Turntablism: Incredible Innovation
24 April 2007
Any listening ears, seeking eyes, and curious minds can acknowledge a continual progression in humanity’s means of creativity. Humankind is innovative. Hip-hop culture defines our ability to educate, create, and recreate music, graffiti art, and dance. Modern artists challenge and revolutionize how music, visual art, and the movements of dance are traditionally defined. It is educational, unique, original, and a way of expressing opinions. It is a MC’s verbal skills, a DJ’s use of a turntable to manipulate and create sound, a break-dancer’s new stall, or the fresh tag of a graffiti artist that illustrates humanity’s ability to innovatively express various realities. Each new technique expands and transforms the identity of music.
Today, the turntable is no longer for just playing music, but making music.[1] This is music that confronts reality. It is creative skill, imagination, and inventiveness. This is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and an audio mixer. A phonograph turntable is an apparatus for the recording and reproducing of sounds on and from plastic disks or records and an audio mixer is an electronic device for combining (mixing), routing, and changing the level, tone, and/or dynamics of audio signals.[2]
These artists have the ability to improvise; to live spontaneously and in any situation can manipulate or restructure an existing recording to express a new sound unrecognizable from its original. Turntablism is built on a foundation of innovation requiring already existing music to make music. Where did this art come from? What are its origins? Who took part in making it what it is today? The first evolution of the art form dates back to the 1940s and 1950s when composers took an electronic device, the tape recorder, and used it for new musical techniques. The tape recorder invented by the Germans in World War II to record information so, composers using it for musical purposes was revolutionary. Experimental composers like John Cage and Pierre Schaeffer used them like today’s producers and DJ’s.John Cage (1912-1992) was an American composer, philosopher, writer, and printmaker. He is known for his non-standard use of musical instruments and for the pioneering exploring of electric music. His 1952 4’33’ composition without playing a single note shook the tradition of music. It is four and a half minutes of silence. This attributes him as one of the most important composers of his time. Cage raised questions and challenged the definition of music like many turntabilts do today. He has inpsired other composers towards innovation.4Pierre Schaeffer (1910-1995) was the French composer noted as the creator of musique concrete. It is simply makig music out of ‘real world’ sounds or sounds other than those made by musical instruments. He wrote the first compositions that were produced entirely by electric devices not designed for musical purposes.4 He utilized the German inventiveness of the tape recorder. This was an attempt to encourage new ways of musical expression. Furthermore, their technique involved editing together fragments of independent and natural sound.[3] Both of these men altered the traditional definition of music and what could be used to make it, later opening doors for future artists. Instead of starting with a piece on paper they started with sounds, experimented, even abstracted the sound, and created music that was recognized by the world.4 These thoughts and practices are directly linked to modern hip hop-related turntablism’s revolutionary creations of sound. The second evolution has its roots in the mid 1970s. At this juncture artists were establishing the role of DJ as Hip Hops foremost instrumentalist. In other words, DJs were moving from the background to the main feature. Turntablism grew out of the Bronx, N.Y. where DJ pioneers like DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and the later Grand Wizzard Theodore were teenagers bringing music to the neighborhood block parties. At this time the goal was simply to keep people ‘seamlessly dancing’.[4]First, DJ Kool Herc was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1955. While growing up he saw and heard sound systems at dancehalls that he attended. At 12 years of age he moved to the Bronx. It is here that he began the have free parties. He is a musician and producer. Kool Herc is known as the originator of break-beat Djing, “where the breaks[the portion of a song that is only seconds in lendgth, usually an interlude, in which most of the music stops except for percussion] of funk songs-being the most danceable part, often featuring percussion-were isolated and repeated for the purpose of all-night parties.”[5] Kool Herc figured out how to extend the break indefinately by playing two of the same records alternately switching back to the beginning of the break. This break-beat DJing “is generally regarded as the foundational development in Hip Hop history.”4Second, Grandmaster Flash was born in Bridetown, Barbados in 1958. His family immigrated to the United States where he grew up in the Bronx. Flash learned from Kool Herc and developed a technique called cutting. He used one single record on two turntables where he could use a mixer and manually edit an overlayed break. This turned into what Grand Wizard Theodore turned into scratching.Third, Grand Wizard Theodore is an African American apprentice of Flash. His brother, Mean Jean, mentored him and taught him the basics of Djing. Theodore is known for scratching as well as needle dropping plus other techniques. His hand accidentally resting on a record during his teenage years has revolutionized Djing. Scratching is turntablism’s most recognizable technique which is done my moving a record back and forth underneath the stylus, the needle. This man’s “mixing style is still innovative as he does not do just simple baby scratches and cuts like most old school DJs. His mix sets sound like extended DMC routines with all of the current up to date tricks and styles of music are used. This is unlike Grandmaster Flash or Kool Herc whos mixing style and music selection still sounds like what they used to 30 years ago.”4 Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Grand Wizard Theodore established yet another innovation in music. They took how a record was played and altered it utilizing the turntable. This scratching became the mosted notable sound in hip hop during the 1980s. It was “very common to hear scratching on a record, ,generally as part of the chorus of a track or within its production.”4 DJs now mixed for MCs as they both partnered to share their skills and educate their audiences with new technique. From the tape recorder to scratching each artist expands the definition of music.
