy, 2007 King Of LA which I won, 2009 DMC USA Team Competition, 2010 LA Regional, 2010 DMC USA Finals. Of there were also the plethora of local battles that I entered.”
What appealed to you most about entering the DMC Online competition?
“Well DMC is the cream of the crop, when it comes to battling. If you compete and succeed in a DMC battle, you get way more respect than any other DJ battle. The Prizes don’t hurt either. Ha ha ha!”
What do you think makes you different from the other competitors?
“I think we all have similarities when it comes to battling ,but the thing that sets me appart is that I don’t follow the trends. I did not follow the Progressive trend that came in after Merge, Netik, Rafik, Troubl, Pfel and so on. I felt that everybody went away from the funk and just tried to be really hardcore with their routines. Everybody, all of a sudden started producing their own routines instead of trying to flip recrods. The problem with producing your own routines is that if you don’t really have the skill like those guys (Rafik, Merge, Netik, Troubl, Pfel), you pretty much sound like you’re just playing loud sounds to some rave music. I still just like to vibe out with my records abd pretty much let my routines come to me. I also prefer juggling and so I always try to have a breakdown and have that ‘Flip’ aspect in my routines. I try to keep the funk in my routines and really try to make routines that my peers would appreciate.”
How much practise did you put in before submitting your video entry to the DMC Online competition?
“Practice – not that much. But when it comes to taping, it took forever. I’m my biggest critic so when I was taping, I was pretty much over analysing everything I was doing. I just wanted to make sure it was perfect. The other part as to why it took so long was that I wanted to have my 20 month old daughter sitting right next to my set up while I did my routine and just like any other 20 month old, she was not having any of it. I got a couple of blooper takes that I’ll post up eventually. Ha ha ha!”
How many times did you film your set before you were happy to post it?
“Ha ha ha, probably like 30 times.”
Did a public vote have any influence on the music choices and creation of the set?
“No never. I always make routines with music that I actually like and I guess I always hope that viewers will dig it as well or at lease dig what I’m doing with the music.”
Which other DJs / Turntablists do you admire and why?
“Man just like every other DJ, I admire like the legends like Scratch Pickls, Beat Junkies, The Allies, Scratch Perverts, Jazzy Jeff, Cool Herc. As far as battling, the other djs that were influencing me, the most were the DJs that I was battling with. But if I was to name them, here goes the long list; Cwitch (Dope Breakdowns), Virus (some of my favorite Juggles), Entec (some of the sickest cut routines), Mista B (one word – FUNK), DJ Dini (he tought me the importance of preperation), Cee Brown (music dictionary), Waystyles (cuts for days), Precision (probably the best Juggler ever), Boogie Blind (so dope all around), Vajra (IMO the best turntablist since Atrak and Craze), Kico (dope all round routines), Spryte one (dope concepts), Goldenchild (mad flavas), Kid Dragon (technicality and soul all mixed into one), DJ Dstrukt (my favorite mixtape DJ who can cut like a razor blade), Teeko & Ales One (AKA Max Kane) (Funk & Funk), CPlus (dope all round), Akakabe (his Juggle patterns were so sick), Crazy B (mad style), Dj Moose (his ’99 DMC set was ridiculous), DJ Zo (my favorite scratcher), Static from Denmark (his World Play was jut some of the best) and then of course Tigerstyles (if Vajra is Atrak, the Tigerstyles would be Craze). There are so many more but can’t think of their names right now!”
“I keep an open mind and ear when it comes to music, as long it’s good, I dig it. I really love Funk and Latin Jazz though.”
Where do you purchase your music from?
“I actually still go digging through the bins of the only local record stores that are left.”
How do you think winning the Online DJ Championship will effect your life?
“Man the big picture, the main goal and purpose when entering DMC is to achiving tht DMC World Champion status. Man for it would just be an amazing achievement, to even be put on that list alongside all those legendary DMC Champion DJs would just be an honor.”
How do you think the Online Championships could improve it’s format?
“I actually don’t see anything in which it can be improved, I think that DMC really hit the nail in the coffin when planning and actually putting the DMC Online Championships on. I think its perfect the way it is. The prizes are ridiculous by the way, especially for having the same prizes to the top 2 djs of 11 rounds. Definitely big props to DMC for this.”
“If you win, will you accept the invitation to compete in the annual live DMC Championships Finals?
“Hell The #@&% yeah. Ha ha ha”
CWITCH
USA
When did you first start DJing?
