News Letter 03.indd - Ortofon - Choose from Ortofon websites

MISSILL - BIRDY NAM NAM - PAUL VAN DYK - DMC - DJ TOP 100 NETIK - COMA - LE JAD - VINYL GRABBER - PAUL EPWORTH / PHONES
- GEORGES ACOSTA - KENTARO - STUDIO COAST - VINYL STORY
Vinyl-to-digital transcription car tridge
Artwork : noetwo@gmail.com
Growing demand for the ability to transcribe vinyl to digital formats has prompted the creation of the Arkiv,
a cartridge specially designed to provide optimized sound quality specifically for recording purposes.
The Arkiv boasts clear and accurate sound reproduction and remarkable stereo imaging, making it perfectly
suited for sampling, transcription, and numerous other professional applications.
The Arkiv ships with an elliptical stylus, for extended high frequency response.
In the world of turntablism - a vocation to which many are
called but few are chosen - Birdy Nam Nam need no introduction. Since the release of their first album in October 2005,
the four members of the collective – DJ Pone, DJ Need, Little
Mike, and Crazy D – have earned themselves a hoard of fans
that are far from all being hip-hop amateurs.
Indeed, after several French and international shows,
Birdy Nam Nam have proved that their way with the decks
appeals to a large audience, from connoisseurs of electronica
to the most demanding hip hop heads. Their unique style,
which takes its inspiration from everything from the most
acid-drenched electro to the smoothest hip hop, has helped
the four musicians prove that, whatever people might say, the
art of the turntables can and does work live. They all boast
technical prowess – each of them has been successful in
international competitions with other collectives – but the
Birdy boys’ stage presence means they can do something
that few DJs before them have managed to do: transcend the
DJ’s traditionally ornamental role.
When Birdy Nam Nam hit La Cigale for the two historic
nights of July 27th and 28th 2006, they didn’t just scratch
over a few LPs. Indeed, just one third of the group’s live
tracks comes from their eponymous October 2005 album.
Editorial Director : Wilfrid de Baise
Art Director : Noe Two (noetwo@gmail.com)
Design Cover and Missill files : Missill
Agency : World Star Dj Ltd (wsd@wsdjs.com)
Photography : Wilfrid de Baise
Contributing Photographers : Dmc and DR
The quartet’s inventiveness pushes them to surpass themselves, and to avoid the tired gimmicks of other, more orthodox,
scratchers.
In the space of ninety mind-blowing minutes, this François
Bergeron (NTM, Mano Negra, Manu Chao, Béruier Noir)
produced recording features not one second of gratuitous,
sterile virtuosity. From the show’s opener, “Abbesses,” one
of the tracks that best represents the group’s first album, the
turntablists cover every base: everyone has his role to play
in a BNN live show. “That’s Michael on bass, Denis on accordion, Nicolas and Thomas on guitar,” say the boys, by way of
introduction. Throughout their jubilant set, Pone, Need, Mike
and Crazy B show that the incessant touring has done them
good. Simultaneously relaxed and deep in concentration,
they are deeply charismatic – which the response from the
capacity crowd only proves.
Since a taste for risk and innovation characterizes the
collective, there’s a live group (consisting of Sylvain Moser
on keyboards, Yann Gourhand on acoustic bass, Julien Sérié
on drums and Gaëlle Salomon on percussion) at hand, adding
a pinch of funky groove to the mix at different moments
throughout the show.
It’s now official: French turntablism has its heroes, and
they’re convincing and seductive both on CD and on stage as this exceptional live performance proves. Dim lighting and
expert direction help reconstitute the magical atmosphere of
these two nights.
BNN live could well become as cult as the Blake Edwards
and Peter Sellers film to which their name refers!
More infos on www.uncivilizedworld.com,
www.birdynamnam.com
www.myspace.com/birdynamnam
���������������
Paul Van Dyk
For the first time this year, the famous Top 100 of UK publication DJ was sponsored and powered by Ortofon.
History
DJ The first Top 100 DJs Poll open to public voting was held
in 1997.
Before this, DJmag’s poll was intermittent, and only people
in the dance music industry contributed towards a candidate
shortlist.
Back in 1997, DJmag.com didn’t exist, so all votes were sent
in the post.
Altogether, about 700 people voted in Top 100 DJs poll in
1997.
In 1998 we started accepting votes by email, opening up
the poll to many more international voters. The amount of
votes received more than trebbled, and Paul Oakenfold was
crowned people’s champion for the first time.
In 1999, there were 31 new entries. Only four women made it
into the whole poll.
The 2000 poll was the first time that Dutch superstar DJ
Tiësto featured (at number 24).
In 2001, votes came in from 50 countries. Over 500 DJs were
nominated, and the top 25 garnered almost 60% of the vote.
In 2002, the vote was up by 20% on 2001, with 38,481 dance
music fans taking part around the world.
Votes came in from 65 countries.
In 2003, there were 61,529 votes, up 50% on 2002’s total.
Votes were received from 120 countries around the world.
There really was no disputing Tiësto’s position in the 2004
poll.
Previously, Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox had both won the
award twice, but last year Tiësto took things to a whole new
level. His 25,000 capacity stadium gigs, and his DJ set at the
opening ceremony of the Olympic Games to a TV audience in
excess of 4.5 billion, meant no other DJ could compete.
In 2004 Tiësto was crowned No.1 for the third year in a row.
In 2005 after years of being in the top 10, Paul van Dyk finally
reached the top spot, and claimed the crown as the No.1 DJ
in the world.
This year (2006), Paul van Dyk has been crowned No.1 DJ in
the world for the second year running.
The results of the most important poll in dance music
A staggering 217,102 dance music fans voted in DJmag’s
2006 Top 100 DJs poll.
That’s 90,000 more than last year and a true indication that
dance music is still a massive global phenomenon.
The truly global reach of DJ culture was once again highlighted with votes coming in from 229 different countries (there
are only 243 recognised countries in the world).
The USA provided the most votes in 2006, closely followed by
the UK, and then Germany.
But there was also a sharp increase in voters from Brazil,
Israel and Canada.
German trance superstar wins two times in a row
He accepted his award at a star studded night at London Fabric and said “There couldn’t be a No.1 without a No.100,” “If
I was the only one doing this then no-one would give a flying
fuck for me. Everyone playing electronic music is breaking
the ground for the scene as a whole - we all play what we
love, we all help build this together.”
Great Honour
Paul dedicated his Top 100 award to everybody involved in
dance music. “To be voted No.1 last year was a great honour,
and to win it for a second time is very special.“I’d like to
dedicate the award to all those involved in electronic music
who make and play the records we love.
“The amount of votes in this year’s Poll is testament to the
continuing strength of our scene, and that in difficult global
times, our culture stands as a positive force in uniting people
from different cultural backgrounds through music.”
1 Paul van Dyk PVD has retained his
crown as the world’s
number one DJ in
2006.
The
2006. The German
German trancer
trancer
remains
remains top
top dog
dog for
for the
the second
second
year
year running.
running.
2 Armin van
Buuren - After
spending three
years at No.3, Dutch
trance
trance star
star Armin
Armin has
has beaten
beaten
the
the mighty
mighty Tiësto
Tiësto to
to second
second
place.
place. His
His hard
hard work
work continues
continues
to
to pay
pay off.
off.
3 Tiësto - Three
times No.1 DJ Tiësto
remains one of
the world’s biggest
spinners,
capable
spinners, capable of
of filling
filling
stadiums
stadiums with
with his
his epic
epic Dutch
Dutch
trance
trance sounds.
sounds.
4 Christopher
Lawrence - North
American trance don
Lawrence is leading
the
the scene
scene Stateside
Stateside and
and is
is
increasingly
increasingly present
present on
on the
the
global
global stage.
stage. He’s
He’s climbed
climbed up
up
10
10 places
places since
since last
last year.
year.
5 DJ Dan - US
jock Dan wins the
‘Highest House DJ’
accolade this year.
Although
something
Although something of
of aa dark
dark
horse
horse in
in Europe,
Europe, in
in the
the States
States
he’s
he’s huge.
huge.
6 Ferry Corsten
- Ferry has had a
number of big hits
over the years, and
2006
2006 was
was aa great
great year
year for
for him
him
-- his
his album
album received
received critical
critical
acclaim
acclaim the
the world
world over.
over.
7 Sasha - Sasha is
the highest placed
British DJ in this
year’s poll, and still
one
one of
of the
the world’s
world’s biggest.
biggest. He
He
played
played at
at Sonar
Sonar in
in Barcelona
Barcelona
for
the
first
time
in
2006.
for the first time in 2006.
8 Digweed - Diggers
has been
in thein
- Diggers
has been
Top
10 for
the Top
10 years,
for years,
and has constantly
strived
strived to
to inject
inject new
new sounds
sounds
into
into his
his sets.
sets. He’s
He’s aa true
true renaisrenaissance
sance man.
man.
9 Above &
Beyond - The
DJ/production trio
are one of the main
acts
acts breathing
breathing new
new life
life into
into the
the
trance
trance scene.
scene. It’s
It’s no
no surprise
surprise
they
they have
have finally
finally broken
broken into
into
the
the Top
Top 10.
10.
10 Deep Dish
- The Washingtonbased duo fill clubs
the world over, and
have
won
many
have won many awards
awards over
over
the
the years
years whilst
whilst remixing
remixing the
the
likes
likes of
of Madonna.
Madonna.
11
11 Carl
Carl Cox
Cox
12
12 Infected
Infected Mushroom
Mushroom
13
13 ATB
ATB
14
14 Paul
Paul Oakenfold
Oakenfold
15
15 Hernan
Hernan Cattaneo
Cattaneo
16
16 Judge
Judge Jules
Jules
17
Eddie
Halliwell
17 Eddie Halliwell
18
18 Marco
Marco V
V
19
19 Markus
Markus Schulz
Schulz
20
20 Gabriel
Gabriel &
& Dresden
Dresden
21
21 James
James Zabiela
Zabiela
22
22 John
John Acquaviva
Acquaviva
23
23 Flash
Flash Brothers
Brothers
24
24 Amadeus
Amadeus
25
25 Erick
Erick Morillo
Morillo
26
26 Benny
Benny Benassi
Benassi
27
27 Sander
Sander Kleinenberg
Kleinenberg
28
DJ
Yahel
28 DJ Yahel
29
29 Offer
Offer Nissim
Nissim
30
30 Andy
Andy Moor
Moor
31
31 David
David Guetta
Guetta
32
32 Sander
Sander van
van Doorn
Doorn
33
Richie
33 Richie Hawtin
Hawtin
34
34 Gareth
Gareth Emery
Emery
35
35 Phil
Phil Kieran
Kieran
36
36 Nick
Nick Warren
Warren
37
37 DJ
DJ Skazi
Skazi
38
Steve
38 Steve Lawler
Lawler
39
39 D-Formation
D-Formation
40
40 Ricky
Ricky Stone
Stone
41
41 Astrix
Astrix
42
42 Roger
Roger Sanchez
Sanchez
43
Bad
43 Bad Boy
Boy Bill
Bill
44
44 Sven
Sven Väth
Väth
45
45 Thrillseekers
Thrillseekers
46
46 Donald
Donald Glaude
Glaude
47
47 DJ
DJ Vibe
Vibe
48
Kyau
Vs.