At this point, turntablism is not yet regarded as a separate sect of hip hop culture. It was not until the mid-1990s. As DJs were more intrigued with the techniques of creating sound on a turntable, the producers use of tapes for recording, and other technological advances they left hip hop groups. Now, this became prime oppurtunity for the subculture of turntablism to be born. It “focused entirely on the DJ utilising his turntables and a mixer to manipulate sounds and create music” also progressing the evolution of music.4
These artists are deemed ‘turntablists’. DJ Supreme and DJ Badu created the term in 1994. Supreme is a legend of both the UK hip-hop and turntablist scenes. He is known as both the pioneering producer and DJ for Hijack or as the guy who pioneered cuts years ahead of the turntablist revival that emerged from the US west coast in the early and mid 90s. He really was years ahead of many people, both as a producer and artist.[6]
DJ Badu commented about the birth and spread of turntablism while interviewed in Spin Science in 2005. It was in 1995 when he was battling other artists “working on the tables constantly, mastering new techniques and scratches” that he made ‘Comprehension’. On this album was a track called “Turtablism”. This is also where the term was adopted and accepted. Badu continues, “this is the time where all these new techniques were coming out…[s] o we worked on them, talked about it and kicked about the ideas that these techniques and new ways of scratching gave us.” He admits that he didn’t really think anything of it at first. As Badu was in conversation with others he said that
“these new scratches and how they really started to allow us to use the turntable in a more musical way, how it allowed us to do more musical compositions, tracks, etc. and then we’d think about how people who play the piano are pianists, and so we thought ‘we’re turntablists’ in a way, because we play the turntable like these people do the piano or any other instrument.”4
They proceeded to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who actually performs, by touching and moving the records to manipulate sound. It was quickly adopted by hip-hop culture.
As the 1990s continues scratching became more complex, more specific to each artist, and evolved musically. DJs taught each other their latest technique and saw the originality and innovation their counterpart brought. Other practices to note are the development of scratch drumming and beat juggling. Scratch drumming is exactly how it sounds. Artists use scratching to create the percussion of a piece. Beat juggling was first recognizable with Steve Dee, a member of the X-Ecutioners crew. It is using two identical or different drum patterns, with two turntables, and the mixer to form a new rhythm. This evolution created entirely new beats out of already existing ones. With each new practices artists were inspired to take it and make it their own, to incorporate it into their style, their way of expressing themselves or an opinion.
DJ battles test the innovation, skill, and creativity of an artist. Turntablists will compete with each other in a set amount of time to see who can be the most original. This has become an international interest. From the beginnings of this art form passion for change has been the motivation. Whether it was to change sound, music, or culture artists create and recreate ways to innovate music into their own realities.
Turntablists are now acknowledged in the international hip-hop scene. What started out as experimentation has turned into a revolution. With each new idea about how to apply electronic devices, real sound, scratching, and layers of already existing music definitions continue to change. This evolution from John Cage to Steve Dee marks the incredible realm of hip-hop culture.
Here are some notable modern hip-hop turntablists. They include but are not limited to: the cinematic DJ Shadow who influenced Dilo and RJD2, the ever experimenting DJ Spooky who mixed jazz and hip-hop, Mix Master Mike who currently mixes for The Beastie Boys, Cut Chemist, and DJ Nu-Mark.
Reference of Notable Hip Hop disc jockeys
- DJ Kool Herc (born 1955), inventor of breakbeat technique, “the father of hip hop culture”.
- Grandmaster Flash (born 1958), one of the early pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and scratching. Created the Quick Mix Technique, which allowed a DJ to extend a break using two copies of the same record; essentially invented modern turntablism.