“I started DJing back in 1997”
Have you ever competed in a DMC or other turntablist competiton before, if so when and where?
“My first DMC was The DMC San Diego Regional back in 2000. I did various DMC Regionals and Supremacy from then to about 2005. Other than DMC, I did random local battles as well as the main battles of that time like ITF and The Guitar Centers.”
What appealed to you most about entering the DMC Online competition?
“I liked that DMC Online opened up opportunities for DJs who don’t have easy access to enter a DMC Regional and showcase their skills to the world which brings more diversity for the world to see. Also the fact that this year (2011) is the first year that DMC is doing this…this battle is about to go down in the history book. Why not be a part of it? But other than that…what appealed to me most about entering DMC Online?… well just leave it at that hehe!”
What do you think makes you different from the other competitors?
“Everybody is a scratcher nowa days. I’ve always been a Beat Juggler…I don’t see too many of those guys anymore. And style is different nowadays in DJing overall. I’ve honestly been out the whole battle scene for a while. I’m still on that ‘back in the day old skool tip’ but yet still trying to adapt to this new style of DJing while trying to keep my roots with me. So I guess that’s what differs me from most of the competitors in the competition.”
How much practise did you put in before submitting your video entry to the DMC Online competition?
“Honestly…my 2 minute set I’ve had since 2001 but never really got the chance to use it. So bringing it out again years later, I probably took a couple days of trying to remember everything and clean things up.”
How many times did you film your set before you were happy to post it?
“Ha ha! Good question. It took me a good couple hours just to film my 2 mins. I went thru a lot of things while filming whether it was changing the angle because I didn’t like the previous one, didn’t like the way I looked on screen, I didn’t like how the video turned out…etc! That’s what makes video submission battles a lot easier than actually being on stage at an actual battle. You can make adjustments on video while being on stage – you only get one shot.”
Did a public vote have any influence on the music choices and creation of the set?
“No…I’ve always been a guy who just worked with music that I actually liked or felt. Tracks that makes me say yeah or gave me that UGGGHHHH factor. As long as I liked the track, that’s all that mattered to me. If other people liked it…COOL! If not than whatevers!”
Which other DJs / Turntablists do you admire and why?
“Like I mentioned earlier…I’ve been a Beat Juggling type DJ. So I looked up to Beat Juggling pioneers or guys who were just ill on the Juggling tip. So guys like PTrix, A-Trak, SwiftRock, Babu, MeloD, Total Eclipse, GrandMasta Roc Raida, KiDragon, JayRockwell, Nando, Hektik or Mr.Hek – now I should say Virus, Boogie Blind and Precision. Mostly guys who were ill at rocking doubles.”
What type of music do you prefer?
“I mean I listen to mostly Rap and Reggae…but I’m pretty open minded when it comes to music genres. As long as the track is dope it doesn’t really matter to me what genre or type of music it is.”
Where do you purchase your music from?
“Next question!…come on now haha”
How do you think winning the Online DJ Championship will affect your life?
“Just to be amongst the elite DJs and say I’m a DMC Champion and that I won the first ever DMC Online Championship goes a long way. All them years of hard work and practice would have finally paid off. You really have to be on your A+ game to ever win a DMC Title. Only the Hardest DJs out there are DMC Champions.”
How do you think the Online Championships could improve it’s format?
“The format is cool! If anything probably put a bigger gap in between the qualifying rounds and final round…that’s about it.”
If you win, will you accept the invitation to compete in the annual live DMC Championships Finals?
“Why not? To make it that far, why stop? Besides that, if that was to happen this year…I’d finally get to witness my good friends compete for a DMC World Team Title Live instead of having to wait for the video…BATTLESTAR SON!!!!”
JON1ST
UK
When did you first start DJing?
“I first started scratching when I was 15 in 2004 and started playing out just before I turned 19.”
Have you ever competed in a DMC or other turntablist competition before, if so when and where?
“I reached the Quarter Finals of the UK DMC Battle for Supremacy in 2010 and was a UK Finalist in the six minute DMC battle in 2011 after winning the Midlands regional heat. I have also competed in a couple of battles held at the BPM tradeshow that were organised by Skratchworx in 2008 and 2010, as well as the 2010 WTK online scratch battle.”
What appealed to you most about entering the DMC Online competition?
“As DMC is so highly regarded and so well followed on an international scale, I thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce myself to new audiences who would have not heard of me before and hopefully gain some new fans.”
What do you think makes you different from the other competitors?
