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The other side of the tables >>Everyone's a judge at the DMC DJ Championships
by SCOTT C
You may be saying to yourself, "I've been to all kinds of turntablist events over the last year, so what's so big about the DMC?" The DMC World DJ Championships was founded in England in 1983, and is probably the longest-running and the most regularly attended turntablist competition in the world. Originally designed as a DJ mixing battle--meaning DJs from different musical backgrounds would be judged on their beat-mixing ability--the competition eventually evolved into the scratch-fest we see today. Thanks to U.S. DJ Cheese, who introduced scratching into his routine back in 1986, the DMC became the highest level of prestige among aspiring DJs and turntablists worldwide. Turntablism has definitely risen to a level that gives new credibility and awareness to the art form that was simply too long in coming. What kind of journalist would I be if I didn't mention how A-Trak simultaneously flipped international turntablism on its ear while injecting a new-found fascination with the craft into people who just wanted to know what that kid was doing.
Battle skills required Things have definitely changed. At a DMC a few years back in Montreal, a packed house at Metropolis couldn't believe that there were basically no skills in the house that night. People were leaving, walking out after paying to get in simply because the level of competition was nowhere near the level of expectation of the crowd. DJs in this town know that shit like that doesn't fly anymore. You must bring some skills to the battle. The audience knows it, and isn't afraid to say so once a DJ is in mid-routine. I've seen crowds make or break a routine, with everything from a DJ walking off stage in the middle of his set, to some crazy improvisational trickery just from vibing off of the audience. The audience is, and always will be, the most vocal and immediate judge, and sometimes a good way to know if you're doing things right. On the other hand, it's not unusual for the audience reaction to conflict with the contents of a judging sheet. The panel of judges, according to the DMC mandate, is "a panel of prominent authorities in the DJ mixing field." Now, there's been years where what promoters like to call "celebrity judges" have been called upon to gauge a craft that they no absolutely nothing about. This has also changed a bit. For instance, four of the seven judges at this year's DMC are bona fide turntablists who could chart a routine like a road map. Another two are radio DJs who probably know more about the mix than the scratch, and the last one is an audio specialist who likes to hang out with DJs, so go figure. The judges this year are Choice (Dubmatique), Devious (Science), Donald D (Universal), Kano (Moog Audio), Mike Mission (CKUT), Simahlak (Tabou) and Storm (Shades of Culture).
Judging criteria The judging criteria is as follows: A: technical skills and tricks (technique, scratching, speed). B: creation of breakbeats (juggling, beat morphing). C: running mixes (consistency, accuracy, rhythm) D: originality (creativity, originality, musical selection). E: crowd reaction (entertaining stage presence, responsiveness). It's amazing when you're in the audience watching someone do a great routine, and all of this criteria overlaps and you just know it's right. The panel of judges simply take that great routine and dissect it, breaking it down to the bare bones. The results often separate the finalists by only a few figures. Everybody's a critic, it's just too bad the collective will of the audience couldn't be worked into the tabulation.
At Medley, Sat June 19, 8pm, $10-18. Hosted by Pat Wreck and Revolution, with a performance by Ellementale 5. All ages |
It has once again come down to that time of the year where we crown the "King of the DJs" in this city. Calculating hands and minds have been honing their scratching, juggling and secret routines for months in advance in the hopes of dethroning reigning Montreal DMC champion DJ Blast. Blast is no pushover either, snatching the '98 Montreal title like it was already his to begin with. He's had all year to get better, so the boys better come prepared.