@@DJBlakeyUk you rule, dude! Seriously, thank you for making these. I look forward to more stuff like this from you. I’ve been watching this DMC finals set, specifically these top three performances from it, literally almost every day since it first happened, and I see and hear more and more that I didn’t catch before, and your breakdown shed light on even more stuff I hadn’t caught yet. Keep it up, I’ve totally subscribed and keep an eye out for your videos!
None of these routines have a single bit of groove or swing to them whatsoever. It's all a bit aggy and stiff musically. Tech has moved things forward, which is great, but it's also made so many routines really sterile, soulless and - ironically - lacking in any real musicality.
I’ve been thinking the same thing for a while, especially with the Djs from overseas. They’re more 🤖 with their sets cuz they’re ☝🏾all technical and really tight w/all the cuts scratching beat juggling witch are the ✌🏾basic✌🏾skills, but when it comes to musicality and swing and feeling that’s just something you can’t learn by watching tapes
No, please be quiet. You're the typical cliché of people who get older and hate everything because it sounds different than it used to. Your comments show that you don't know much about Djing and that you're not able to objectively evaluate what's happening on the decks.
I haven't watched DMC in a long long time, and while the tech has really changed (serato, mixers) it's nice to see these dudes still killing it. Also stoked to see them still doing body tricks, that's awesome.
@20:45 for those next 20/25 seconds, he is moving so fast it almost looks like the video is sped up. Amazing. Thank you for this recap. And to think the first DMC event I attended was the finals in Chicago 1989 cheering on Bad Boy Bill. I've been hooked ever since, even now.
Great breakdown! DMC sets really lend themselves to this video format. I had K-Swizz as my choice for 1st but I appreciate the skill level of the top 3. All three killed it!
I'm sorry to say but aside from DJ NETIK from France, all other France DJs have ruined the DMC's and what djs now are expected to do to win... With that being said, I mean they just use sounds and not tracks in their routines so it all sounds like noise... DJ Fummy used tracks that people know that he flipped and also has stage presence which most France DJ's dont have, they mostly computer geeks trying to some sort of science experiment on the decks, so it has no feel or emotion. Sorry to say but being honest
The Godfather of "Noise" sets has to be i.emerge. He created a monster back in the early 2000s. The guys on this vid have amazing speed and body-tricks, but what happened to the Funk?
DJ Fly's 2013 winning routine, was the first real introduction to what turntablism was and what the DMC championship was. I May have seen the Traktor Scratch Pro 2 DJ craze routine before... That 2013 winning set was flawlessly done, and have a super smooth flow and rhthym and took you on an adventure. To me, these three have some good moments...but it doesn't sound like any of them really have a smooth flow and clean executions.just a lot of individual techniques strung together... That's just my opinion
Guys like fly are amazingly talented but the overall amount of production that goes on beforehand is a bit too much imo. Its like there making a movie advertisement with all the sound fx they layer in.
Great breakdown DJ Blakey, more of these please. The reason fly uses 45 for this set is to have a 4 point grid like a 133.3 scratch record. But on a 90 bpm track. With a plus 8 on the turntable to make it like 97 bpm. Same thing fong fong did in his DMC online win.
Im watching him use the 4 point grid and its like he can back it up to anywhere and still be on beat. Makes it much easier to come up with patterns, interesting....
I'm definitely inclined to agree, Fummy was my fave. Granted, some of this stuff is beyond my understanding technically, but Fummy was certainly the most enjoyable for me and if Blakey agreed then he was obviously doing enough technically too
Meh. Not enough flavour, horrible tune selections. There might be some cool tricks going on but half of it is a chore to listen too. Less is more people
Honest opinion, DJ Fly is one of the best Djs in the game, for decades. Saw him win in 08, then came back and hit 2013 with the win.. only to show up in 2024 and take his 3rd win in 3 different decades. Each win was completely different, right down to the use of technology. His freemix series on yt is a masterclass in mixing. K swizz is a beast, but as a musician i could understand and hear everything Fly was doing. Tbh I thought it was an incredible set.
