Hey, do you like scr-scr-scr-scr-scratching? As a teenage yout' I used to be bang into it, and I do think it takes a certain degree of nerdy laddishness to get excited about watching other men moving records back and forth, however expertly. These days I'd probably just as soon listen to y'know, the actual tunes, rather than a cut up rendition reminiscent of hearing two dolphins bicker.
One of the best live scratching expos I've witnessed was DJ Cash Money at The Thekla, Bristol in about 1997, who managed to tread the thin line between entertaining the crowd and outright showboating. At the end of the night one of the girls on my course, Rachael went and got him to sign her arse, a bit like when my friend Vic got DJ Format to sign her Stagecoach buses 'Megarider' ticket in 2003, before promtly losing it (Though Rachael didn't lose her arse after that).
Anyway. Taking it way back to 1990, here's Cutmaster Swift on Wogan, on the eve of defending his DMC world title. The Wogester, dressed in Alan Partridge style sports jacket and slacks looks suitably bemused as Cutmaster Swift kicks off proceedings by dextrously juggling two copies of 'To The Max' by Stezo.
Later on Wogan presciently enquires, "What happens when we get CDs?". Tsch, now they're old hat aren't they? Anyway Terry, we've got Final Scratch to use with our MP3s now, so that's all good.
On a more traditional Deejay tip, here's Greg Wilson on The Tube in 1983, where he's interrogated by a pre-big-piano Jools Holland rocking 'sunglasses at night' and fetching leather jacket combo.
Greg's got an interesting set-up, but one of my favourite things about this video are his headphones, which are a pair of those flimsy plastic shits with red foam covering, like what you'd have listened to, I dunno, the Ghostbusters theme on your walkman on the school coach to Chester Zoo.
Anyway, if "all this scrathing is making you itch" then maybe bounce on over to Rewind Selection," (where I'll 'fess up, I flensed those Youtube links from) for a selection of hip-hop/soul/electro mixes from the 80s and 90s. Digging around I even found one by Sean B from Autechre, though be warned, it's pre his Warp Records phase, and features Paul "N-N-N-N-Nineteen" Hardcastle.
Or for some more up to date sonic kicks, the last two mixes on Allez-Allez's" blog were particularly fun. Enjoy.
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