48 Kyau Vs. Albert
Albert
49
49 Chris
Chris Liebing
Liebing
50
50 Tiga
Tiga
51
51 Matt
Matt Darey
Darey
52
52 Bob
Bob Sinclar
Sinclar
53
James
53 James Holden
Holden
54
54 Lange
Lange
55
55 Wrecked
Wrecked Machines
Machines
56
56 Dion
Dion Mavath
Mavath
57
57 Pete
Pete Tong
Tong
58
58 Danny
Danny Tenaglia
Tenaglia
59
59 George
George Acosta
Acosta
60
60 Blank
Blank &
& Jones
Jones
61
61 DJ
DJ Sammy
Sammy
62
62 Joachim
Joachim Garraud
Garraud
63
63 Timo
Timo Maas
Maas
64
Matt
Hardwick
64 Matt Hardwick
65
65 Frank
Frank Trax
Trax
66
66 Steve
Steve Angello
Angello
67
67 Danny
Danny Howells
Howells
68
68 Simon
Simon Posford
Posford
69
John
Graham
69 John Graham
70
70 Desyn
Desyn Masiello
Masiello
71
71 Mauro
Mauro Picotto
Picotto
72
72 Menno
Menno De
De Jong
Jong
73
73 BT
BT
74
Scott
K
74 Scott K
75
75 Tall
Tall Paul
Paul
76
76 M.I.K.E.
M.I.K.E. Push
Push
77
77 Filo
Filo &
& Peri
Peri
78
78 DJ
DJ Tarkan
Tarkan
79
79 Anderson
Anderson Noise
Noise
80
80 Fatboy
Fatboy Slim
Slim
81
81 Serge
Serge Devant
Devant
82
82 Umek
Umek
83
83 Victor
Victor Calderone
Calderone
84
Darude
84 Darude
85
85 Fergie
Fergie
86
86 Talla
Talla 22 XLC
XLC
87
87 Ronski
Ronski Speed
Speed
88
88 Lee
Lee Burridge
Burridge
89
Mario
Piu
89 Mario Piu
90
90 Axel
Axel Karakasis
Karakasis
91
91 Steve
Steve Porter
Porter
92
92 Yoji
Yoji Biomehanika
Biomehanika
93
93 Axwell
Axwell
94
94 Stanton
Stanton Warriors
Warriors
95
95 Dave
Dave Seaman
Seaman
96
96 Robbie
Robbie Rivera
Rivera
97
97 Andy
Andy C
C
98
98 Agnelli
Agnelli &
& Nelson
Nelson
99
Lisa
Lashes
99 Lisa Lashes
100
100 Dave
Dave Clarke
Clarke
PAUL VAN DYK
Meeting Paul van Dyk is always an honour and a great experience. Here at Ortofon we love him, not because
he is the Number 1 DJ in the world , but because he is also a number 1 human being, down to earth,
respectful, no bullshit and full of talent.
What does it mean for you to be voted the same year Number
One DJ in the World by DJ Mag (powered by Ortofon) and win
the Ortofon Best Global DJ at the Winter Music Conference
International Dance Music Award?
It’s an amazing honour, it’s fantastic that people can reward all
the effort and passion that I have put into my work, but it’s not just
about those awards or being at the top of the list, it’s about the
music. We can be happy that we can play our favourite music in
front of all those people, and as I said before, there would not be
a number 1 without number 100. I am proud and honoured to be
on top of that list.
You now won more awards in the DJ World than anyone
else and each time we had the pleasure to see you in person
coming and collecting those awards, we also see you at most
major DJ convention panels, is it something you enjoy doing
or are you just well educated and respectful of the scene?
Well, it’s both, I think it is very important to stand with the music,
it’s important to go to those conventions, to see what is new, to
see what are the problems that can encounter new talents, as
maybe as a record company I can help or change. On the other
hand, in the electronic or the dance world, lots of people complain
that it is not recognise in the ‘big music world’, so at least what we
should do is respect our own artists, if there is an award ceremony
dedicated towards dance music and celebrating the artist and the
talent that made that music, we should at least go there.
type of music in front of people and it’s always great to see all
the smiles and positive energy, it’s very inspiring, basically there
always a connection back and forth between the audience and
the studio.
keyboard have them scratching the stuff. That could be really cool.
What do you listen at home?
Most of the time, it is electronic music, that’s my favourite music.
At the same time, it is very important when I listen to music that
I have the feeling than there is an artist that means something,
someone who likes to bring something across and this music can
range from Linkin Park to Placebo
Do you consider yourself as a DJ or a Musician?
I am musician/DJ/producer /arranger, I am making my music
completely by myself, I don’t go into a studio directing a team, so
first of all I am a musician.
What are your favourite LPs of all time?
The Massive Attack album where there is Protection, Strange
Ways here we come by the Smiths and in term of electronic music
a groundbreaking album Ima by BT
What have been the major changes in the music since you
started?
It became much bigger, out of a little scene, there is now nothing
bigger than electronic music, and it became a culture uniting
people everywhere in the world. Also the focus is now on the DJ,
when I started, the DJ was the freak in the corner while other
people had fun, now the DJ is on the big centre stage with a lot
of lights. Looking at the technology, there was a big step let’s say
in the last five years , studio technology was incorporated in the
technology that DJ can use, like all the effects on the mixers. The
show became more like a live performance in the sense of things
being ‘live created’. These are the three major changes.
What do you like in this business?
It’s a question of how you define business, the part of the music
scene that we live in is not just about money or the bullshit that
the pop world is all about, and there is still a lot of people (and I
include myself) who do everything for the music. Of course I earn
my money with it, but at the same time it’s not my priority. I am
basically choosing my gig for what’s the best possibility to present
my kind of electronic music to the people, and not to who is paying
the most money. Several other DJs think the same and that is
what I enjoy. It’s first of all about the music and not the money or
sales figure.
Where do you go from number 1?
Number 2, ahahahaha. For me the next gig is always the most
important gig, the next record is the next big thing for me, and
right now my main priority is finishing and releasing my new album
(June 2007)
Last year in Miami, when you picked up your award, you
praised the crew C2C (4 times DMC World Team Champions)
what do you know of the turntablist/scratch scene?
It’s absolutely amazing, it’s a different thing from what I do, I saw
them two or three time now and it’s fantastic. What they do and
how they do it, it’s like live sampling without a sampler, fantastic.
I have always been amazed by the skills of the Djs in the world
championship. It’s just more difficult to put what they do live on a
CD for general release.
What’s you favourite part of the job, DJing or producing?
Both, because first I feel like an artist, I play my music, I produce
my music and my way of presenting it in front of people is my way
of DJing, so therefore it belongs together, it’s very important for
me to make my music and it’s very important for me to play this
Have you ever thought of doing any collaboration with
scratcher on your work?
Well I did on a previous album, a track with a German scratcher,
but it could be interesting and definitely worth a thought to have
someone play live alongside, instead of playing the elements with
What do you hate in the business?
That journalists always think that they have to divide things and
put labels on everything. I am known in the press as a Trance DJ
and at the same time when people hear me play, they wonder why
I am not actually playing the Trance music they expect. It is just
because someone has put labels on music rather than just listen
to it. This is why I just call it electronic music, I can play something
like Aphex Twin or Dave Clark or some trancy beats, it all happened. The whole idea of dividing it into different style and saying
this style is better than this one is all bullshit because at the end
of the day, the DJ combines the best elements of the whole wild
world of electronic music and play these best elements together
and create a unique sound. So it’s not about Trance, Techno or
whatever, it’s a combination of it all.
What are your favourite DJs?
Shasha is always an inspiration, he does a strange atmospherical
and at the same time very kicking energetic sound, no one else
does it the way he does. He definitely does a great job.
Here are so many, I heard Adam Freeland , he’s doing some amazing stuff, Marco Lee, Dave Clarke, Chris Liebing. There are so
many, it’s really down to what you like and what you enjoy, what
the DJ feels has to come across, what is his idea about the music.
If this is coming across then it’s a good DJ, if he is just playing the
Top 10 of the club charts, then he sucks.
Do you still have time to go dancing?
Well I’m dancing when I play, you know I’m always jumping
around. Also if there are some special occasions like after the
Awards last year, we had a little party or if a good friend is coming
to Berlin , we go to the club and check it out, and of course if it
kicks then we dance.
Do you deserve your success ?
I am sorry ?
Do you deserve your success ?
That’s a weird question in a way. The thing is that as I said before,
I am very passionate about what I do, I never take it easy on
myself and at the same time I have a really really good team that
works with me. It’s not just about me deserving the success, it’s
also thanks to their efforts that we are actually successful. Also
, how do you define success ? It’s not just about selling many
records, for me a successful track is that if a few people that are
very close to me say that this is a good track, than that’s already a
success for me, it doesn’t really mean that it will sell. Then again
, it’s always a team effort and the team definitely deserves the
success, because it’s one of the best.
Brilliant answer, anything to add ?
Thank you very much to Ortofon to support the scene and
sponsoring the Awards. You know it‘s not just about receiving and
or giving an Award, I think all important, like self celebration in
Rock music or Hip Hop. The Dance world always asks “why isn’t
anybody interested in us?’, well maybe it’s because they might
not be interested themselves and I think putting together shows or
Awards where people can present what they think is the best part
of Electronic music, is always a help and this is a good thing, and
that’s why I say thank you to Ortofon to be a very good sponsor
WORLD DJ CHAMPIONSHIP
1st: Netik - France
3rd: Rafik – Germany
2nd: Yasa - Japan
This year, the French contingent dominated the competitions across the board... but Japan along with 60 other National
DJ Champions weren¹t going to let them take everything home! The exciting 2006 program began on Sunday 10th
September with $20,000 up for grabs in two of the three DMC championships, the Battle for World Supremacy and the
World DJ Team Championships sponsored by LG Mobile.
16 DJs faced each other in a knock out one minute face-to-face confrontation, whittling them down to an 8 DJ quarter
finals, 4 DJ semi finals, and finally until the last two men stranding had 3 minutes each to claim the $10k first prize courtesy of Ortofon/DMC. The DJs selected vinyl cut-ups, breaks, and insults as they beat each other up in a battle worthy
of a classic DMC final. In the end, there could only be one winner, the supremely talented DJ Coma from Japan who
had delivered an unbeatable set to become DMC’s World Battle Champion. French DJ Troubl’ was runner-up, narrowly
missing out on making DMC France’s Wilfrid De Baise’s prophecy of a THREE TITLE FRENCH WIN, come true! But then
the French connection took effect, the current World DJ Team Champions had the delicious prospect of a world record,
until this evening C2C of France shared the record of three consecutive world championship wins with the legendary
American DJ Craze. The UK’s Disabalists were brilliant but this was a night beyond brilliance. There really is no DJ team
in the world who can hold a candle to C2C, once C2C hit the decks, the audience and judges unanimously agreed that the
$10,000 wedge was going to Paris. Monday would see the next stage of the French revolution!