@Joe-A-Sneaker-Lover Hilariously incorrect. I was literally a Techno dj and producer (mostly gabber and hard techno) from 1990-1998. I played at mainly squat parties and illegal raves for crews such as Spiral Tribe, Bedlam, and Fear Teachers. I am now a jungle/drum & bass dj and producer and literally play all over the world every weekend and have been doing that for over 25 years. I was into hip hop from 1982, was at UK Fresh 86 and attended my first DMC finals in 1988.
One of the best scratch dj i have seen live is Mike RuffCut Lloyd from Uk Garage in London if you ever get a chance to see him do it you'll be like wow .
I think Fummy played a great set, but it was still 2nd or 3rd overall - it reminded me more of a Craze-era set, with a lot of musicality and skill. Very nice and very tight none the less I'm not usually a fan of K-Swizz (some of his sets come across as too gimmicky to me) but there's no denying his set did a lot - technical and musical and the right amount of aggression (those scratches have got venom - love it!). Parts of the set reminded me of how i.eMerge commands the stage and it was brilliant to see Fly, as much as it was technical, it just felt like a lot going on for not many reasons. I know there was a lot of backlash when Le Jad started producing sets for competitors and I loved the newer style and techniques at the time, but this feels like it's gone too far the wrong way (even from that era). The musicality was nonexistent and it was a bit one-trick-pony once the initial "it's on 45" wore off. Stage presence is a good thing, but the god-mode personas are a fine line imo. Regardless of all that, big respect to everyone who took part ❤
Thanks for your comment. I stopped competing before the wave of self pressed records in the DMCs became a thing. I’ve always been of the opinion that the best route for these competitions is to use songs people know. That way, the crowd have a better understanding of how you’ve flipped it, because they know what the original sounds like. This is part of the reason I preferred Fummy’s set. All 3 were great tho IMO
@@DJBlakeyUk Yeah, totally agree with that - for a seasoned fan it's easy to see what tricks are being utilised, but for someone new it just looks and sounds like a mess (possibly the reason turntablism has lost its pull these days?) The Fly set sounded sloppy because there was no time for errors. I wonder how many 'new' techniques were being used or was it just muscle memory of old moves that he's sped up? I also felt the scratches sounded like they were tripping over themselves in points as too much was going on in the different sections I stopped battling in 06 but still love to follow it and I've got nothing but love for the competitors 👌✌
was into turntablism around 4 years in my 20s, gave it up (luckiy, look at those guys - this video was very nice to watch, felt kind of nostalgic! Thanks i'm sure u know your mic sound has a loud high-pitch tone - this one can be edited out via EQing really easy
The aggressive style that these top 3 djs have is very telling.... the most aggressive dj i think ive seen in the DMC is i-emerge back in 2004, totally different from the clean, smooth style from perhaps a dj craze thats very seamless. The performance aspect definitely comes to the fore in modern djing possibly from the growth of club djs doing more interaction with the crowd.... Have to say tho DJ flys set was nuts... technical skill is off the charts but also alot to take in and get your head around 🤯
Really interesting for me watching modern DMC competitors for the first time. Growing up watching the competitions from circa 88-2000 I’m used to a certain skill set on display which whilst still prevalent in these modern DJ’s it’s become something quite different… I would love to try out some of this new equipment Blakey, the last time I used a set of decks it was an 07 pro & some 1210’s 😅
FLY for me, he's right also and defo great to see some beat juggling musically, that's what put me off dmc was the juggling crazily think FLY did it with full on style, I like it when i can nod my head to it, find most juggling isn't in time so really can't & with digital now and cue buttons its defo easier than eva,, but yeah all supperb though must say that so I agree Tight as a microscopic knot,, brill,, Great to hear u describe it also DJBlakey, much appreciated 😀
