Ale's Interviews

>   Where are you from? ?
San Francisco, originally brought up in New York.

>   Who do you look up to, which people got you into it?

I grew up as a mobile DJ. I would spin everything from hip-hop, house music, wedding music, barmitzfah music, anything. But then I turned to hiphop when I listened to the radio, I listened to Kid Capri, Red Alert, and then when Gangstarr came out I used to replay Who�s Gonna Take the Weight, and listen to how he did the cuts. I didn�t know any other DJs when I was growing up, I was on my own. I realized how he (Premier) does things, and just did it by ear.
>   Do you think it�s easier for DJs now to learn?
Definitely, there�s a whole lot of learning tools and media tools out there. You can learn the technical aspects of the Djing thing quite quickly.
>   Do you think DJs have got an expiry date, because other DJs have taken over where you�ve left off?

Where it�s taken you ten years to learn from other DJs In essence, what�s going on now is you can learn all the technical skills and all that in a very short period of time but it takes a long, long time to learn the art of Djing itself. It�s like you gotta know what records to buy, you gotta know breaks, you have to have a knowledge of music, which is what a DJ is. Now you can learn all the techniques and all that stuff, which the artform is now called turntablism. You can use it in the form of a musical instrument. But people that get into turntables are not necessarily all DJs or turntablists, or vice-versa. Some people are only DJs.
>   What do you class yourself as?
A DJ. I try to dabble in both, but DJ number one.

>   Are you going in any other battles?
Possibly maybe, but right now I�m focusing on actually making music, on production, certain things like that. What projects are you working on at the moment? We just completed the track for the X-ecutioners which is going on the Loud album, Triple Threat DJs which is me, Apollo and DJ Shortkut. The track�s called Come on and Bring the Ruckus, and it�s a combination of our mentality which is combining not just turntablism but Djing, turntablism and production all in one. Because turntablism right now is you can come up with 50 click scratches and all that stuff, but making that wasn�t our objective. Our objective was rather to make something in a more musical context.

>   Can you tell us about the Triple Threat tour?
The Triple Threat tour was conceived maybe a year, a year and a half ago. It was basically out of the turntablists community we�re considered turntablists but we�re actually DJs back in San Francisco we were probably the only three who were regularly doing the club scene around the city. We love doing it, we love doing the clubs and playing hiphop, dancehall, and whatever we wanted to play. We wanted to do a tour where we were basically doing what we did in �Frisco on the road. Combining aspects of Djing and Turntablism together to create one giant party. Nowadays a lot of turntablist events don�t usually attract females, and we don�t want that to happen. Hiphop is for everybody, so we wanted to combine something where ladies could come and dance, and the fellas too. And if the fellas want to see little tricks and all that, that�s there too. It flows, so it doesn�t come off like a DJ battle or a showcase, it�s more like one giant show. And if you don�t have your eyes on us, you won�t be able to tell we�re doing it.

>   Do you think the scene is getting a bit stale, with people just standing there watching and waiting for the DJ to do something?
In my opinion, it can get like that. But there�s a time and place for everything, when it comes to DJ Battles that�s perfectly fine. But there�s occasions where we want to do shows and play music, and we�ve developed a reputation for being scratchers, beat-jugglers or whatever you want to call it, and people come and they just want to watch. Well you paid $3 to get into a rave or whatever, and we want you to have fun, not just cheer at us. The thing about Triple Threat is that we try not to let egos get in the way. We don�t want that, we want people to not even know we�re there, and just have fun.
>   What do you think of the current independent hiphop scene?
It�s flourishing right now, there�s a lot of artists getting into it, a lot of labels are joining under one conglomerate right now. It�s good that the independent compnies let artists who would normally be passed up by the labels do their thing so it�s really good. The one thing that bothers me is that just because you claim you�re independent or underground doesn�t make you dope, you�ve got to put out dope shit. But there�s good stuff and bad stuff.
>   Are you doing any more mixtapes?
Yeah, we�re putting out a number of mixtapes, all ranges and styles. It�s taking us a while right now, but we�re all working on dancehall mixtapes, Shortkut has a break mixtape because we�re into all different flavours, we� re pretty much into everything that�s fat. In terms of hiphop nowadays, if you�re underground and into independent music, the average head hates commercial stuff because he has certain allegiances and vice versa. But we like everything. I like stuff that�s independent, I like Dilated Peoples, but I like Doctor Dre too. Some people are like Fuck Dr Dre, he�s always talking about gangsters ad bullshit. But I like everything. I consider his production one of the best out there. So really, I don�t classify hiphop. I pick what I like. People like Nore or DMX, I like some of their stuff.