The DMC event has grown and grown in status over its 21 years with a fan base that cues well before doors open to make
sure they don¹t miss a beat. From 20 DJs in the afternoon eliminations 12 national champions from across the globe had
won a place in the evening final. The evening grew with p.a.s of the highest order, dance-outs, rappers and the amazing
MC Killa Kela and MC Trip holding proceedings together as DMC’s stage crew set up one deck after another in an event
which featured a total of 22 Technics turntables!
Amongst the highlights was Singapore¹s diminutive female DJ Noodles who copied the styles of old with body tricks and
cutting capers that amused one and all especially when she dropped her oriental headband to play blindfolded. During
the course Sweden’s Kid Sid sent the Hammersmith Palais management running for the fire extinguishers as he sprayed
fuel on his vinyl setting them alight. The UK contender, Asian Hawk took the jazz high road with music that had never
featured in previous DMC’s. In the end it was a close call and although support for Rafik from Germany and Yasa from
Japan was incredibly strong and quite justified, it was French DJ Netik, who clinched those oh-so-coveted Technics
golden decks, LG mobile, Ortofon golden stylus, trophies and the handsome cheque for $10,000 with an incredible show
worth it of his famous predecessors such as Craze or Q.Bert!
World Final 2006 Judges Results
Craze – DMC World Champion
1998/1999/2000
1st: Netik
2nd: Yasa
3rd: Rafik
Tony Vegas – Scratch Perverts DMC 1999 World Team Champion
1st: Netik
2nd: Yasa
3rd: Rafik
I-Dee – DMC USA Battle Champion 2005
1st: Netik
2nd: Rafik
3rd: Fred Funk
Dopey – DMC World Champion 2003
1st: Netik
2nd: Yasa
3rd: Rafik
Prime Cuts – Scratch Pervert – DMC World
Team Champion 1999
1st: Netik
2nd: Yasa
3rd: Wunderkut
Pfel – C2C – DMC World Team Champion
2003/2004/2005/2006
1st: Netik
2nd: Rafik
3rd: Yasa
Plus One – Scratch Pervert –
DMC World Champion 2001
1st: Netik
2nd: Yasa
3rd: Rafik
Kentaro – DMC World Champion 2002
1st: Yasa
2nd: Netik
3rd: Fred Funk
Atom – C2C – DMC World Team Champion
2003/2004/2005/2006
1st: Netik
2nd: Rafik
3rd: Fred Funk
Pro Zeiko – DMC World Battle Champion
2005
1st: Netik
2nd: Rafik
3rd: Fred Funk
Beni G – Mixologists – DMC UK
Team Champion 2002/2003
1st: Netik
2nd: Yasa
3rd: Rafik
DJ Coma – DMC World Battle Champion
2006
1st: Yasa
2nd: Netik
3rd: Rafik
Unkut – DMC Germany Battle Champion 2006
1st: Netik
2nd: Rafik
3rd: Fred Funk
D’Jill - DMC France Champion 1999
1st: Netik
2nd: Fred Funk
3rd: Yasa
Sparky T - DMC Greece Battle Champion
2001
1st: Netik
2nd: Fred Funk
3rd: Rafik/Kid Sid
ResultsWinneR:
1st: Netik (France) – 43 points
2nd: Yasa (Japan) – 20 points
3rd: Rafik (Germany) – 17 points
4th: Fred Funk (USA) – 9 points
5th: Wunderkut (Canada) – 1 point
5th: Kid Sid (Sweden) – 1 point
BATTLE FOR WORLD SUPREMACY
1st: DJ Coma - Japan
Round 1: 2 x 60 seconds
Handy Andy (Norway) vs Perplex (Australia)
Round 2: 2 x 60 seconds
Ego (Sweden) vs Wundrkut (Canada)
Tedu (Spain) vs Rachi (Holland)
Mikey (Hong Kong) vs Inquisitive (Singapore)
The Boy (Greece) vs Switch (United Kingdom)
Needlesplit (Denmark) vs Etronik (USA)
Perplex (Australia) vs Coma (Japan)
DJ LJ (China) vs Troubl’ (France)
E Turn (Taiwan) vs Unkut (Germany)
Quarter Final: 2 x 90 seconds
Switch (United Kingdom) vs Inquisitive (Singapore)
Troubl’ (France) vs Unkut (Germany)
Needlesplit (Denmark) vs Ego (Sweden)
Coma (Japan) vs Tedu (Spain)
Semi Final: 2 x 90 seconds
Ego (Sweden) vs Troubl’ (France)
Coma (Japan) vs Switch (United Kingdom)
Final: 2 x 90 seconds
Troubl’ (France) vs Coma (Japan)
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
2nd: Disablists - UK
1st: C2C - France
2nd: Troubl’ – France
4th: Scratch Science - France
5th: Funky Bastardi - Italy
Team Championship 2006 Judges Results
Netik - DMC World Champion 2006
1st: C2C
2nd: Disablists
3rd: Dangerous Combinasions
Yasa - DMC World Champion
runner up 2006
1st: C2C
2nd: Disablists
3rd: Scratch Science
I-Dee - DMC USA Battle
Champion 2005
1. C2C
2. Disablists
3. Dangerous Combiasions
Wundrkut - DMC Canada
Champion 2006
1st: C2C / 2nd: Disablists /
3rd: Stylusts
Troubl’ - World Battle Champion
runner up 2006
1st: C2C
2nd: Disablists
3rd: Dangerous Combinasions
Cutmaster Swift - DMC World
Champion 1989
1st: C2C
2nd: Disablists
3rd: Scratch Science
DJ Ego - Sweden
Battle Champion 2006
1st: C2C
2nd: Dangerous Combinasions
3rd: Disablists
Pro Zeiko - DMC World Battle
Champion 2005
1st: C2C
2nd: Dangerous Combinasions
3rd: Disablists/Scratch Science
DJ L-T - DMC China Battle
Champion 2006
1st: C2C
2nd: Disablists
3rd: Scratch Science
DJ Perplex - DMC Australia
Champion 2006
1st: C2C
2nd: Funky Bastardi
3rd: Scratch Science
Unkut - DMC Germany Battle
Champion 2006
1st: C2C
2nd: Dangerous Combinasions/
Disablists
3rd: Scratch Science
Sparky T - DMC Greece Battle
Champion 2001
1st: C2C
2nd: Dangerous Combinasions
3rd: Disablists
D’Jill - DMC France Champion 1999
1st: C2C
2nd: Dangerous Combinasions
3rd: Scratch Science
Results World Champions 2006
(Defending Champions)
C2C – 42 points
2nd: Disablists (UK) – 21 points
3rd: Dangerous Combinasions 14 points
4th: Scratch Science (France) – 8 points
5th: Funky Bastardi (Italy) – 2 points
DMC 2006
30 000 CASH PRIZES
COURTESY OF ORTOFON
Artwork : noetwo@gmail.com
Congratulations to the DMC Winners
of DMC World DJ Championship, Battle for World Supremacy and DMC World DJ Team Championship
THE SUMMIT
This years final saw the most awesome audience responses that London has ever witnessed, 4000 arms punched the
Hammersmith air as 6 DMC World Champions, legends in their time, arrived on stage for CK One¹s SUMMIT 2.
Craze (USA), Kentaro (JAPAN), Dopey (CANADA) Cutmaster Swift (UK), Netik (FRANCE) and Noise (DENMARK), to take
them all to a place even they had never been before, topped by KILLA KELA¹s incredible beat-boxing.
«Unbelievable» was a word heard to be uttered 2000 times at least!
Go to www.dmcworld.com for all the results and picture gallery
Photos and text courtesy of DMC World,
Style and Wilfrid de Baise
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NETIK
DMC WORLD CHAMPION 2006
Congratulations first for this incredible display and
this well deserved title. How do you feel ?
Thanks, I feel great and happy to have won, but the most satisfying thing is to have gone ‘til the end of the dream. I had lots of
doubt periods during my training period. I was even sure I was
going to turn up to the French championship a couple of weeks
before.
I wanted my show to be perfect and have no regrets whatsoever.
It’s one of the greatest moments in my life and what I wanted to
avoid at all cost was losing because of one mistake.
It was a real challenge for me and to have won makes life sweeter.
Those comments really made me feel great as it came from the
world leading turntablist, but it’s still too early to know if I will
defend the title.
You were the Champion of the Battle for World Supremacy in 2000 and 2001. Why did you wait so long to
come back in the Battle scene ?
I entered most Battles between 2001 and 2002 and so the hunger
was not there anymore. The fact that I won brought me a lot of
satisfaction but it also made me less eager to battle. That was
the first reason. Then I had a lot of other desires. I wanted to tour,
produce, and make music.
I needed to take a break from battling.
But it is also true that the missing title was the greatest of all: The
DMC Individual which is the one that all the greatest had won.
So every year I told myself, “well maybe next year...” . However,
I did not have any new routines and I did not find any inspiring
sound?
This is where ‘LE JAD’ was the real trigger. He knew I wanted to
come back and he motivated me with some great sounds. Also
with the prize money I knew the level would even be better and
that was also a source of motivation to win the most prestigious
battle.
Now you’ve won the Battle for World Supremacy
twice - the World title this year. Aren’t you tempted
to go for the Team Championship which will put you
in the History of DMC as the only DJ to have won all
three categories ?
I’m always thinking of the Team competition. It would make a
great “hat trick”, though I’m not sure if I will enter. But if I do, it
would certainly be with ‘Troubl’.
Was the prize money an important factor in you decision to compete again ?
Yes, in a way, as it is an added bonus that you cannot neglect, but
the real reason to battle is first and foremost to win the title. The
money is just a good retribution for all the hard work we put in.
How did you prepare your show and how do you
describe it ?
Well the show was prepared with ‘LE JAD’ who is a breakbeat
producer.
He would prepare customized sounds and beats that I tested.
I then reworked them and so on. Lots of thinking went into the
preparation. As we were creating the routine from ’scratch’ (ground
zero) the thinking was totally different as there were no references
to classics or already done routines.
We were able to go deeper into our souls and imagine the craziest
idea as we would be able to produce them directly. At first, I
thought this would be much easier than the traditional way, but I
soon found out that it wasn’t.
It was very difficult for me to adapt. We wanted to do a show,
which would grow in intensity continuously, with no time to breathe - a routine that would literally take your breath away.
I am very proud of the results. I think my 6 minutes was fat,
between hip hop and electro, with a dirty heavy beat that grooves
like I enjoy and with a little violence added to kill it off (laughing).
How did you feel straight after your show ?
I was really on another planet, one of the greatest days in my life,
which I will never forget.
Apparently some of the jury said that you were three
years ahead of the rest. Does that mean you will
come back next year to defend ?
You’ve always won all the DMC Battles you’ve entered
(nationally and internationally). What’s your secret ?
(Laughing)... there is no secret, no magic formula. It’s all down to
work, but one day you win and one day you lose. I’m just lucky to
get up only on the winning days. The important thing is to give it
your all, no matter what.
The mental process is also a major factor.