Fly is unbeatable now. This guy is like bugatti chiron in cars. Power full fast precise detailed unique. His style sounds the best for me 👊👊 45 rpm 🙆 real turntablism. Creating new songs in real time. Awesomeeeeeeee 🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼
Yeah I think the slow pullback scratch sounds added a bit of muddiness to the fumi set he had pretty good timing but a lot of basic reverse sounds, if he had more complex scratches it would have likely made it way more technical and more interesting rather than juggles with a lot of pullback. If you really like the sound of juggling then it was good but I thought sonically it had a lot of non intelligible pullback sound which maybe went with the set theme though. His show tricks were nicely peformed but the memory of it is basically a lot of complex juggling. 2nd place imo made good use of stuff and felt more traditional hip hop / club feel, the sandstorm section didn't make much sense with the rest of the feel but I geuss he thought it is cool but I didn't really get it much what was going on with using it. 1st place felt like a hardcore set which was a nice difference to showcase hardcore EMD turntablism. I thought parts were a little sloppy and didn't translate well and a few were a bit off time but the overall track concept was nice. Overall they were all nice sets - being a prodigy fan I am a little biased. So I'd say 3rd had bets showmanship/trick but overall sound profile wasn't very appealing. 2nd had more of a traditional turntabalism feel but not sure what was going on with sandstorm in there nice track just didn't fit the set imo for the more funky feel. 1st probably had the best sounding set overall but a few points didn't hit on time, or sounded harsh. I think picking 1st would depend what the judging criteria was.
23:20 if anyone would do that near my sensitive equipment I would freak out luckily in such an environment, you could throw the decks in the trash and have new ones on the table within 30 seconds 😀
Most of the new gen is too much for my old ears to take. I think because youre able to do so much now, thats what they do! And when they start doing classic scratches and juggles Im almost thinking why bother - you could prob get v similar effects using the new buttons on the mixer. The winner here also uses a shit ton of custom audio to the point where Im not sure how much or even what is being performed.
@@jlwasmer in my experience, it usually depends on the track you’re using. Some juggle patterns are easier to pull off and/or sound a lot better with the record slower or faster!
How much of these routines ate recited beginning to end? I'd assume the tracks and order would be, but the cuts and juggles in between, is allot of that improvised? Thanks for the breakdown & thanks for the sample link too. Looking forward to releasing your set tomorrow! 😉
@@4loopsessions They will be 100% rehearsed. There may be longer scratching parts that might include a small amount of improvisation, but these routines have been meticulously practiced until it’s almost impossible to get wrong. Takes months to prepare.
@DJBlakeyUk its interesting you say that. IMO that is harder. In my own experience, I find it impossible to plan anything and rely solely on impulse in the moment. Anything I attempt to reproduce goes wrong. Its a testament with people like yourself how your technical skills along with muscle memory is so clinical and precise. Knowing that almost most acts are deliberate is mind blowing.
Dope video mate I've not watched the DMCs for years but these boys were all class. . I just wondered what your opinion of Dj Noize was? I loved him back when I regularly watched the performances
Noize was the perfect battle DJ, his wordplay was top notch, nobody like him back then. Although Shortkut is better technically, Noize had the crowd momentum while Shortkut was too much focussed on his juggles. (it was a 90's battle)
Pretty crazy seeing how people are using phase, I guess it allows more stability than serato or vinyl as it’s not dependent on the needle locking into the groove allowing for much more aggressive styles from the likes of fly and k Swizz
How's it going, Blakey? I'm really enjoying the content you've been putting out recently man. I totally agree with what you said about DJs using recognisable songs in battles, compared to custom-made stuff just for the battle, cos when you know a song you can appreciate the way it's being flipped a lot more. In terms of my own personal enjoyment, I'd reverse the order of the sets and put Fummy first, but I can see why the judges went the way they did.
