THE world of the international DJ is a fast and glamorous one but Scots
turntablist Stuart Duncan - Email's clubbing tunes reviewer - has broken into a circuit that makes the lifestyles of Tong, Fatboy, and Oakenfold seem positively sluggish.
He has a useful MC sparring partner, a foil for bouncing rhymes, and there's a
turntablist too, though flashy vinyl scratching isn't a prime concern, at least not until the performance reaches its climax.
Perf footage, both archival and new, includes exhilarating glimpses of DJs Cut Chemist & NuMark (of hiphop group Jurassic 5), the Beastie Boys' Mix Master Mike, now-disbanded Northern California
turntablist ensemble the Invisibl Skratch Piklz and many others.
Tel Aviv-born
turntablist Guy J exploded onto the scene in 2008 with a stomping debut on veteran DJ and producer John Digweed's Bedrock label.
Originally a '
turntablist', he was able to mix real technical ability with that knack for simpy putting on a show which he picked up while in his old band.
Boots (lyricist) and Pam (
turntablist) are burning down the MTV plantation of hip-hop pabulum.
The BEP rant in front of a real band, with guitar, bass and drums doing a good job of aping the sound of collaged samples and cut-up breakbeats,
turntablist DJ Motive scratching the actual vinyl.
The
turntablist has an obsessive side gig, though: He's determined to rack up carnal knowledge of 2,000 men, a quasi-sacred quest that's near completion.
DJ YODA -DJ YODA PRESENTS BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS LONDON
turntablist Duncan Beiny, better known as DJ Yoda, has been known to take part in collaborations before, but never anything quite like Breakfast Of Champions, his first ever live band.
Later additions included Leonard "Hub" Hubbard (bass), Kamal (keyboards), Scratch (human
turntablist) and rapper Malik B, who later left the group.
Now the nerdiest computer freak can play like a Bronx-born
turntablist.
The whole book is best summed up in a quote from art
turntablist Christian Marclay: 'A record is an object, a thing, it's visual, and it contains music.' What does become apparent quite quickly is the fact that independent labels are now at the cutting edge of graphic design, the cut-up punk aesthetic being replaced with ice-cool style and a fine-art aesthetic.