Who are the DJs you admire in the previous competitions ? And who are your favourite DJs outside the
Battle scene ?
It’s difficult as there are so many who influenced me, so in chronological order I would say:
Q.Bert, Master Mike, Shortkut, Roc Raider, Noise, Craze, P-Trix,
A-Trak, Kodh, Troubl, Kentaro.
And outside the Battle scene :
Markie, and D-Styles.
What are you going to do now ?
I started working on my breakbeat and I also have a lot of tour dates already booked. As soon as I get some free time, I will work on
some production.
Is producing, the natural way to go for a DJ ?
For me, it’s obvious when you spend years listening, manipulating
and analyzing records. You want to start producing your own
music one day or another. It doesn’t mean that all DJs are gifted
for it, but at least it’s worth a try.
Which artists would you love to work with ?
Too many, in the Drum ‘n Bass or the Electro scene...
While you were away from the battle scene, you were
apparently in a jazz band ?
Yes, I worked a couple of years with a Dutch Jazz band which was
a great experience. We had a drummer, a bass player , a trumpet
player and sometimes a singer or a guitarist as guests. I was
on the turntables and played as a musician with the band. That
concept was totally free improvisation, which meant that each
concert we did was a new experience. It was all down to feelings.
If I felt like doing a scratch solo, I just had to look at the other guys
and they understood that it was the right moment. It’s real magic
when you can play with such gifted musicians. You forget your
flares, your crabs, and your 4 beats and you go with the flow of
experimental sound which goes into total artistic freedom.
Your top 10 songs of all time ?
Too difficult. There so many. It is also different from the DJ or the
personal view - a lot of the music that I listen to at home. I could
never play it in the clubs, so if I had to choose one, it would be
«Little Wing» by Jimmy Hendrix.
lejad
NERVOUS SHOCK
LE JAD «NERVOUS SHOCK»
After the highly acclaimed «Doll’s Break» and his collaboration on Netik’s 2006 DMC World Championships
winning set, Le Jad is releasing a new scratch record called «Nervous Shock». This record took two years
to be completed. All the beats and scratch sound banks were tested with scratching software and scratch
CD players, then burnt onto vinyl for several trials with experts such as Netik, Or d’Oeuvre, and other famous
battle DJs. This record contains 4 heavy double-timing scratching beats, ranging from 72 to 90 bpm, inspired
by crunk, rave, metal, and electro sounds. This record is also a useful scratching sound library, as there are 7
skipless sound banks: 2 with scratching sounds and 5 especially conceived for scratch drumming. Those
skipless sound banks were designed to be scratched over other loops than 133bpm, without the help of an
ultrapitch. This concept will be very easily understood, as soon as you have the record in your own
hands. Five others sound banks are compiled on this record. The first one is full of rave synth and neverheard-before sounds. Even the classical «Ahhh» and «Fresh» are reworked. The other is especially devoted to
scratch drumming, with only original drum kits. The result is really fat and sounds very «electro». It is useful
for battling, training, or even for composing purposes. The last three sound banks are huge and massive,
mixing scratching, drumming and beat juggling sentences. With few classical sounds, it includes a lot of rave
synth, electro drum kit, hardcore kicks and snare, metal, drum ‘n bass sounds and many more. Hardcore
scratch DJs looking for heavy scratch practice beats, battle DJs, scratch composers, or whoever you are
in the «scratching game» - you will be happy to have this record in your collection.
How did collaboration with Netik, Or d’oeuvre and
Troubl for the DMC happened?
For Netik, we spoke on msn and I told him that I would spend one
day with him. I came with one beat and one sound bank for him.
He tested it and I told him that it would be nice if he won the DMC
Championship .We worked very hard, and he is a great professional, perfectionist and hard on himself. It took several months with
very intense doubts; intense moments of stress and creation.
How to produce a winning set for DMC? The hardest thing was to
find a balance between my patterns edition on the computer and
what he makes in a live set... he also recomposed a lot of things
on his side and he succeeded to adapt my work fully. He is a great
champion.
For Troubl, I created a routine for him and reworked some part
of his plans, boosted the sound, made musical arrangements,
republished things, intros, etc... he works very quickly, and he’s
able to find a routine in one hour. We did that in one week,
between the French Championship and
the World Championships!!!
For Or d’oeuvre, I created (or remixed) all the beats. I knew
what he wanted, in scratch and beat juggling and he picked my
breakbeat too. I made him sounds off synthesizers adapted to
each plan, and created the banks of sounds. After, he rearranged
it in his way, found other sounds and voice. It went very quickly.
He has much style and looks for the effectiveness.
On stage, it’s splendid!!!
addition to the rolling in the rhythm. We never should forget that all
we do will influence the hand movement of the users. To make “a
scratch friendly” beat is good, but I think we (producers) must pay
attention to the quality of our beat ...there is a quality to respect.
What is your opinion on the Battle scene as a spectator?
I am often afflicted. Most DJs don’t make routines - they “try” to,
and moreover they forget singularity and power... only some of
them bring new things and energy. Or d’oeuvre has an interesting
style, and I like to work with him. He always goes further in the extreme. I am also a fan of ieMerg, for his energy...of Kentaro, Kodh
(ah... The good old days!), Jr Flo in beat juggling... I like Klever for
his class, and some routines of Tigerstyle are interesting. Rafik
- killer style of course!!!. Only few people make the battle evolving.
I think that the idea to put money in the battle game is good.
Money makes the world go round. If the prize money was more
enormous, the level would climb even more... DJs would be able
to work with producers and people to coach them.
Which are the scratch guys who impress you more?
ieMerg, Ricci, Dstyle, Toadstyle, Excess, Qbert, Rafik, Or
d’oeuvre, Cavern, and also Red Jacket, because he is able to
listen to beats.
Which are your favorite producers, your breaks of
reference, and the breakbeat that you would have
liked to produce?
In my opinion, there are 2 producers of reference: Toadstyle and
Lorn. And I think that Lorn is really the Master of the World. His
melodies and his rhythmics smash. He makes tons of beats that
we will never forget. All his rhythmic writing is fluid. His breakbeat
is going to kill everybody’s ears. For the bank of sounds, I think
that Kodh has really brought something. TGOS made excellent
breaks also; Lemerge has produced a good break for the bank
of sounds. Special shootout to Paesano who makes the most
beautiful loopers.
What do you think of the «100% scratch music”?
Extreme autistic form or new tool?
The scratch brings a particular groove. Here is all its interest in
the production. Visually, it is interesting too. And the drumming
opens rhythmic possibilities. On the other hand, to only makes
scratch just to say “hey look at me, I’m scratching” is ridiculous.
For me, what is important is it’s emotion and/or the effectiveness...
how it is done, I don’t care.
Your new breakbeat “nervous shock” just came out.
Can you describe it?
It is a record for practice and competition: four beats electro/
crunk/metal... , skip proof for scratch and drumming, massive
banks of sounds for training and DJ battle ... much of electro,
drum’ N bass, metal with original sounds, fat kicks - the whole
arranged perfectly for an optimal use
When you create a beat, how do you make it good for
scratching?
I really don’t know. There is a balance to find. The beat shouldn’t
be too charged. I always put a repetition and a brain dimension in
my beat. It has the particularity to make the beat groove in
The breakbeat of JAD, “NERVOUS SHOCK”, is available. More information: http://www.myspace.com/zejad/
So, who are you really?
My name is Steven, and I’m 29 years old. I’ve been making music
since I was 5 basically - I’m a violinist (I studied it for 8 years).
I played all kind of instruments, then one day it was a revolution:
turntables, vinyls and scratching.
Could you explain your activity in a few words?
We cut real records, like artists’ or DJs’ productions...
The artists come and see me to test their records before they
release them, or just for a party or a battle.
When did you open your cutting studio?
It‘s my third year now and I’m hoping it will carry on like this for a
long time.
How did you come to have this idea?
It wasn’t really an idea, but more an obligation. I discovered turntables, I didn’t work and I bought a lot of records (about 10 a day).
I had financial troubles and because of that, I had to find out a
solution so I chose to do this.
By the way, in 3 years, I made just about ten records for myself
(quite a paradox!).
Who are your main clients?
I don’t have any main customers as such. All kind of people come
and see me to cut their own records... obviously, most of these
people are DJs.
My youngest client is 15 and the oldest is 83. People come from
all around the world: France, the United Kingdom, The United
States, Canada, Spain, Norway, Singapore... from everywhere.
From the beginning I was very close to the scratch scene because
I scratch and I’m interested in it. I work with C2C, DJ Netik, DJ
Troubl, Freshdope, Tigerstyle, Le Jad... and lots of others. By the
way, big up to them! It’s thanks to them that I’m still here!
The musical styles are Electro, Hip Hop, Jungle, Techno, Reggae,
Ragga, Dub, Trip Hop Downtempo and a lot of things around
turntablism.
What do you think of new technologies like Mixvibes
for instance ?
Hum, it‘s difficult to stay objective about it... I tried it. It’s very
useful, cheaper than a record, lighter than a bag full of records.
But, it doesn’t sound like a real record... the touch, feeling is not
the same... The sound quality is better on vinyl... and there are
risks of computer crashes and other bugs with things like that!
But to go further with the reflection, I think people who use Mixvibes and Serato for example are killing vinyl. It’s too bad...
What hardware do you work with ?
I use the software protools and some outboard mastering equip-
ment/rack (Presonus, TC Electronic, Klark Teknik, etc...)
I’ve always tried to avoid the type of home studio software that
damages the quality of sound. The goal is to have a sound quality
as good as, or even superior to the original CD.
How can someone get a record cut?
It’s very easy - you just have to contact me by phone, on the internet or on Messenger. After talking with my client, I decide
the type of record that will offer the best solution for their needs. It
depends on the style of music really - we choose the right format,
the right speed, the length for each side, etc...
Each record is different, so it requires specific attention. You can
find on our web site (which is going to be updated in a few days)
some advice to optimize your tracks before sending them to me.
Do you add some mastering ?
Yes of course, it’s essential. You can’t burn a vinyl without having
prepared your music. We do a premastering and we equalize the
sounds, manage stereo, high frequency, etc... If my customer
wants to, we can manage a mastering that is more developed for
people who have the hardware at home.
Do you offer different types of records?
We do all kind of records : 7-inch, 12-inch, blacks and transparents. We make picture discs, too.
The future of the vinyl?
Very uncertain. But, I work with people who want to realize just
one or very few copies, so I don’t worry for myself.
Your contacts?
You can contact me here:
Our web site : http://www.vinylgrabber.com
Msn Messenger and e-mail : infos@vinylgrabber.com
Why did you sign your album to Ninja Tune ?
I have always loved the music from Ninja Tune. I even put
their stuff on my mix tapes. To have my first album released
from NINJATUNE is just a dream come true.
I have spent about a year on this project. I am really happy
with the complete album. It became lot better than what I was
expecting it to be.
Was there any artistic pressure from the guys at Ninja ?
People say «any suggestions from COLDCUT?», and to
answer that, there were no real comments or prior talk on my
album. People from NINJA were more like, «do whatever you
like man! Let us hear it once it’s nearly complete.» I was glad
that they were really cool about it, and they were believing in
my possibilities.