“Although I’m not as technical as some of the DJs I’m competing against, I hope my passion for digging for new tracks that have not been used by battle DJs in the past and my desire to create routines that can be listened to as well as appreciated on a technical level, makes me stand out. I’m an experienced DJ as well as a turntablist and I’d like to think that comes through in my routines.”
How much practice did you put in before submitting your video entry to the DMC Online competition?
“The routine I have submitted for the 6 minute final is the same as the routine I performed at the UK Final. I think I spent about 4 months before the developing the ideas, but I had been playing and scratching over the songs I selected in my DJ sets for quite a while before hand. During the first 2 months of practice I was writing my university dissertation as well, so it wasn’t constant practice, but after I finished my course I was practicing between 4 to 7 hours a day in the build up to the UK Final.”
How many times did you film your set before you were happy to post it?
“Maybe 20 times! I’m a real perfectionist and if there was a tiny slip up I’d start again. I didn’t quite get a perfect set as I only had a day to record the set after finding out I had qualified for the final, but I uploaded the best take that I had recorded that day.”
Did a public vote have any influence on the music choices and creation of the set?
“Not at all. DJs shouldn’t be jukeboxes.”
Which other DJs / Turntablists do you admire and why?
“Turntablist wise, I like people that have ‘funk’, originality and an original taste in music that don’t follow trends and compose listenable as well as technical routines. A few people I admire include Craze, Kentaro, D-Styles, Vajra, IeMerge, Tayone, 2tall, Grandeurs of Delusion, Muzzell, Tigerstyle and a lesser known, but incredibly talented DJ called Buddy Peace, who doesn’t really consider himself a ‘scratch dj’ but has killer cuts. DJ wise I like play people with original taste in music who dig HARD, can rock a party without playing obvious tracks, don’t follow trends, can mix across several genres and have technical skills to boot. Some of my favourite DJs at the moment include Om Unit, Doc Daneeka, Alexander Nut and m’man Richie K, who is constantly on point.
I’m a big fan of mixtape DJs who try and push the boundaries of what mixtapes are too. The best example I can think of is Buddy Peace, who will edit tracks to the tiniest detail to add his own twist to them and to give his mixes a sense of continuity and character.”
What type of music do you prefer?
“Music by producers that don’t follow trends or jump on bandwagons. I listen to ‘beats’, bass music, reggae, funk and hip hop. I can’t stand jump up dubstep/dnb.”
Where do you purchase your music from?
“Record shops when I can as I still buy quite a lot of vinyl as well as mp3s. www.banquetrecords.com are my boys! Otherwise Boomkat or Juno Records.”
How do you think winning the Online DJ Championship will effect your life?
“Competing at the World DMC Final is a personal life goal and would be an incredible experience. The added benefit of having an online audience means it would be a great amount of promotion and hopefully increase my fanbase. However, it’s very clear that I’m not going to win this year- but maybe in a few years time…”
How do you think the Online Championships could improve it’s format?
“I personally don’t think there should be an audience voting system in the final round. All the DJs have proven their worth and it should be up to judges to decide who is the best, not who has the most contacts/friends. Only the most established DJs will be able to make it through to the final judging stage unfortunately.”
If you win, will you accept the invitation to compete in the annual live DMC Championships Finals?
“Of course, but again, it’s not going to happen haha!”
DJ Friss
THE NETHERLANDS
When did you start DJing?
“I started DJing when I was 16 in a squatting house of some friend’s of mine. After touching the turntables I was there day and night in love with the decks and the records.”
Have you ever competed in a DMC or other turntablist competition before, if so where and when?
I entered the DMC Benelux Competition in 2008 (Finalist), IDA Benelux 2009 (Runner Up) and a Dutch Battle called King of The Hill in 2007 (Runner Up) and 2008 (3rd Place). After that there were no battles held anymore in the Netherlands.”
What appealed to you most about entering the DMC Online Competition?
“DMC is the first competition I ever heard of and saw footage about. To me it’s a big thing this competition and I think to a lot of other DJs too. Almost all of turntable heroes did the DMC Battle. And I thing battling makes you strong as a DJ. Practising for a set takes much out of you (time, discipline, locking yourself up in a room with your turntables etc.) but you come out much stronger and better. I like that.”
What do you think makes you different from the other competitors?
“Turntablism and battling has been going on for a long time now. Everything you can think of is possibly already done, so I just do what I want. I don’t want to do things because they are hot right now, I want to make things I like and hopefully the audience too. I’m not using the hardcore records, maybe that makes me different…?”