- Afrika Bambaataa (born 1957 or 1960), instrumental in the development of hip-hop from its birth in the South Bronx to its international success. He also created the first hip-hop track to feature synthesizers; “The godfather of hip-hop”
- Jazzy Jay (born c. 1962), pioneering DJ and co-founder, with Rick Rubin, of Def Jam Records
- DJ Jazzy Jeff (born 1965), of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (also backed Will Smith on his solo efforts)
- Jam Master Jay (1965-2002), founder and DJ of Run-DMC, one of the most innovative hip-hop groups of all time.
- DJ Clue (born Ernesto Shaw on January 8, 1975 in Queens, New York City) is a mix DJ known for his involvement in the mix tape circuit. He signed as an artist on Roc-A-Fella Records
- Eric B. (born 1965), one half of duo Eric B. & Rakim, popularized the James Brown-sampled funky hip-hop of the late 1980s.
- Terminator X (born 1966), DJ of the highly influential hip-hop group Public Enemy.
- DJ Lethal, the DJ for Irish hip-hop group House of Pain who subsequently became the DJ for Limp Bizkit.
- DJ Qbert (born 1969), founding member of the turntablism group the Invisibl Skratch Piklz and three-time winner of the International DMC Award.
- Mix Master Mike (born 1970), skilled DJ of hip-hop group Beastie Boys, three-time winner of the International DMC Turntablism Award.
- The X-Ecutioners, a turntablist band with several collaborations with groups and artists, including Linkin Park and Xzibit.
- DJ Premier (born 1966), one of the duo Gang Starr. He also featured with many famous Hip-Hop
artists like Nas, LL Cool J, Rakim and many others. 4
Turntablism may be changing with technology but there will always be a great reverence for the beginnings of hip-hop.
All hearing, all seeing, all curious be amazed at even your own ability to create! Whether writer, composer, philosopher, MC, DJ, dancer, turntablist, student, poet, athlete, be innovative, discover your style, be original and challenge tradition! Music is a universal language, and “[I]f you get an end result that connects with people and communicates, then you’ve achieved it. Art always is reinvents itself and the way it’s made.”3. Expand and transform your identities and definitions!
Bibliography:
1.) Austin, Douglas. “The History of Rock.” 16 February 1992. Phillip Wherry. 3 March 2007. http://www.wherry.com/gadgets/dj/.
2.) “Battle Sounds Project.” Battlesounds.com. 3 March 2007. http://www.battlesounds.com.
3.) “DJ & Turntablism Definition.” Jam2Dis.com. 3 March 2007. http://www.jam2dis.com/j2ddjdef.htm.
4.) Halgren, Rob. Personal Interview. 17 March 2007.
5.) “Phonograph.” Webster Illustrated Contemporary Dictionary, Encyclopedic Edition. J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company: Chicago, 1992.
5.) “The History of the DJ & Turntablism part 1.” Jam2Dis.com. 3 March 2007. http://www.am2dis.com/j2ddjhistory1.htm.
6.) “The History of the DJ & Turntablism part 2.” Jam2Dis.com. 3 March 2007. http://www.am2dis.com/j2ddjhistory2.htm.
7.) “The History of the DJ & Turntablism part 4.” Jam2Dis.com. 3 March 2007. http://www.am2dis.com/j2ddjhistory4.htm.
8.) “Turntablism 101.” 28 March 2004. CBS News.com 2 March 2007. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/25/sunday/printable608774.shtml.
9.) “Turntablism.” Wikipedia. 3 March 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turntablism.
“DJ Supreme.” Ukhh.com 22 April 2007. http://www.ukhh.com/elements/turntablism/dj_supreme/index.html
[1] “Turntablism 101.” 28 March 2004. CBS News.com 2 March 2007. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/25/sunday/printable608774.shtml.
[2] “Phonograph.” Webster Illustrated Contemporary Dictionary, Encyclopedic Edition. J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company: Chicago, 1992.
[3] “Turntablism 101.” 28 March 2004. CBS News.com 2 March 2007. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/25/sunday/printable608774.shtml.
[4] “Turntablism.” Wikipedia. 3 March 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turntablism
4 Turntablism.” Wikipedia. 3 March 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turntablism.
[6] “DJ Supreme.” Ukhh.com 22 April 2007. http://www.ukhh.com/elements/turntablism/dj_supreme/index.html
4 Turntablism.” Wikipedia. 3 March 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turntablism.
4 Turntablism.” Wikipedia. 3 March 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turntablism.
3[7] “Turntablism 101.” 28 March 2004. CBS News.com 2 March 2007. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/25/sunday/printable608774.shtml.