KENTARO
Kentaro is a mad dexterous surgeon who slices
and dices beats into a breathtaking sonic concoction in his Sendai laboratory and at events all over
the world. When Kentaro is behind a set of 1200s
and a mixer, he’s on stage: sometimes he’s shy,
sometimes he’s sassy. But I’ve never heard him be
anything short of absolutely splendid.
Outside of his homeland, DJ Kentaro is thought of mainly as
a former DMC World Champion, but back in Japan they know
there’s much more to him than some fancy scratches. Which
is why his new record has not a crab or fl in sight and instead,
focuses on showing us the man’s considerable production
chops and fl are for a tune.
Kentaro’s unmissable album contains collaborations with The
Pharcyde, Fat Jon (Five Deez), Gagle and New Flesh. Already
a star in Japan, this album will ensure his fame grows from
Baltimore to Brixton to Bombay.
Tell us about the featuring and the various tracks ?
The only Japanese rap song from album called «Hatsuyume
feat. MC Hunger» was first digitally released exclusively in
Japan. Hunger is also from a town called Sendai which I am
originally from (about 2hrs north of Tokyo). When we both
were young, we used to chill at the club. It was really really
cool. We also both were born in January, so we named this
song «Hatsuyume» (First Dream).
Also on my album,I’ve got one song feat. The Pharcyde from
the US. I am their biggest fan, and I toured with them when
they were touring in Japan back in 2002. After that, we started
contacting each other and I really wanted them to do a song
for my album. I sent few tracks to them and they were like
«Let’s do it!!».
This is really my favorite piece in the album.
«Free» and «Space Jungle» both are feat. SPANK ROCK from
USA. It was recorded in Tokyo last summer, and we stayed
in the studio for a day or two, then ended up with 2 complete
songs. It was really exciting to work with all Spank Rock
members including Naeem, Darko, Chris and XXXCHANGE. It
was awesome. There are also few instrumental songs in this
album.
Overall, recording in London with New Flesh was really off
the chain as well.
Check the album «ENTER» (Ninjatune) and the single
called «FREE feat. SPANK ROCK» with exclusive remixes.
Interview by Sam (www.hand-control.com)
You probably don’t know who Paul Epworth is, but you know for sure a lot of music he has worked on. As
a producer, the band list he worked with is impressive: Bloc Party, The Streets, Babyshambles, Kano
and many more. And when he succeeds to find free time between those projects, he has fun remixing a
lot of those bands with his laptop. So don’t forget this name: Paul Epworth.
You produced the last big success in that «new rock»
game (Bloc Party, Maximo park..) and remixed a lot of
artists (Annie, U2, The Rakes, Muse…) under your Phone
alias. What are the next things you are going to produce
and remix ?
I’m presently working on the Black Strobe album and remixes
for Roxy Music, P-Diddy, Black Strobe (again) and Bloc Party
(again!!!!). I’ve just finished a single as Phones that will be out
on Kitsune Records shortly and the theme music for a television
show.
A lot of people are comparing those new rock bands with
the past, like « everything was already made, see Gang of
four for example », what do you think about this? Is rock n
roll too soft those days?
I think rock and roll is still too revisionistic... guitars have rapidly
become the bland norm again and all I listen to is electronic
music unless it’s Sufjan Stevens, the Butthole Surfers or Mark
Stewart and mafia. The TV on the Radio album is superb too.
Favourite shoes?
I sadly wear Converse a lot of the time but favour Jones Brogues and a pair of Pied a terre lace ups when I’m not wearing
duffer vans or the former ubiquitous indie standard.
With your Phone alias, you are part of that « electro/rock »
movement. What are you listening to in electronic music?
What do you like in making electronic music?
I’m listening to J-Dilla’s «the shining» which is amongst the best
production I’ve heard in ages. Really soulful. I love Sebastian
on Edbangers along with much of the music coming from Paris
at the moment like Para One are forward thinking and fun. I
think Switch is ahead of the game by a long long way.
The last rapture album is perfect, how was the collaboration?
That’s very kind. It was great to work with Ewan. He’s such an
easygoing, personable man that to share the responsibility and
ideas was very easy. He brought a whole different approach
and process but was keen to see what I brought to it too. I was
very happy with the results and the process.
What do you think about Danger Mouse’s touch on this
album?
He is a really interesting producer with varied tastes and I think
his approach came out very well in context with our work.
What are your top ten albums of all times?
Difficult!!! In no particular order:
The Pop Group-Y
Can-Ege Bam Yasi
Neu-75
Nas-Illmatic
The Minutemen-Double Nickels on a Dime
Tom Waits- Bone Machine
Kraftwerk-The Man Machine
Brian Eno-Here Come the Warm Jets
Manuel Gottsching-E2E4
Miles Davis-In a Silent Way
Your top ten tracks to play in a club?
It changes time to time... I don’t think I can answer that. At the
moment I’m playing:
Joakim-I Wish You Were Gone (vocal dub)
Spankrock-Bump (switch mix)
Simian Mobile Disco-Hustler
Among lots of my own shit...
Stupid teenage like question, but what is the band that has
the best dressing style?
I couldn’t tell you. I like bands that dress like they don’t look like
anything or anyone else. I think Blackstrobe are pretty stylish
Thank you very much for the interview.
Related links: www.paulepworth.com
www.myspace.com/phones
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Artwork : World Starr Dj & noe-artwork.com
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Artwork: noetwo@gmail.com
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GEORGE ACOSTA
Interview by Emily Tan
As you started getting professional DJ gigs, what was the
best part of being a DJ?
Acosta: I guess, being popular among the regular kids in school,
and actually making noise on my own equipment. I used to bring
my equipment to house parties and warehouse parties. They were
big warehouse parties where people paid to get in. I had a couple
of friends who were a crew of guys and everyone knew a lot of
people, so word spread pretty quickly.
What percentage of vinyl are you playing, these days?
Acosta: About 25% vinyl, not much. Everything’s on CD now. I
have a shitload of vinyl, but everything nowadays I can buy on
MP3 and it’s better for traveling.
Have you used Serato Scratch LIVE?
Acosta: I am using it, yeah! I’m a slave to that! That’s what I’ve
kind of switched to.
Have you used the time-coded needles Ortofon makes for use
with Serato Scratch LIVE?
Acosta: I haven’t yet, but I’d love to! I’m a maniac for Serato. I
used to use Final Scratch, but I moved over to Serato because
Final Scratch was very unstable and I didn’t like the feel of it. Right
now, I have the old-school black Ortofons, and I still use those for
vinyl, the Pro-S. I like the blue ones better, but I have the change
the cartridge on them because I’ve worn them down so much.
What percentage of your live sets are you playing with
Serato?
Acosta: I’m playing 50% of my sets with Serato. I bring so much
music with me on my computer.
Ranked in the “Top 100” of DJ Magazine’s 2006 poll and in the “Top 20” of DJ Times Magazine’s “America’s
Best DJs” poll , internationally acclaimed DJ, George Acosta, still remembers what made him fall in love with
DJing in the first place. It’s his love for the music – playing other people’s records, as well as creating his own
top-selling productions – that has propelled him and has fueled the fire that drives him to create.
What do you use the Ortofon black Concorde needle for?
Acosta: For everything! They’re on the turntables for records and
they’re on the turntables for Serato. I use the Ortofon DJ-S also,
because they have a lot of high-power. The Ortofon Concordes
are on my turntables in my studio.
Asked by music academies in his home state of Florida to guest-lecture, Acosta is surprisingly humble. Even
with TV cameras and microphones aimed at him, all he wants to do is get back to his console and work on his
latest track. Among the many projects that fight for Acosta’s time is his new digital distribution company, Mint
Musik Digital. Two of the hot new artists to have their work signed with the company are Rob Hazen, and the
singer-songwriter with the incandescent voice, Truth.
Do you use different needles for outdoor festival
environments versus nightclub settings?
Acosta: Nah, I usually just play what the booth has already. I do
a check, and if the needles are working fine, I don’t move it. But I
do bring my own needles always with me, just in case the club has
shitty stuff. Sometimes they have the Stanton 500, which suck.
They’re cheap. I come with my own Ortofon needles. I once had
my blue Ortofons stolen right out of my bag!
In 1996 as part of Planet Soul, Acosta had a Platinum-selling record with “Set U Free,” a single that went on
to sell over 1.2 million copies, a number virtually unheard of in today’s climate. Acosta’s latest successes
include the tracks, “Mellodrama” and “The Other Side,” both featuring Truth. (They are included on Acosta’s
current mix compilation, All Rights Reserved, available on Moist Music.) Each week, fans can hear Acosta’s
exciting, fully-produced “Lost World” radio shows on Sirius Satellite Radio in the U.S. (and coming-soon to
HFM-Ibiza Radio in Ibiza). George Acosta’s next CD will be released in the spring of 2007.
At a club?
Acosta: No, at the airport! I checked my bag to get on the flight,
and when I picked them up at baggage claim, my Sony headphones and Ortofon needles were gone! I had them wrapped carefully
and whoever stole them didn’t take anything else. I was so mad,
those headphones were expensive.
You’ve been a professional DJ since when?
George Acosta: I’ve been a professional DJ since 1988. I’ve been
a producer since 1992, as well.
You’ve been quoted as saying you love the Ortofon “disco
blues” a lot. What did you mean by that?
Acosta: I use the Ortofon DJ-S blue needles at clubs when I play.
I have to have them when I play records.
Do you remember the rig you had the very first time you DJd
professionally?
Acosta: Wow, that was a very long time ago! [laughs] The rig that
I owned, or the rig that was in the first club I played? The first rig I
owned had the Technics SP-1210s; at clubs, just the regular stuff.
I was using Ortofon needles since the very beginning. Those were
the first needles I ever played on. They were black. It was at a club
that I discovered those black Ortofons, so I used them, and they
were cool. Then, all these other nice needles started coming-out
from Ortofon, like the blue, the yellow, the red, it was crazy. That’s
when I discovered the blues.
What do you like about the blues so much?
Acosta: I think those are the best needles for nightclubs. You can
use them to play really loud, and that makes a big difference in a
nightclub. Some needles are low-voltage, and they don’t deliver a
good-quality sound when you turn the volume up loud. These DJS needles can play really loud and they don’t distort or skip.
You’re ranked in the Top 100 of DJ Mag’s poll this year and
you gig every weekend at exotic clubs in far-flung cities
around the world. Do you remember what made you fall in
love with DJing in the first place?
Acosta: The idea of mixing records well and making sounds
always intrigued me. When you mix records together, it’s like
you’re making your own sound. I was listening to the DJ Red Alert
shows back in the ‘90’s, and the Latin Rascals, on KISS-FM in
New York and I was in shock at how they could mix music and
put it together. I’m really old-school. A friend of mine used to go
to New York City and he’d bring home mix-tapes he’d bought
off-the-street.
You get asked to speak at music academies in Florida as an
expert in DJing and production. If you had an important piece
of wisdom to impart unto your pupils, what would it be?
