Let's hear it for the underdog

>> The International Turntablists Federation flips the decks in the name of competition

by SCOTT C

If you ask your average scenester on the street what the most important DJ competition they can come up with off the top of their head is, chances are they'll say the DMC. For the longest time, the DMC enjoyed the luxury of being the world's one and only international DJ competition, with hopefuls from the four corners of the globe clamoring to be number one. Canada has had it's share of DJ talent in the DMC as well, but it wasn't until Mtl's own A-Trak stole the whole show that basement deck-wreckers and fader-fools woke up to the fact that we've got some serious potential right here at home.

On October 2nd, the first ever International Turntablists Federation Advancement Class Canadian Final will take place right here in Montreal. ITF has been portrayed as the smaller, smarter answer to the DMC, paying more attention to the intricacies of turntablism. Most important in advancement class competition is that the emphasis is put on the fundamentals of the artform: beat-juggling and scratching.

Secondly, DJs compete as teams in head-to-head battle so that they can advance to the next level. "Canada has an incredible pool of DJ talent," says ITF Canada rep Joseph Barbarino. "This could be the tightest competition in North America. All of the best DJs in the States have all ready retired, so anything is possible."

Among those competing on the big night are DJ A-Trak who, along with his partner P-Love, represent Montreal. From Toronto there's DJ Grouch from the Turnstyles Crew and his partner Dopey. Halifax has already won the name game with me as Scratch Bastard and Cuttin' Cracker do their thing. From the West, representing Calgary is DJ Pump and DJ Krisp, and from Vancouver, DJs Wax and Precise. The word on the street is that the representatives from each region are indeed bananas, and that the competition will be nothing less than fierce.

As if that wasn't pressure enough, a group of filmmakers are planning to capture every drop of sweat from the heat of battle. The production company, who finished a movie earlier this year called Groove Society (starring who else but Corey Haim), plans to document the entire evening as a trailer to the feature film. The trailer is solely dedicated to the ITF experience, and hopes to put the DJ phenomenon in a whole new light. So, if you want to get your mug on camera, get yourself down to the competition. The doors open at 7 p.m., with the good stuff starting at 8 p.m. sharp. Those of you interested in strutting your stuff outside of the competition will be happy to know that the showcases are from 11 p.m. to midnight, with background music provided by Simahlak and Matrix.

At le Studio on Saturday, October 2, 7pm, $18; the lovely and talented Revolution hosts