How much practise did you put in before submitting your video entry to the DMC competition?
“For the first round not that much. It was an old set of mine, like I said before, there aren’t any battles held in The Netherlands so I didn’t practise that much. When I heard I was through to the Final I locked myself up in my house and practised every day. I had to make a whole new 6 minute routine and normally that’s a ‘best of’ of all the routines you made that year, but I had nothing except my two minutes! Stress!”
How many times did you film your set before you were happy to post it?
“Wow! Ha ha, probably 1000 times or so! No seriously, I think maybe between 30 – 50 times.”
Did a public vote have any influence on the music choices and creation of the set?
“In a word, no.”
Which other DJs/Turntablists do you admire and why?
“I admire DJ Irie for doing his thing, first in the battles and now in the video-scratching game – that shit is sick! He always did his thing like he wanted it and is still doing that. I like A-Trak, Craze, Klever, Rafik etc. just because they did/do nice sets – it’s nothing more than that.”
What type of music do you prefer?
“I prefer Hip Hop, although I’m getting a little sick of it over the last year, but I still love it. I also like and spin Dubstep, Funk, Soul and House/Electro.”
Where do you purchase your music from?
“www.poortmusic.nl , iTunes, record stores and beatport.”
How do you think winning the Online DJ Championship will affect your life?
“Letting people in the scene know that I’m here and lots and lots of practising for the World Finals.”
How do you think the Online Competition could improve it’s format?
“Make the site easier, it was hard to find stuff on the site. Send more info about the rules to competitors…”
If you win, will you accept the invitation to compete in the annual live DMC Championships Finals?
“Hell yeah!”
RITCHIE RUFFTONE
UK
Whendid you first start DJing?
“In 1990 doing pirate playing rave n’ jungle…I never really got into scratching ’till 1996ish.”
Have you ever competed in a DMC or other Turntablist competiton before, if so when and where?
“I was in the DMC UK 6 times from 1999 to 2004, won the UK Supremacy in 2002 and the ITF Scratching category in 2000. Just got back into the battle scene this year and just came 2nd in the UK Final 2011.”
What appealed to you the most about entering the DMC Online competition?
“I liked the new format with Serato and midi controllers.”
What do you think makes you different from the other competitors?
“I try and use tracks people might recognise and stay away from battle weapons and DJ tools.”
How much practise did you put in before submitting your video entry to the DMC Online competition?
“As much as I could.”
How many times did you film your set before you were happy to post it?
“Just once…lol.”
Did a public vote have any influence on the music choices and creation of the set?
“No.”
Which other Turntablists do you admire and why?
“So many DJs like Woody, Bunty, Tiger Style, JFB, Switch – I am a fan of all Turntablists, just anyone that does something nice.”
What type of music do you prefer?
“I prefer 90s Hip Hop like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul etc. but I play anything and everything these days, just depending on the gig and the crowd.”
Where do you purchase your music from?
“iTunes, Beatport and ebay.”
How do you think winning the Online DJ Championship will affect your life?
“I don’t think I will win – but if I did, I’m sure it would affect my life in a good way.”
How do you think the Online Competition could improve it’s format?
“I’ll get back to you on that one!”
If you win, will you accept the invitation to compete in the annual live DMC Championships Finals?
“Yes.”
LOOP SKYWALKER
UK
When did you first start DJing?
“1983 I started messing about with my mums record player…then just got more and more hooked.”
Have you ever competed in a DMC or other turntablist competiton before, if so when and where?
“Far too many to list, this Final is my 55th competition/battle, highest placing was at the DMC World Team Finals with Bionic Stylus when we got 3rd.”
What appealed to you most about entering the DMC Online competition?
“I did it just for fun,and really fluked a place in this final..I got some really good prizes too for getting runner up in the round, Sally and all at DMC have done a great job on the prize front.”
What do you think makes you different from the other competitors?
“Definitely my age, I’m nearly 43. I chose to make it old skool, a heavy dissing section and mainly just concentrated on flipping old skool hip hop tracks. I stayed away from the more modern stuff because a), it’s far too complex for me to do b) I like the old ways of DJs battling and c) I’m the only hetrosexual in the battle!”
How much practise did you put in before submitting your video entry to the DMC Online competition?
“I work two jobs, neither to do with DJing and have a family life, so my set is relying heavily on my past experiences…this is all new stuff that I have done for this battle tho. I also had a family holiday booked so all in all I have spent about two serious hardcore weeks on my finals set..but more time looking for nasty/funny samples to use.”