Acosta: Well, in a club, you’ve got to have the Technics, the
Ortofon needles, and I advise people to always take extra
needles with them, because you never know. I always do, and
unfortunately, that one time I got robbed. Basically, the mixer has
to be great. I have a rider to specify all my gear. You’ve also got to
make sure you always do a soundcheck. I hate doing soundchecks, but you have to do them and just make sure the needles
are playing the record clearly without any fuzzy or dirty sounds,
just cool power. Make sure there’s no feedback. When the needle
has feedback, it’s because it’s wasted, so you have to get new
needles. That’s why most guys are moving to CDs because you
just pop the CD in and it goes. With turntables, you’ve got to check
everything and the needles have a lot to do with it.
Do you think people can tell when a record is being played
with a bad needles?
Acosta: Yes, if you have a cheap needle, it won’t sound loud or
good and you can’t hear the bass or highs and you’re killing the
equipment and the needles stat to feedback because they’re up
too loud. If you’re a DJ, you know when you’re spinning records.
Like, “Why is this so low?”
Have you ever walked into a club without doing a soundcheck
and playing on bad needles?
Acosta: Yeah, sometimes the record’s just like, scrrrratch! And
it’s gone because the needles are broken. I’ve had records
ruined because the needles were bad, and those vinyls weren’t
replaceable. I had another situation which happened to me on
Serato, when I was playing at a club and I didn’t bring needles and
they had cheap needles at the club which had collected dust. The
Serato record went, scrrrratch! My whole computer went, raaaam!
And then silence! I was dying. But you’re a professional, so I made
it seem like I did that on purpose. People in the crowd were going
wild because they thought I did that as an effect. [laughs]
What are some clubs where people can go to hear you spin?
Acosta: I have residencies in Miami, which is my hometown, and
also residencies at Eleven50 in Atlanta and Glow in Washington
DC in the States. I play at Space, Privilege, Café Del Mar and
El Divino in Ibiza. I also play Techno Club in Frankfurt, and I’ve
played at Helikanos in Bodrum, Greece. That’s considered the largest outdoor nightclub in Europe. I’ve also played huge parks like
Parkorman in Istanbul, Turkey. I play all over South America: in
Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru and Brazil. I’ve played in
London. I’ve played in Lebanon…and Israel. I forget, sometimes,
what country I’m in when I wake-up in a hotel room. I’m going to
Russia, and then I’m going back to Turkey in December.
Are you going anywhere in the Far East?
Acosta: Yes, we’re going to South Korea and Japan, we’re
working on that right now. The last time I played in Japan was in
my Planet Soul days.
Do you see advantages of DJing with vinyl over
playing with CDs?
Acosta: Needles never crash or need a reboot! Yeah, I mean,
you’re more in control with a needle, definitely. You’re more in
control. I feel, when you’re spinning with CDs, you really have
no control. With needles, if the record skips, you can move it and
you’re in control. If I had to choose between analog versus digital,
I’d pick analog any day. It was hard for me to make the change
to digital, but I found a little comfort in Serato. However, I prefer
playing records over CDs any day. I have over 40,000 vinyls in
my garage.
STUDIO COAST
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TOKYO TOP SPOT
STUDIO COAST was opened in December 2002, at Tokyo Bay Side.
On every weekend or on public holidays, one of the largest club
events “ageHa” takes place with the craziest music sound system
ever experienced. The world top class DJ makes the audience of
2,400 clubbers plunged into a music melting pot. 38 Octagon loud
speakers shower the audience on the wooden deck from Reggae to
Electro. There is no other place like that in Tokyo Bayside Arena.
All turntables are of course fitted with Ortofon’s latest cartridges.
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- Digibag
- Cartridge case
- Record Trolley 90
- Recordbag 40
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DJ COMA, 2006 DMC World Battle for World Supremacy has become Japan’s third World Champion after
Kentaro and Akakabe.
Congratulations on your victory in London last September.
For your first participation at the DMC, did you think you
would do so well ?
Of course I wanted to win but nobody knows what would happen
in the battle. Unforeseen trouble/accidents are always waiting for
us. Despite a couple of mistakes I think it was my best performance and I’m glad I won.
How would you describe your style and why do you think you
won the title?
So far I could not make my own style of music. This year was
different. My theme was to make my own style (routine) «Make
Music.»
I tried and tried many times by combining music of two records
into one. We needed 8 routines until we came up to the final,
therefore, I spent a lot of time brushing up each routine.
What did you think about Troubl’s performance?
Troubl’s was fabulous, “dope”. I used to watch him on video when I
started scratching and to be able to battle such a Champion in the
Final was fantastic.
How long did it take you to prepare the Battle For World
Supremacy ?
Well you could say four years as it is when I really started battling.
My first battle was at the Japanese ITF where I really sucked.
Then I was in the 2004 DMC Japanese Final and the
Vestax Extravaganza. I learned a lot from that and I won the 2005
DMC Championship battle and finished in the top 8 in the World.
Then 2006 came, and as they say, the rest is history.
around with him at his home. He was one of the great battlers and
if I did not meet him, I would probably not be in this DJ business.
What are your projects now ?
First, I want to make a Mix CD, then a Battle break and then
produce my own music through my philosophy of turntablism.
The records I used at the Championships were my own originals
and they’ll be out shortly.
Which type of music do you listen at home ?
Many different types but my favorite is “electronica”.
When I make a routine, I would rather listen to up-tempo music.
FAT BOYSLIM, and HIFANA (Japanese) are also good.
Basically HIP HOP is my favorite.
What will you do with your $10,000 check from Ortofon ?
I would like to take a short trip somewhere nice with my crew.
I‘d also like to take my parents to a hot-springs spa in the
mountains. Of course another major objective is to buy various
instruments.
What do you think of the level of the Battles nowadays ?
Judging from the last World Final, the level of battlers has been
considerably up-graded. It is great to see more and more Asians
taking part. The best countries are France, Germany and Japan.
Japanese DJ level is quite high - it is quite difficult to compete
with them at the Japanese Final. I think that originality and skill
(technique) will play major roles in the future.
When are we going to see a Japanese team in the Championship ?
It should not be too long - we have so many turtablists in Japan.
DJ Hi-C and DJ YASA ,who was No.2 at world championships will
probably enter their team called KIREEK. It would be great.
Will you defend the title next year or are you thinking of doing
the 6 mns ?
I’d love to defend the title if I can find some good routines. Then in
two or three years I’d like to do the 6 minutes with a mind blowing
show.
How do you think the turntablist scene is evolving in Japan
The level being so high, it might intimidate newcomers. However,
with better exposure, I hope that our art and our music will be
even more widely accepted and that the
market will grow.
Who are your main influences ?
My main influence for the Battles was DJ HI-C at the 205 Vetstax
Extravaganza. Before I started battling, I had the chance to play
For you ,what makes a great DJ
Basically a lot of practice and research. It’s
really down to hard work and originality.
In 1857 the French inventor Leon Scott de Martinville developed a machine he called the Phonautograph. This invention anticipated the cylinders
used in the Phonograph, but again was incapable
of reproducing the sounds recorded.
In 1877, another Frenchman, Charles Cros, drew
up plans for a machine capable of reproducing
recorded sound. Unfortunately he was unable
to raise the finance to get his invention off the
drawing board.
It was thus that Edison, in 1877 was able to lay
claim to the first machine capable of both recording and storing sound.
1880-1889
Cylinders vs. Discs
If we look back less than 200 years from the
present, we find ourselves in a world devoid of
today’s mass-communications, digital media and
entertainment industries. ‘Media’ consisted of
books and newspapers, if you could afford them
and knew how to read. ‘Entertainment’ was for
the rich or was homemade and the production of
images that were not drawn or painted was in its
infancy.
The mid-nineteenth century however, was a hotbed of invention and many of today’s technologies
have their roots in this period.
By the mid 1800s the photographic reproduction
of images was becoming more commonplace, yet
no one had really explored the idea of recording
and reproducing sounds or music for home entertainment. It was Thomas Edison who first came up
with a simple machine
capable of recording
the human voice,
when he invented the
world’s first answer
phone in 1877. This
consisted of a telephone speaker, which was
linked to a diaphragm
and stylus. When
Edison shouted into
the speaker, the vibrations created caused
the stylus to produce
a series of marks on
paraffin-coated paper.
When this paper was
pulled back under the
stylus, his voice could
be faintly heard.
This invention quickly
led to the development
of the phonograph,
which was essentially
a hand-rotated cylinder covered in tin foil, onto
which sound was recorded. It was at this point
that Edison left behind his research into sound, to
concentrate on the development of another useful
item: the light bulb.
1800-1879
Good Vibrations
Before Edison’s groundbreaking invention,
attempts had already been made to record sound.
Did they work? No one knows, as none of the
inventors were able to play back the ‘recordings’
made.
As early as 1806 the English physician Thomas
Young claimed to have recorded a tuning fork onto
a rotating drum but was unable to play back the
sound.
At this time most recorded sound was for commercial purposes not entertainment, and a major
problem with the use of cylinders came to light:
the brevity of recording time.
A German immigrant to the USA, Emile Berliner, found the solution to this in 1888, with the
invention of a flat disc with a spiral groove. The
sound was ‘etched’ into the wax coating of a zinc
‘master’ disc. This disc was then briefly immersed
in acid; the parts no longer covered in wax were
attacked by the acid producing grooves capable
of reproducing sound. This process created a kind
of negative pressing, which in turn gave rise to the
possibility of mass production by using this metal
master to reproduce records made from vulcanized rubber.
1900-1910
The Birth of the Music Recording Industry
The beginning of the twentieth century saw the
battle for control of the music recording industry
between 3 major companies. The Columbia Gramophone Company and Edison’s National Phonograph Company both manufactured cylinders,
while Berliner’s Victor Talking Machine Company
produced discs.
Due to their size and commercial clout, these
three companies dominated the market. Interest
was still limited however due to the poor recording quality and the limited recording time.
In Europe, Fred Gaisberg, one of Berliner’s employees, found the solution. He decided to record
the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso onto both sides
of a 10 rather than 7-inch disc to almost triple the
playing time. During the recording he discovered
that the frequencies of Caruso’s voice perfectly
complimented the dynamic range of the Gramophone. The record was released in 1903 and was
hugely successful. It also marked the first appearance of ‘Nipper’ the ‘His Master’s Voice’ dog,
pictured listening to the horn of a gramophone.
Further recordings by Caruso as well as other
stars of opera consolidated Victor’s position
as market leader in the public eye. The use of
classical music gave the general public the
impression that Victor’s disc format was a
‘quality product’. The longer playing time and
the greater volume of sound produced by discs
as well as having famous names playing and
singing in your living room, virtually guaranteed
the company’s success in this fledgling industry.
The cylinder format rapidly gave way to the disc:
it was more bulky and consequently more difficult to store, it could contain
only a fraction of the work
contained on a disc and as
there was no standardiza-
tion, you might need several different ‘players’ in
order to take advantage your collection.