>   You got Turntable TV Mixtape of the Year, tell us about that.
That was for Reconstruction. I did that tape basically to remind myself of some of the stuff I grew up on. And mix it in a way with all the stuff I like now. Basically me, Apollo and Shortkut right now we�re musicians. Instead of just DJs and turntablists. Not that it�s bad, it�s just that we want people to interpret our music in all different ways. We want to work with all different kinds of artists drummers, guitarists, singers, it�s long like we want to do straight scratching and Djing. We want to do something else. Because our tastes in music range from jazz to pretty much anything that�s pop, even heavy metal. Apollo was a big Metallica fan back in the day. We�re just trying to move forward in a different direction. Not saying that everyone else is going the wrong way trying to learn all the new scratches and beat-juggling patterns, but we�re just doing things differently.

>   What are the rest of the 5th Platoon up to at the moment?
I haven�t seen them in a long time Kuttin� Kandy is still touring, Roli Rho is the Mountain Brothers� DJ right now, he�s into production as well. Daddy Dog is working on a couple of mixtapes he works at Fat Beats and does some internet radio stuff, Neil Armstrong is a web designer right now, he did Loud Records website, Do Boy is my roommate in San Francisco, he�s not Djing full time right now because he�s a bigtime web programmer, he drives a nice new car and makes a lot of money I�m sure he�s happier doing what he�s doing. So everybody�s doing their own thing, we�re still crew in the sense that we�re family, but we don�t get to work with each other. That�s why we did the Triple Threat tour, my flavour is very similar to Shortkut and DJ Apollo so I do more stuff with them than 5th Platoon, but I�m still 5th Platoon.

>   Did you grow up with the rest of 5th Platoon, have you known them all your life?
No, I only actually met them around �94, �95. Before that, I didn�t know too many DJs. I grew up in Jersey City, which is like right outside of Manhattan. I was young, and I only knew DJs that were Mobiles and didn�t know anything about scratching. When I met them, I got into the turntablism stuff, and then I to meet the X-Ecutioners and chill with them. Then I moved out to the west coast, met the Skratch Piklz and all those guys. I just got vibe with a lot of different people.

>   Do you remember Martin Fowler in Eastenders?
No??

>   What about Ted "The Count" Hankey or "Rocket" Ronny Baxter?
Erm, no who are those guys?

> interview:   onion

> Details
Dj Name: DJ Woody
Age: 23
From: Burnley, Lancashire
> when did you start exploring turntablism?
I first got a pair of belt drive decks and a made-to-fade copy when I was 15 at the end of 92, just trying to learn the basic tranformers etc. But it took me three more years of saving in shitty part time jobs before I got my 1210�s and a dmc PMX mixer.
>   were you into hiphop before?
Yeah, it sucked me in from a pretty young age really, even before I�d heard much rap music I remember just watching the b-boys in town and seeing bits of graf and just thinking � this is my thing� . I didn�t like much music when I was really young (all that dodgy new romantic shit), then I got the odd tape from my older brothers mates and it all started from there really. In Burnley the Our Price rap selection consisted of a Run DMC album in the �R� section of rock and pop, right next to the Rush albums, that was it. So I was Run DMC�s biggest fan. I used to be a bit of a dodgy rapper as well but I won�t go into that.

>   how much do you practise?
Basically when I can, I�ve got a day job and work quite long hours so when I get home I�m pretty tired, so probably 1-2 hours on a working day and maybe 3-6 on a day off. Hopefully I�ll have a bit more time soon as I�ve just reduced my hours slightly.

>   do you practise mainly by yourself ?
Mainly yes, I used to practice a lot with my mate Mr.Tickle whose a fuckin wicked scratcher but he�s got a job now so I can�t go up on my days of. As far as juggling is concerned I�ve got to practice on my own, as I don�t know anyone locally who does it.

> what equipment do you own/want?
I�ll got a pair of 1210�s, Vestax 06 pro, Technics 1200 mixer and a Gemini UMX. I wouldn�t mind an 07 to fuck about with but I cant really afford one. I�ve also got an Akai sampler and an apple mac but haven�t yet took full advantage of it, I�ve got to focus on the battling for now.

>   have you seen it evolving in england?
I think britain has always been a strong country in scratch djing, I used to be a big �brit-core� fan, Gunshot, Son of Noise, Hardnoise, Killa Instinct, Blade, etc etc. And look how every ones on the dicks of their dj�s now. We�ve always been up there it�s just now that people are realising it. Obviously I haven�t been doing this as long as some of the older dj�s and I don�t exactly come from the UK�s hip hop capital but what I have seen noticed is the shear number of people doing it and how much more accepted it is nowerdays, I used to get shit for being into this years ago, now the same people who dissed me just arse lick me, it�s quite funny really.