How many times did you film your set before you were happy to post it?
“I filmed it about 20 times at least..then realised in one section my studio is so small that I can’t possibly capture the midi controller drumming part on the screen, my huge shoulders (which are all pure muscle ladies) just obscured the shot…so I had a real good friend (James W) put the screen in screen shot for me.”
Did a public vote have any influence on the music choices and creation of the set?
“Not really, the public vote is my only gripe on this battle…I gotta work really hard on the promo side, some of the people won’t even look at my video as they just dont get it, so I’m relying heavy on friends votes and friends of friends. Other DJs have a really big fan base and will get a big vote going on…but I have done the best I can for the Finals..I’ve chosen music that I think others won’t play so I will stand out for the real voting public.”
Which other DJs / Turntablists do you admire and why?
“DJ Switch – just a super cool guy. Furious P is a massive inspiration to me, he just gets better everytime I see him – he can do something else.I do like American DJs, they are who I look up to and get my ideas from; Roc Raider and The X-Men are particular faves of mine especially Rob Swift.”
What type of music do you prefer?
“I will listen to anything but my real love is the boom bap,real hip hop.”
Where do you purchase your music from?
“Play.com, Juno and iTunes.”
How do you think winning the Online DJ Championship will effect your life?
“It wouldn’t have a massive effect, maybe if I were younger and able to jet around the world it would, but I love my family too much over DJing. My wife and boy are my world.”
How do you think the Online Championships could improve it’s format?
“Get rid of the public vote and get volunteers who know their biscuits to wittle the top 10 down.”
If you win, will you accept the invitation to compete in the annual live DMC Championships Finals?
“That would be a big fat YES.”
SNAYK EYEZ
USA
When did you first start DJing?
“I took an interest in DJing back in 1988 when I was helping out my classmates to DJ at our school dance back in the 8th grade. But I didn’t get my first mixer until 1989. The same mixer that DJ GQ used in the movie Juice. Anyone remember the model?”
Have you ever competed in a DMC or other turntablist competiton before, if so when and where?
“I started battling in 1997 at local DJ competitions thrown by record stores and other places out here that wanted to throw a battle. I ended up being a DMC USA finalist in 2000 (the famous silly string set), as well as 2000 and 2001 DMC USA Supremacy Champ, and I was placed 2nd in the DMC World Supremacy Finals in 2001. There’s also a bunch of ITF and Guitar Center battles I’ve entered in the past.”
What appealed to you most about entering the DMC Online competition?”
“I wanted to enter the actual regionals in the USA this year but schedule conflicts kept me from competing. So i figured, why the hell not?”
What do you think makes you different from the other competitors?
“Hopefully this question will be answered in the video entry itself!”
How much practise did you put in before submitting your video entry to the DMC Online competition?
“Honestly, only two weeks! I have a bunch of short routines that I do at live shows and the moment I found out I made it to the finals I had to figure out a way to string them all together. I started suffering from cabin fever trying to knock this set out though!”
How many times did you film your set before you were happy to post it?
“I recorded my set in front of a live crowd so it was only one take. It’s actually nice to be able to re-record and perfect your set, but I couldn’t do that myself. I prefer feeding off the energy of the crowd, doing my thing and getting it over with. If you mess up, you mess up. No big deal. And I’ll be honest and say that’s what’s lacking in the online competition because you’re not fully testing yourself. But I understand there’s those that don’t have the capabilities to do their sets live in front of people so I’m not trying to criticize them at all. All the sets I’ve seen so far are incredible! I just felt I had to do this my own way, what works for me.”
Did a public vote have any influence on the music choices and creation of the set?
“No one should ever influence you on your decisions.”
Which other DJs / Turntablists do you admire and why?
“DJ Jazzy Jeff was the one who set it off for me after I heard his ‘Live at Union Square’ track. But my top 4 would be Shortkut, Roc Raida, DJ Disk,and DJ Babu. I was in the crowd when Shortkut won the 1994 West Coast Regional. Then I learned all my foundations through them by watching and studying all of the 1994/1995 DMC videos that they were in. Pretty much changed my life. And one of the main reasons I decided to compete again was so that I could pay respects to Roc Raida in my own way. I wanted to attend his funeral, but couldn’t. I wanted to go to his Tableturns tribute in New York, but couldn’t. I just wanted to let people know how big of an inspiration he is to me. So this is my tribute to him. However I also admire all the DJ’s competing today. I’m sure they all have the same influences as me. Their skill levels are beyond what I can do and sometimes goes over my head! And the ones that DON’T compete?…holy crap. You should see the people who cut it up at Skratchpad…our monthly event here in SF, California…ridiculous! There’s just a lot of awesome talent out there. It’s great to see how this art has progressed throughout the years. And with all the new DJ technology that’s out now, it’s gonna get even crazier!”