You could tell all three live for it. Fummy was super solid but 1st place guy had higher peaks. 2nd place guy was good just has a flavor I like less. I only judge by sound and have no clue what's hard to do.
accccktuallyyy 🤤 technically you don't need to pull the record back further when doing 45 juggles, you just need to be a lot faster to do the same patterns, but the record will travel further in the 6 mins so you do different patterns that require further pull backs it's essentially a 9 mins set played fast
It's so good that battle DJs going back using real tracks. Of course to be technical being good as DJ is impressive and even more impressive for other DJs, but in the end you are still a DJ. DJing is making people dance or having a good time and taking some breakbeats or sample from splice is not the whole package as a DJ. Taking songs people know and love and making something different out it is what impresses the audience the most. It's the unexpected in a song they know and where they thought the knew whats coming.
Oiii you guyz might help me... Does anyone know what's the name of some crazy ass scratch with some guitar samples? The dude was scratching IN TONE over this guitar solo; some crazy things are happening in that video. Low quality, cosmos knows from what year that is...
DJ A Trak Guitar Solo Scratch Routine hahahha I found it like in a second, and I couldn't think of good tag terms to write in omnibox... Holly, I was looking for this aaaa looooong timeeeeeeeee....
I'm more of an old head and like to hear actual songs being mashed up so I'm leaning more towards K-Swizz as my personal favourite (his intro got my feet tapping) then Fummy love to see body tricks still being done. Fly is obviously very technical but I found his set a bit repetitive, he'd be my 3rd place. These were the top 3 sets of the night I think it just comes down to your own personal preference.
I love the new tech I got my first set of 1200s back in the early 90s music is digital but I still have records and crates of records great for sampling
The thing with 45 vs 33 is it’s only two quick if you’re using something that supposed to be in 33 on 45 .. then it’s too quick .. if you tracks are supposed to be on 45 then it’s not as difficult because you still have the same amount of time within the music .. when you speed up from 33 or 45 the music is sped up so you get less in the track which makes it really difficult.. try it out in Serato get beat and juggle on 33 and then speed that up to 45 then go in settings and just set it to play at 45 then juggle that beat up at it’s normal speed on 45 and it’s not as difficult as it was sped up
I think djs should slow down their routines. Don't understand this obsession for doing everything so fast and agresive. At least for me, you can be highly technical but more musical. We can use the turntables as instruments but we choose using to make this frenetic ugly shows. Don't like to much any of this routines, but Fly's one... man, why in 45rpm? It's a challenge? Yeah, because everything gonna be harder but at the expense of being clean... and it wasn't clean at all. I don't understand judge's decisions though. Miss djs like Brace 😮💨
Whilst I appreciate the technicality, I'm not a fan of the over-produced, everything at 100mph style of Fly's set. Compared to Fummy and K-Swiss, I imagine it's just "aggressive noise" to a lot of the crowd. For me: 1st - Fummy 2nd - K-Swiss 3rd - Fly
Completely amazing sets, no doubt. The skills are undeniable. It's futuristic 4D space cutting. But I must have gone full geezer because I think the digital stuff is turning sets into 80s guitar solos. Just fast noise, where's the music? Now, if you'll excuse me, i'm going to listen to some old sets with a real stylus in a real groove and a DJ touching real records. I bet I will nod my head, smile from ear to ear and feel old as hell doing it.
KSwiss is definitly the best... cutting and mixing that's what DJs do, while having a nice swing and funk. Fumi had great presence and show too but the musicality from KSwiss was superior and using proper songs. Fly... well I respect the dificulty but to me his set was just fucking noise and had little sense from the musical perspective. In hiphop it's never about what do you, but how you do it. It always has to have class, style and finesse. It's never about pure technical skills. Just like breaking, it's not about how fast your spin or how many air twists you can do... its about how you feel the funk and stay musical, being able to dance and still hit tricks. Djs have to be super funky, groovy and classy on top of being able to do crazy cuts and tricks. But if you loose the style and funk, it's just noise. On the other hand, DMC should only allow to use songs and not prepared sample tracks and all that preproduction. That's bullshit and kils the funk. The new hot cues from the mixers are enough help to save your cues. Otherwise bring back the DMC with analog mixers and records category, the true school. How are we going to be considered musicians if we don't even take the artform seriously??? Fuck the gimmicks, bring back the groove and the funk. Otherwise you will end looking like a fucking maniac nerd playing videogames and hitting buttons like crazy with no sense. DJs should remember it has to be danceable and funky at the end of the day. If it won't make you nod your head and get hyped it sucks!