The final nail in the cylinder’s coffin was the arrival
of the Victrola. Eldridge Johnson, one of Berliner’s
partners, declared he would produce ‘the Steinway
of the recording business’ and his machines matched his declaration. The Victrola was the first gramophone to resemble a piece of furniture, which
wouldn’t look out of place in your drawing room.
As such the Victrola, first produced by Victor in
1906, became a huge seller and the generic term
for all gramophones for the next twenty years.
1910-1920
WWI and the Diamond Disc
Discs by now, were the accepted format for recorded sound. They were available in 7, 10, 12, 14, 16
and 21inch sizes playing at 78 rpm and holding up
to 10 minutes of music. Edison finally decided to
jump on the bandwagon and forsaking cylinders,
went to work developing his own version. The
‘Diamond Disc’, as it was known, was made of a
high quality early plastic called Amberol.
The sound quality was exceptional for the time,
with very little surface noise but the old problem
of compatibility again reared its head and Edison’s
disc rapidly disappeared from the market.
World War One could have been disastrous for the
record industry but in fact records were still the
only way to transmit recorded sound. The popularity of such patriotic songs as ‘It’s a Long Way to
Tipperary’ ensured the continuing success of the
disc and the development of a ‘portable’ player by
Decca enabled moral boosting music to be heard
even in the trenches.
1920-1930
Radio Radio
1930-1939
The Jukebox Jive
As with every other industry, the Great Wall St
Crash of 1929 had a profound effect on the record
business. Many smaller companies closed their
doors or were bought out by the larger corporations and leisure items such as the gramophone
became luxury goods. Two major companies
resulted from these mergers: in the USA The
American Record company (ARC) and in Europe
Electrical and Musical Industries (EMI). Mass
production techniques introduced by these corporations went some way to reducing the price of
records and making them affordable to the general
public once again.
By 1920 the gramophone was an essential feature
of any modern household but again disaster was
lurking on the horizon, with the arrival radio broadcasting and commercially available radios for the
home. Developed by RCA (The Radio Corporation
of America), the first mass produced radios came
onto the market in the early twenties and had two
huge advantages over the gramophone. Once the
license was acquired the shows could be heard
for free and the variety of entertainment available,
with music, shows, news and drama, was much
greater. At first the record companies fought back
by introducing contracts for their major stars, forbidding them to appear on the radio. This tactic, as
with many other types of prohibition, had a limited
success and the only realistic weapon to fight this
new menace, was quality of sound.
Western Electric had produced the first high quality condenser microphones in 1916. The merger
with AT & T to form Bell Laboratories in 1925 led
to the development of new high fidelity recording
techniques, which greatly increased the frequency
range of the recordings of the time. Victor rapidly
came up with a player capable of reproducing
these improvements and record sales took off
again. This player included for the first time, volume control and a separate speaker. It was also at
this time that the record companies came up with
a new marketing ploy: using the radio to promote
the sales of their discs. This stroke of genius
heralded a new boom for the industry.
The record companies were not the only ones to
take advantage of the latest innovations in sound
recording. The Motion picture industry soon developed a way of adding sound to their movies: while
the film was being shot, the sound was recorded
onto 16 inch discs, which when played at 33 1/3
rpm, lasted the same time as a reel of film. The era
of the talkies arrived with Al Jolson appearing in
‘The Jazz Singer’ in 1927.
The early thirties saw the arrival of a new phenomenon- the Jukebox. The invention of a mechanism to change records by Homer Capehart,
enabled companies such as Wurlitzer, Seeburg
and Rock-ola to develop the machines whose descendants can still occasionally be found today. By
1939 the number of Jukeboxes installed in Diners
and Taverns across the USA had risen to almost
half a million. The number one star at the time was
Bing Crosby;
later date and the sound quality rivaled that of the
gramophone. A new material called Vitrolac was
developed by RCA for recording purposes and although it was little used for the general public, 10
and 12 inch pressings were used for radio shows
and by the Library of Congress. The fact that this
material was an early form of plastic, takes us a
step closer to the advent of 12” vinyl records.
1940-1949
WW II – Into The Groove
The rivalry between radio and records continued.
RCA merged with Victor and many record plants
were converted to radio production. Radio stations
used the now redundant 16” format from the
cinema to pre-record shows for broadcast at a
World War II, for various reasons, saw another
fall off in the production of recorded music.
The beginning of the forties saw a strike by the
AFM (American Federation of Musicians), who
demanded royalties for musicians, who had
lost earnings from live performances due to the
increase in recorded music. Many musicians were
conscripted into the army and in general people
had less money to spend. The troops however,
far from home, needed moral boosting music to
fend off homesickness and remind them of the
good times.
The Army produced special
pre-recorded 12 and 16”
discs of radio shows containing music recorded by
development of magnetic tape recording, enabled
record companies to produce real high fidelity
recordings for the first time.
CBS quickly released their back catalogue in this
new format and their main rivals in the USA, RCA
needed to win back their market share. They came
up with a seven-inch format, pressed in vinyl
using the microgroove technology and containing
one song per side – the single. This format rapidly
became standard for jukeboxes and was accompanied by a cheap player for the general public.
stars from the home front such as Glenn Miller as
well as important information for the troops. Army
radio stations in the war zones themselves broadcast these shows. The ‘V discs’ were of capital
importance but encountered several problems
due to the material they were made from. Shellac
was extremely brittle and the records often arrived
cracked or broken. Secondly, the habitat of the
South-Asian Lac beetle, the source of shellac, had
just been invaded by the enemy. Most importantly,
once again, the major problem was the recording
time available. As Shellac was so brittle, the maximum number of grooves possible per inch was
limited to around 80, otherwise the groove ‘walls’
would collapse, and this limited the playing time to
around 10 minutes per side. The only solution was
to find a new material.
The material chosen, was in fact not so new…
Polyvinyl Chloride, PVC or Vinyl was originally
invented by Fritz Klatte in 1913 but due to lack of
funds, he failed to fully exploit the potential of his
invention and his patent lapsed in 1925. The material was ‘re-discovered’ one year later and a patent
was taken out by the BF Goodrich Company.
At the time of the war, this relatively expensive
material was being used as insulation and waterproofing as well as for manufacturing joints and
gaskets. Its flexibility and durability quickly led to
its being adopted by the record industry.
The use of vinyl enabled the pressing of records
with up to 260 grooves per inch, which meant a
playing time of up to 30 minutes per side. This
innovation was known as the ‘Microgroove’ and in
1948 CBS announced the first LP or long player,
which was 12” in diameter and rotated at 33 1/3
rpm.
This new technology combined with 3M’s recent
1950-1960
Post-war America was a completely different
place from what had been known before. People
in general were becoming more affluent and even
the minorities had more money to spend. The
colored population, which before the war had
been restricted mainly to the poorer southern
states, had spread all over the country to take
up jobs in the burgeoning industrial sector. The
arrival of television and the improvements in the
motion picture industry had ‘stolen’ the monopoly
in drama from the radio stations. The dramatic
output was replaced by pre-recorded music, which
now needed to cater for new demographic niche
markets. Six major companies – Colombia, Decca,
MGM, Mercury, Victor and Capitol – had long monopolized the recording industry, but his was soon
to change. The demand for new styles of music for
the radio stations and the possibility to record relatively cheaply onto magnetic tape, quickly led to
the setting up of smaller independent studios and
record companies such as Chess and Sun records
Until this time, the Blues and its bastard son
Rhythm and Blues had been generally considered
as music created by and for the colored population. The independent radio stations playing this
music quickly spread the news and the music
mutated into the social phenomenon known as
Rock ‘n’ Roll. The first Rock ‘n’ Roll record is
acknowledged as being ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’
by Roy Brown, released on the Deluxe label in
1947. It took just seven years for the revolution to
spread worldwide with Bill Haley’s ‘Rock Around
the Clock’ in 1954. This new music was loud and
raw and perfectly suited the rebellious stance of
the new teenagers, who also had the ready cash
to pay for it.
The majors, meanwhile, had finally agreed to standardize the format of records – 7 and 12-inches
rotating at 45 and 33 1/3 rpm. This done they set
out to truly exploit this new music, rapidly signing
new stars such as Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee
Lewis and releasing somewhat sanitized versions
of ‘the real thing’.
The next step was to be the development of stereo. Stereo or Binaural sound had been patented
in 1931 by Alan Blumlein, an engineer at Bell laboratories. It was only possible to fully exploit this
technology with the introduction of quarter-inch
tape, which could store far more information, into
recording studios. The stereo information could
be stored on the opposite sides of a record’s
grooves.
The type of stereo to be used as standard – Westrax – was agreed upon in 1957 and stereo records
became available to the public in 1958.
1960- 1975
Like a Rolling Stone
By the beginning of the sixties the market for
records had completely changed. The older
classical audiophiles were rapidly being replaced
by a much younger audience who had money
burning a hole in their pockets. Rock ‘n’ Roll was
on its last legs and the industry needed something new. Many of the major companies failed to
recognize this new world but EMI signed up a new
group from Liverpool, England, who together with
producer George Martin would change the face of
popular music. In America producers such as Phil
Spector and his ‘wall of sound’ were taking on
more and more importance in shaping the ‘sound’
of records. George Martin pushed this idea one
step beyond.. The Beatles rapidly conquered the
singles market and then set out to revolutionize
the LP. For the first time an LP was not just a
convenient collection of songs but was considered as a whole and each separate track had
equal importance. This concept led up to 1967’s
‘ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ with
its gatefold sleeve, lyric sheet and psychedelic
artwork. Design and packaging took on more and
more importance in the race to capture the youth
market, record stores’ wares became more and
more elaborate and colorful and marketing was
picking up speed just like a rolling stone.
At the same time huge steps forward were being
made in recording technology: Multi-track recording, special effects such as phasing, echo and
delay and the emergence of solid state equipment
to replace the expensive valve driven technology.
The early synthesizers came onto the market in
the seventies and the ‘ Golden Age of Vinyl’ possibly culminated with the release of The Who’s ‘rock
opera’ “ Tommy” and the release of ‘concept’
albums by such groups as Yes.
By this time the vinyl 12” and affordable stereo
equipment had truly become a worldwide
phenomenon and music had
entered most people’s
homes to stay.
To be continued ...
Ortofon | Pro S
Ortofon | Pro
Single
Entry-level cartridge for all-purpose use
Single
General purpose model for scratch and back-cueing
OM or Concorde cartridge
OM or Concorde cartridge
Twin Case
Twin Case
Two Concorde cartridges
Two Concorde cartridges
Set Case
Set Case
OM or Concorde cartridge + extra stylus
OM or Concorde cartridge + extra stylus
Pro S Characteristics
PRO S
Pro Characteristics
New DJ? This entry-level cartridge is perfect
Spherical Stylus
Frequency Response
for newcomers on the DJ scene who want
Scratch
20-18.000 Hz + 3 / – 2 dB
PRO
to start off with decent, but not to expensive
equipment. The Pro S has a spherical diamond stylus which minimizes scratching and
Great performance and durability as to basic
Spherical Stylus
Frequency Response
scratch and back-cueing is what the Pro is
Scratch
20-18.000 Hz + 3 / – 2 dB
Tracking Force
Replacement Stylus
4,0 g
Pro
known for. It has a good quality spherical
Tracking Force
Replacement Stylus
4,0 g
Pro S
a solid cantilever which can survive hectic activity at the turntable. The
stylus, a rock-solid cantilever, and serves
general purposes well. The Pro is the logical
alternative to the more expensive expert cartridges. It offers both reason-
sound quality is absolutely not to worry about. The Pro S is a consistent
Output
Available Versions
able output and high sound quality which is, in fact, all there is needed to
Output
Available Versions
performer and a fine all-rounder!
