Turntablism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Turntablism is a subgenre of pop music which emerged from
hip hop. One who engages in turntablism is a turntablist, a term probably
coined by DJ Babu. Turntablists are DJs who use
vinyl disc
records, and turntable techniques like scratching or beat juggling in the composition of original musical works. Turntablism is generally focused more on turntable technique and less on mixing, rapping or vocal delivery. Some turntablists seek to have themselves recognized as a
legitimate musician capable of interacting and improvising with other performers.
Turntablists like Rob Swift,
Q-Bert, A-Trak, and Kid Koala owe a distinct debt to old school DJs like Grand Wizard Theodore, Grandmaster
Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and DJ Kool Herc who originally developed many of the concepts and techniques that evolved into modern
turntablism. There are also more experimental turntablists such as Christian Marclay, Otomo Yoshihide, Philip Jeck and Janek Schaefer. Notable modern
turntablists are the cinematic DJ Shadow, the experimental DJ Spooky and the jazzy RJD2.
Turntables were actually first used as musical instruments in the 1940's and 1950's by musique concrete and
other experimental composers, such as John Cage, who used them in a manner
similar to digital sampling. Hip hop DJs developed independently of
the earlier techniques.
The International Turntablist Federation is an organisation which aims to promote turntablism, it also organises a turntablist
world championship on a yearly basis (1997 - Present). Another prominent turntablist world championship organiser is the DMC
Technics World Dj Championship (1986 - Present).
The selection of a champion comes from the culmination of the battles between turntablists.
Battling involves each turntablist performing a routine (a combination of tricks) within a limited time period, after which,
the routine is judged by a panel of expert judges. The winner is selected based upon score.
Bibliography
- Eshun, Kodwo More Brilliant than the Sun. Adventures in Sonic Fiction. London: Quartet Books 1998. ISBN 0-7043-8025-0
- Poschardt, Ulf: DJ Culture. London: Quartet Books 1998. ISBN 0-704-38098-6
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