>   explain your skratch (the woodpecker)?
It�s a new one handed scratch technique where you use the tip of your thumb to move the record, leaving your the fingers free to tap your thumb as you do this. This causes the juddered movement and gives you the sound. The Woodpecker has countless possibility as you can combine any variation of hand movement (i.e babys, tears etc) with any finger movement (ie. 2/3/4/ fingered crab, twiddle etc.) Best yet, as it is a one handed scratch you have a free hand to add other effects ie. volume fades, e.q�s, beat effects and cross fader tecniques, it can even be used to create new juggle techniques. Every fuckers gonna be doing it, I just hope they remember where it came from.

>   what differences do you think there are between a uk and a us dj ?
They�ve got different accents. Dunno I don�t think you can generalise like that, besides I�ve never been to America.

>   funk or technical - discuss?
Everybody has there own definition of what is funky. Is something funky just for the fact that it contains a funk break? Or is it the way something is broken down? Are Kraftwerk funky, are Company Flow funky? It all depends on your definition.
To be technical means to use a lot of techniques, if each of those techniques is used to achieve a different effect with the sound, then to be technical means that you have a large arsenal of techniques with which you can break the records down. If you�ve got a large vocabulary of techniques then you�ve got more options and variations to use to create an original sound. If you limit your techniques, you limit your sound. It�s not about how fast you can move your hands, it�s just to achieve certain sounds you need to move quickly. Funk and technicality can co-exist, and often do.

>   What�s your main influence on your scratching as far as DJs are concerned?
When I first started it was definitely renegade, mada, white child rix, and (although it�s quite trendy to say at the moment ) dj supreme. Just all the stuff from what I was listening to at the time, the patterns were just amazing, those records were like instructional tools. We just used to try and copy their solos, it was fucking hard work though. First Rate blew me away the first time I heard him, it was a Dominant Force record I think, that shit was amazing. We also used to look at Cash Money,dj Aladdin, dj Scratch, Daddy Rich. All the obvious ones Q-bert, D-styles, Melo D, Revolution, Babu, Prime Cuts etc. Mr.Tickle and Filthy Rich of the Handroids were also big influences, amazing patterns.

>   does anything else influence you (ie films)?
I�m really into graphic design, that�s what I do as a job, but that�s having to take a back seat for a moment really. Also hip hop in general, the way that everyone is just striving to come up with the freshest, most inovative shit in all the different elements. It�s all about personal development, just pushing yourself to be the best you can.

>   how important do you think videos and the net are in advancing turntablism?
Videos are obviously extremely important, I would have been fucked without them, coming from Burnley. The net it quite good for finding out about dj�s and getting battle results quickly, it makes it a lot easier for kids these days, you can get any info you need on scratches, techniques etc with the click of a mouse. It basically makes it a hell of a lot more accessable now. I don�t know if that takes something away from it or not, when we used to learn new stuff it was like you�d worked it out for your self, like you�d descovered something, now its all there writen down for you. I think it will speed up peoples learning proccess but then again it makes it less interesting and more mechanical, if you got 2000 djs learning scratches from the same tutorial on the net, then those djs are all going to do the same shit in the same way, your going to lose any individuality.

>   did walking past the dome for the finals make you want to go back there and visit?
We actually managed to have a look in it, it�s even shitter than I�d expectly. If your into big tents then you�ll like it. Otherwise it�s bollocks, extremely commercial as well, everthings got a big arse logo on it.

>   what can we expect to see from you in the future?
I�ve just done some cutting on a track for the new Krispy mini LP on Bomb Records called Millenium Funk. I�ve done some work with a guy called Serial on Good Lookin Records. Probably be doing a track with Sirconical from Twisted Nerve. Hopefully we�ll be working on a Table Gimps project, maybe an EP or something. With all the battles this year, a lot of my spare time has been spent practicing my existing routines for the different battles, so I�m looking forward to getting my head down again and trying to come up with some totally new shit for next year. The Table Gimps should be entering the dmc teams next year as well.

>   any shouts?
To my crew the Table Gimps, Ritchie Ruftone and Bunty, to the original M.E.N.T.A.L crew, Mc Tigger, Mr.Tickle, Filthy Rich, Canty, Tron 2 B-boy Squad, Seek, Palmer, Crazy, Mouse, Abs, Twisted Scriptures Mcs, Phix & Scribe, Mr.Riddla (Morgan Con), all Burnley heads, Mr.Wiz and Mikey D.O.N (Krispy), Deven Miles and Skribe (Wrekreators), Wax Anorax, Freak Manoovers, Syndicate, Mixologists, Perverts, en4forces, Steel Devils, Project Vinyl. This could go on all day, lets just say all my mates and all the heads I know up n down the UK.

>interview: onion