5 mV
OM + Concorde
entertain an audience. Ideal choice for talented, but less experienced DJs!
5 mV
OM + Concorde
DJ Cartridges
Reliability and robustness is vital, when night after night the cartridges will
ruggedness that is a must for professional use. More than twenty years
demands of their professional equipment, among which the cartridges
DJs all over the world make very high
have to meet these demands in environments with extreme sound
of experience in designing and manufacturing disco cartridges, and close
play their decisive part by realising the scratching, back-cueing and live
pressure and vibration. The Ortofon Pro silver coloured cartridges were
contact with DJs, have resulted in several lines suitable for all tone-arms
artistic performance that is a big part of the show.
the first to combine the unrivalled Ortofon sound quality with the
and all amplifiers.
Ortofon | DJ S
Ortofon | Elektro
Single
Basic model for scratch and back-cueing
Single
Techno cartridge co-designed by DJs
OM or Concorde cartridge
Outstanding rigidity by extra-strengthened cantilever
OM or Concorde cartridge
Rubber tube especially developed for scratch and back-cueing
Very high output.
Twin Case
Twin Case
Two Concorde cartridges
Two Concorde cartridges
Set Case
Set Case
OM or Concorde cartridge + extra stylus
OM or Concorde cartridge + extra stylus
DJ S Characteristics
Elektro Characteristics
DJ S is a solid-built cartridge in a new blue
Spherical Stylus
Frequency Response
Every professional ought to try the Elektro, a
Spherical Stylus
Frequency Response
nylon material. It has a fine spherical stylus
Scratch
20-18.000 Hz + 3 / – 2 dB
techno cartridge made by a team of highly
Scratch
20-15.000 Hz + 3 / – 2 dB
Tracking Force
Replacement Stylus
4,0 g
Elektro
qualified technicians and experienced and
and a special developed and extremely
balanced cantilever. Not only does the
cartridge have a most sufficient tracking ability,
Tracking Force
Replacement Stylus
3,0 g
DJ S
capable DJs. Unaffected by extreme sound
pressure and repeated vibrations, it has a high
output. The musical performance is always first-rate and the tracking
it is also nearly unbreakable and provides the DJ with the most-needed
stringency. Furthermore, it equals very low record wear, an advantage for
Output
Available Versions
ability of the spherical diamond stylus is quite good. The Elektro is a
Output
Available Versions
the busy DJ. The DJ S is definitely worth checking out!
6 mV
OM + Concorde
must-have for all scratch and back-cueing DJs!
7,5 mV
OM + Concorde
Sturdiness and Stability
and its rubber bearing. Therefore Ortofon disco cartridges are equipped
where the diameter of the tube has also been increased from 0.7 mm
To make the cartridge even more resistant to violent handling, such
professional disco cartridge has to be rugged - and the Ortofon disco
with cantilevers made from aluminium tube with increased wall thickness.
to 0.8 mm. In so doing, extraordinary rigidity of the cantilever has been
as being dropped on the platter-mat, touched with fingers, etc.,
cartridges are very rugged indeed. Scratching, back-cueing and live
The DJ blue coloured cartridges have even been provided with a special
achieved without distorting the frequency response and thereby the well-
Ortofon has made the suspension of the cantilever more rigid against
artistic performance impose heavy mechanical stress on the cantilever
telescopic cantilever construction consisting of a double tube design,
known Ortofon accuracy in sound.
axial pull.
Apart from sounding good, a
Ortofon | Scratch
Ortofon | QBert
Single
Co-designed by various DJs
Single
Co-designed by DJ QBert for scratch and back-cueing
OM or Concorde cartridge
Especially developed for scratch and back-cueing
OM or Concorde cartridge
High tracking ability
Very high output
Ultra high output
Twin Case
Twin Case
Two Concorde cartridges
Two Concorde cartridges
Set Case
Set Case
OM or Concorde cartridge + extra stylus
OM or Concorde cartridge + extra stylus
Scratch Characteristics
QBert Characteristics
As implied by the name, the Scratch is
Spherical Stylus
Frequency Response
This cartridge is a result of a competent
Spherical Stylus
Frequency Response
intended especially for the disciplines of
Scratch
20-15.000 Hz + 3 / – 2 dB
design alliance between technical experts
Scratch
20-18.000 Hz – 2 dB
Tracking Force
Replacement Stylus
3,0 g
QBert
scratch and back-cueing. Like the QBert,
DJs had a say in designing this cartridge
so it would match the needs of dance floor
and the world famous DJ QBert who knows
Tracking Force
Replacement Stylus
4,0 g
Scratch
kings. It is made of a fluorescent neon-red material with the intention it
exactly what to expect and demand of the
ideal gear. The QBert has a supreme ability to
trace the grooves of your records and it is tailored specifically for scratch.
becoming highly apparent in spotlight and luminous in ultraviolet light.
Output
Available Versions
Due to its enormous output, it is perfect for scratch of all music genres
Output
Available Versions
Maximum scratch performance guaranteed!
7 mV
OM + Concorde
with deep bass frequencies.
11 mV
OM + Concorde
Styli for better sound
high frequencies and very low distortion. Ortofon disco cartridges can be
surfaces ensure even lower surface noise and
it possible to realize high sound quality and low record wear at the high
Several Ortofon technologies make
supplied with elliptical styli for even better high-frequency performance,
an absolute minimum of record wear.
tracking forces that are necessary in disco environments. First of all, the
as well as traditional spherical styli. Both these families of diamond styli
low stylus tip mass - an Ortofon speciality - ensures improved tracking at
are accurately cut to professional specifications and their highly polished
Ortofon | Digitrack
Ortofon | Arkiv
Single
Designed for playback on coded vinyl
Single
Vinyl-to-digital transcription cartridge
OM or Concorde cartridge
OM or Concorde cartridge
Very good sound quality
Low record wear
High output
Twin Case
Twin Case
Two Concorde cartridges
Two Concorde cartridges
Set Case
Set Case
OM or Concorde cartridge + extra stylus
OM or Concorde cartridge + extra stylus
Digitrack Characteristics
Arkiv Characteristics
Finally, technology has become an art. The
Spherical Stylus
Frequency Response
Growing demand for the ability to transcribe
Elliptical Stylus
Frequency Response
Digitrack is the perfect marriage of ease and
Scratch
20-18.000 Hz + 3 / – 2 dB
vinyl to digital formats has prompted the
Club
20-20.000 Hz ± 2 dB
Tracking Force
Replacement Stylus
3,0 g
Arkiv
OM + Concorde
function. With the advent of new computer
technology, a DJ can now manipulate MP3’s
with the style and feel of a turntablist and
creation of the Arkiv – a cartridge specially
Tracking Force
Replacement Stylus
3,0 g (30 mN)
Digitrack
the tradition of a turntable. Introducing the world’s first needle designed
designed to provide optimized sound quality
specifically for recording purposes. The Arkiv
boasts clear and accurate sound reproduction and remarkable stereo
Available Versions
specifically for coded vinyl with low wear, high output and the best mix
Output
Available Versions
imaging, making it perfectly suited for sampling and transcription. The
Output
and scratch ability.
8 mV
OM + Concorde
Arkiv ships with an elliptical stylus, for extended high frequency response.
6 mV
Anti-skating
Tracking ability is decisive for DJs,
being that anti-skating adjustment, if not at a very moderate level, will
disco/techno environments. So as a rule, never use more than one half
The stylus unit for the Night Club black/yellow coloured cartridges
especially when doing scratching, back-cueing and live artistic
double the skating effect when back-cueing and cause mis-tracking
of normal anti-skating relative to the tracking force.
is made from a fluorescent yellow material which makes it totally
performance. In this situation, an increase in tracking force could be an
and even jumping. Lowering the anti-skating force is very often more
To facilitate cueing, the nose on all Ortofon disco cartridges has an extra
luminous in ultraviolet light.
immediate, but in many cases not very effective, solution - the reason
useful than increasing the tracking force when working the cartridge in
large cut-out which makes the stylus freely visible from above.
Ortofon | Gold
Ortofon | Nightclub E MKII
Single
The ultimate club cartridge
Single
Top model with gold plating and Pro E Diamond
OM or Concorde cartridge
Concorde cartridge
Amazing sound quality
Superb sound quality
Perfect for usage in discotheques and clubs
Twin Case
Twin Case
Two Concorde cartridges
Two Concorde cartridges
Set Case
Set Case
Concorde cartridge + extra stylus
OM or Concorde cartridge + extra stylus
Gold Characteristics
Nightclub E MKII Characteristics
Club DJs and studio workers believe the
Elliptical Stylus
Frequency Response
Nightclub E to be an absolute high-end car-
Club
20-20.000 Hz ± 1,5 dB
GOLD
with fascinating musical resources. Its output
Elliptical Stylus
Frequency Response
like striking gold. It is indeed a flagship
Club
20-20.000 Hz ± 2 dB
Tracking Force
Replacement Stylus
3,0 g
Gold
product with its gold plating and special Pro
tridge. It is indeed a no-nonsense performer
is superb with a frequency response rating
Using this cartridge for the first time feels
Tracking Force
Replacement Stylus
3,0 g
Nightclub E MKII
E Diamond. The Gold enjoys an excellent
reputation for its amazing sound quality.
The special elliptical stylus provides the optimal balance between skip
high enough to compare the Nightclub E to any audiophile cartridge. And
the special elliptical stylus guarantees sound with insignificant scratching.
Output
Available Versions
resistance and accuracy of sound reproduction. Compatible to a very
Output
Available Versions
Recommended for frequent use in discotheques and clubs!
8 mV
OM + Concorde
wide range of turntables and perfect for all entertainment purposes!
6 mV
Concorde
Mounting Standards
With the exception of Concorde Gold,
in tone-arms with standard sockets. Cold-plated terminal pins ensure
Ortofon professional cartridges are available in OM versions designed
perfect signal transmission and the linearity of the low-inductance
to match tone-arms with standard headshells or in the elegant, well-
Ortofon coil system is not influenced by capacitive loads ranging
known, integrated Ortofon Concorde design for direct and easy mounting
between 200 pF and 600 pF.
OM
Concorde
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Artwork : noetwo@gmail.com
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N ight club MK2
Night Club MKII offers increased output voltage for powerful, energetic
sound and enhanced performance from integrated phono preamps (such
as the ones found in DJ mixers).
The redesigned elliptical stylus provides well-balanced high frequency
response and ample low end reproduction. The Night Club MKII marks a
new generation of club cartridges, designed to surpass the gold standard
set by the original Night Club cartridge.
www.ortofon.com