What type of music do you prefer?
“I love ALL music! I listen to everything from Hip Hop to J-Pop, Dubstep, Reggae, all of it. I think all DJ’s know they pretty much have to be aware and appreciate all kinds of music (and sounds) in order to keep up. A lot of times even I feel like I’m falling behind because there’s so much out there…especially now. But it’s ok. Compared to 10 years ago, there’s tons more resources where you can get the music that you want. And if you can’t find what you like you can make your own!”
Where do you purchase your music from?
“Record stores, swap meets, flea markets, etc.”
How do you think winning the Online DJ Championship will affect your life?
“I believe that question can only be answered by the winner.”
How do you think the Online Championships could improve it’s format?
“There’s this new term that’s been floating around lately…Controllerism… I guess it’s the next evolution to this whole digital music thing. Maybe there could be a separate category for that? I’ve seen people, who aren’t necessarily good at scratching or beat juggling, do insane things on midi controllers. Some people even make their own controllers! Gotta love creative minds. I’m also curious to see a video mixing competition, but i already know that would be a mess when it comes down to dealing with all the copyright legal mumbo jumbo.”
If you win, will you accept the invitation to compete in the annual live DMC Championships Finals?
“Of course! I’ve missed battling and it’s an honour to even be in the competition again after all these years. And big shout out to Christie Z, Sally, “Bloody” Tony, and everyone at DMC for keeping the competition going and I wish everyone all the best!”
DJ ELMU a.ka.Phoenix
JAPAN
When did you first start DJing?
“I started DJing 11 years ago.”
Have you ever competed in a DMC or other turntablist competiton before, if so when and where?
“The first time I entered DMC was in Osaka Japan 2006.As for the DMC Online DJ Championships, it’s the fourth time.”
What appealed to you most about entering the DMC Online competition?
“Having the new DVS system available in the competiton inspired me to enter amd it’s introduction was the inspiration and gave me a new mode of expression.”
What do you think makes you different from the other competitors?
“My original Hip Hop.”
How much practise did you put in before submitting your video entry to the DMC Online competition?
“I have been practising for three years before the Online Competition was announced and then one month getting it fixed.”
How many times did you film your set before you were happy to post it?
“To be honest, I didn’t count – between 50 and a hundred. A considerable experience!”
Did a public vote have any influence on the music choices and creation of the set?
“The public understand the competition and got it right.”
Which other DJs / Turntablists do you admire and why?
“DJ SHORTKUT – his music is amazing in his routine. On the DMC Online Competition it’s DJ Vajra. It embarrasses me though to pick too many great DJs!.”
What type of music do you prefer?
“Just Hip Hop.”
Where do you purchase your music from?
“Simply record shops and online.”
How do you think winning the Online DJ Championship will affect your life?
“Towards myself surely going in a good direction. Help is on the way!”
How do you think the Online Championships could improve it’s format?
“Not sure about that, but I want to change the world by using the Online Championships.”
If you win, will you accept the invitation to compete in the annual live DMC Championships Finals?
“Yes of course.”
DJ KUSSY
JAPAN
When did you first start DJing?
“From the age of 16.”
Have you ever competed in a DMC or other turntablist competiton before, if so when and where?
“2002 at The Vestax Extravaganza Asian Final, Runner Up 2002 ITF (Japan) Final, 4th Place 2003 Allies Allstar Beatdown Japan Final.”
How much practise did you put in before submitting your video entry to the DMC Online competition?
“Over a year.”
How many times did you film your set before you were happy to post it?
“At least twenty.”
Did a public vote have any influence on the music choices and creation of the set?
“I do not know yet!”
Which other DJs / Turntablists do you admire and why?
“A-TRAK, CRAZE, DJ KENTARO and KIREEK.”
What type of music do you prefer?
“All types”
Where do you purchase your music from?
“My Space and Soundcloud.”
Do you think winning the Online DJ Championship will effect your life?
“Absolutely.”
If you win, will you accept the invitation to compete in the annual live DMC Championships Finals?
“Of course.”