I much prefer it when you had to bring your records with you, the record could jump at anytime and then you had to work to get back on track. Now you can be as aggressive as you want and not pay the price.
I can respect that he did his set on 45, but it wasn't totally clean. I agree that overall fumi did the best. nevertheless, all these guys have put in their time and have mad skill. I remember how painstaking it was to mark my records with stickers for my cues, so honestly I hate that mixer with the lame buttons. I do see how it can make your routines interesting, but I personally wouldn't feel inclined to put in the time to do it. dmcs aren't what it used to be. roc raida, dj David, kentaro etc... so different from what it has evolved to be. BUT at least the dedication is still there regardless of what equipment is used.
I like to use some echo in my scratches. The first guy didn't sound very musical. 2nd guy is a bit better but when I hear all this slightly out of time scratching that doesn't really go anywhere I can't say it's something I would want to listen to in a club. The last guy boasts the whole show at 45 but true turntableism would use 33 and tricks such as tapping the 45 while holding down the 33. He is just saying that he is limiting himself. Honestly I would be more interested in a musically impressive show but with less showing off attempted tricks. They are all trying to pull of tricks that all too often sounds more messy than good. Way over my level but still. The last two were both good I think the last guy was the one I would vote for.
I *JUST* realized y'all ain't concerned at ALL with needle jump anymore. You can touch your platter however the F you want and you ain't bouncing out of the groove. NO PENNIES ON YOUR CARTRIDGE. Feels like cheating.
Only thing with fly is his juggling can be hard to understand.. the play through style of juggling can be hard to follow sometimes Personally I found fly’s set more creative but I enjoyed Swizz’s more Would love to see kentaro come back
I think I enjoyed K-swiss the most, perhaps cuz I know little and he did play more music I recognized. Now between Fummy and Fly, while he had an intermission mentioning musicality, overall I thought Fly's set lacked musicality and flow; Fummy's segments melded better together, so I'd give 2nd to him. But as I've said, I'm no DJ and have no clue what skills are required to do what they do. I enjoyed them all.
I am an oldschool guy and i am really sad i cannot find any soul these routins... ok it's nice from technical side, I agree there is work and practice innit but still do not feel the human and soul... i mostly loved vinyl mixing because there was risk in the sets and routins...
Japan should have won imo, was clean and smooth routine, very tight and with all those body inputs. Swizz second and fly third...fly was very messy and lost his way twice, very abrasive I found it
In the near future DJ championships will be determined by how well you confuse the DMCA standard . Can you evade the all the copyrights and still be rewarded something original champion of the world !
Download a completely FREE scratch sample tool right here. 5 samples that I use the most when scratching: school.djblakey.com
You might be the only DJ on UA-cam breaking down battles routines,I learn so so much from these.
Great to hear. Thanks for watching
@@DJBlakeyUk you rule, dude! Seriously, thank you for making these. I look forward to more stuff like this from you. I’ve been watching this DMC finals set, specifically these top three performances from it, literally almost every day since it first happened, and I see and hear more and more that I didn’t catch before, and your breakdown shed light on even more stuff I hadn’t caught yet. Keep it up, I’ve totally subscribed and keep an eye out for your videos!
@ Thanks so much. Loads more to come!
@@DJBlakeyUkjames hype greatest main stage dj rn do you disagree? He brought teal djing back to the main stage and you can dance to it!
@ I think he’s great tbh!
None of these routines have a single bit of groove or swing to them whatsoever. It's all a bit aggy and stiff musically. Tech has moved things forward, which is great, but it's also made so many routines really sterile, soulless and - ironically - lacking in any real musicality.
