Anyone unconvinced that the DJ is still purveyor of underground music would do well to check out this year's URB MIXTAPE CONTEST WINNERS. Electronic champ Matt-B. and Hip-hop harbingers The Jagged Brain & The Innovator edged out hundreds of entries, earning coveted spots spinning at the 2000 URB WinterOasis Party.
Hip Hop Winner
The Jagged Brain and The Innovator
Ages: 18 and 21
Home Base: We're either in Toronto (the TdotO) or in the Phat Cave aka our apartment studio, chillin' and bending wax.
Style: Turntablistic junglists.
DJing how long: Five years.
Equipment:
We played for four years on two Pioneer PL 200s and a mixer with only vertical faders and punch-buttons/transformer switches. For the last eight months, we've used the Technics DMC mixer and one SL 1200 mark2.
Mixtapes:
Scratchadelic All Stars Volumes 1 through 8 were sold from '97 on along with Spastic Galactic Matchsticks techno and jungle mixtapes.
Best Party DJed:
Yet another classic Mississauga House Party. It was an Innovator and The Jagged Brain battle, but all squeezed into a kitchen with around 60 people watching. It wasn't the biggest party we've played, but it's by far our favorite. The thing I like about house parties is they're close-knit. There's no thugs trying to prove anything, just lots of people getting wasted and hot, friendly chicks.
All-Time Five:
Dub Plate Pressure/Vinyl Syndicate
Stamina/Suburban Bass
Every Dirt Style record ever made
DJ SS/The Lighter (Formation Records)
Anything by DJ Shadow
Impressions of the Winter Music Conference:
The weather is so damn nice. Coming from Toronto, we've been to gigantic parties, but the warm weather, relaxing atmosphere and beautiful women were quite a nice change from winter in Canada.
Contact Info:
905.891.3946
stereophil_e@hotmail.com
Electronic category winner
Matt-B
Age: 28
Home Base: Chattanooga, TN
DJing how long: Six years.
Equipment: Technics 1200s, a Vestax 05 Pro and Ortofon DJS.
Production Credits:
Mistykiss/Matt-B.'s Invasion of Planet Atlanta from the Freakforce EP; Synaptic Flow/Matt-B.'s Invader from Intimate Gathering Vol. 2; Quetzal/Matt-B.'s Atmospherik Salutations from Stellar Mathematique.
Mixtapes:
Twice the Bass, Freakforce Vol. 1-3, Tunnelvision Vol.1 and 2, Two Dikes, Electro Empire.
Best Party DJed:
Transformation 2 (Element Squad) in Cleveland, Ohio. It was a huge event, headed by Run-D.M.C., Moby, AK1200 and Danny The Wildchild. The crowd was the largest for a Midwestern event at the time. The venue was the biggest I've seen. The sound and lighting were just phenomenal. I entered the venue on crutches. I'm sure the crowd didn't know what to think when they saw me hobbling up to the decks. The massive response I received let me know that everyone was focused on the music. Everyone was dancing, screaming and forming breakdancing circles all over the place.
All-Time Five:
Kraftwerk/Numbers (Warner Bros.)
Bones Breaks Vol. 2 (Underworld)
MC Cool Rock/Boot the Booty (Vision)
Magic Mike/Magic Mike Cutz the Record (Cheetah)
Kraftwerk/Electric Café (Warner Bros.)
Describe your winning mixtape:
(Battle-ready) Heavy Bass Electro with lots of scratching.
Impressions of the Winter Music Conference:
I really enjoyed the WMC and the host city Miami. I especially enjoyed watching two of the world's finest turntablists, Craze and A-Trak, perform. They were the shit! I guess my only regret would be that I didn't have more time to explore and meet a lot of the DJs and artists that were there.
Contact Info:
423.821.9298
mattbelektro@hotmail.com
www.releasedjs.com
www.planerep.com
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