If you’re into music, there’s no shortage of genres that you might enjoy listening to.
Though it all started off with very traditional, orchestral instruments, the way music is created and absorbed has changed significantly over time.
Even if we originally had to know how to play wind or string instruments to make music, a lot of it can be done electronically these days. As a result of that, genres like techno and hip-hop have emerged and become quite popular.
Right along with it, DJ and remix culture has grown enormously as well!
Even though it’s an incredible artform all on its own, many people don’t understand just how impressive DJing can be.
Instead of playing on one instrument with fixed notes, a DJ operates an electronic table that manipulates sounds from one or two records. They can turn the volume up or down, add scratches, slow the sound down and speed it up.
If they’re very skilled, they can also do the same thing between two different records by matching their BPMs. To take this even further, sometimes DJs go head-to-head against one another and improvise entire musical tracks.
And that was the case in this performance.
As the clip begins, a performer named Skratch Bastid steps up to the turntables to perform.
As this is a battle, his performance is coming in response to the other DJ standing across from him. The video was filmed in 2001 at the Scribble Jam DJ Battle in Cincinnati, Ohio, a place where elite DJs can go head-to-head to prove their skills.
As his performance begins, he plays a relatively straightforward song while scratching and using the faders to make some impressive sounds.
Although it’s all impressive at the beginning, it doesn’t seem to be having a huge effect on the audience.
After that, he takes things up a notch and speeds up his scratching and rhythmic switching.
In the meantime, the other DJ is nodding his head along to the beat he’s creating as well. Before long, the performer switches out one of his records to add some new sounds into the mix.
A moment later, he switches the other record out as well… and he switches out the other record yet again and starts mixing between them. Before long, a voice announces that he only has 30 seconds left before he’s finished!
At that point, he decides to pull out his last trick.
Before finishing up, he uses strategic scratching and switching between the records to create an all-too-familiar song.
By manipulating the sounds of two different records, he successfully recreates the groove of the Star Wars’ “Imperial March” on his turntable—even though neither of the records he’s using is of the actual march itself.
As soon as the crowd realizes what he’s doing, many of them get on their feet and start cheering because it’s so original and impressive! After that, he does the trick a few more times and finishes up.
At that, he stops and the crowd gives him a huge round of applause!
Even for those who don’t know much about DJing, this is a pretty impressive feat.
Since it was posted, it has been viewed online more than 5.6 million times and has been shared all over the internet. Because DJing is all about remixing existing sounds and surprising the audience with the results, it’s pretty clear that this performance was a huge success!
Congratulations to Skratch Bastid on an awesome show! Be sure to watch the whole thing in the link below:
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