More "skill than talent"
I was most writing the same thing. Nothing but way too clean sounding soulless trash
I’ve been thinking the same thing for a while, especially with the Djs from overseas. They’re more 🤖 with their sets cuz they’re ☝🏾all technical and really tight w/all the cuts scratching beat juggling witch are the ✌🏾basic✌🏾skills, but when it comes to musicality and swing and feeling that’s just something you can’t learn by watching tapes
💯
No, please be quiet. You're the typical cliché of people who get older and hate everything because it sounds different than it used to. Your comments show that you don't know much about Djing and that you're not able to objectively evaluate what's happening on the decks.
I haven't watched DMC in a long long time, and while the tech has really changed (serato, mixers) it's nice to see these dudes still killing it. Also stoked to see them still doing body tricks, that's awesome.
The crowd used to be more into it tho it seems
If this was played at a club, I'd be pissed off. Play the damn track.
@20:45 for those next 20/25 seconds, he is moving so fast it almost looks like the video is sped up. Amazing. Thank you for this recap. And to think the first DMC event I attended was the finals in Chicago 1989 cheering on Bad Boy Bill. I've been hooked ever since, even now.
Great breakdown! DMC sets really lend themselves to this video format. I had K-Swizz as my choice for 1st but I appreciate the skill level of the top 3. All three killed it!
🙏🏻🙏🏻
Playing DJ Hero and watching old DMC is what got me into DJing, I'm so glad DMC is still a thing
@@NathanBrownisawesome that’s dope! I did all of the scratches on Dj hero :)
K-Swizz is my fav set, he uses some of the music i grew up with (The Meidas Touch etc..)
Yeah he’s legit
Swiss's Dad is a well known & respected old school dj here in New Zealand,So selection &knowledge is not far from the tree!
Swiss’ dad could be the solution for a lot of things but clearly not the DJ… bless you for trying… I’m sure you’ll make it
That was definitely a tight call and fly's set was intense and masterful as he moved around various parts of the mixer, al three sets were awesome 😎👍
all three were on their own way elite, my personal fav is dj fly,,,,, never had seen and heard such a set... Simply Great
Yeah that winning set was so ill it brought a tear to my eye
Fummy gonna be full ready to win in japan next year 4 sure! Congrats Dj Fly!
@@HurricanX I might have to go to the final next year 🇯🇵
@@DJBlakeyUk we all have to ahaha! Is gonna be legendary! 🤩🗼
I'm sorry to say but aside from DJ NETIK from France, all other France DJs have ruined the DMC's and what djs now are expected to do to win... With that being said, I mean they just use sounds and not tracks in their routines so it all sounds like noise... DJ Fummy used tracks that people know that he flipped and also has stage presence which most France DJ's dont have, they mostly computer geeks trying to some sort of science experiment on the decks, so it has no feel or emotion. Sorry to say but being honest
Netik must be top 3-5 ever. Beast!
@RBC0405 exactly he was a dope French dj the others were bad
The Godfather of "Noise" sets has to be i.emerge. He created a monster back in the early 2000s. The guys on this vid have amazing speed and body-tricks, but what happened to the Funk?
C2C?
check what 20syl from C2C cooks in 2024
DJ Fly's 2013 winning routine, was the first real introduction to what turntablism was and what the DMC championship was. I May have seen the Traktor Scratch Pro 2 DJ craze routine before... That 2013 winning set was flawlessly done, and have a super smooth flow and rhthym and took you on an adventure.
To me, these three have some good moments...but it doesn't sound like any of them really have a smooth flow and clean executions.just a lot of individual techniques strung together...
That's just my opinion
Some of this stuff just melts my brain. So sick!
ALL🔥 Hard to pick a winner
Guys like fly are amazingly talented but the overall amount of production that goes on beforehand is a bit too much imo. Its like there making a movie advertisement with all the sound fx they layer in.
true, they can do it all but sometimes they should peel it back. You can hear any Craze set and it never sounds like a mess.
K-Swizz set was class. He will be back for '25. Cook Islands, NZ to the world. Kia Ora 🙏🙏
I Agree, DJ Fummy should be the Champ!
Great breakdown DJ Blakey, more of these please.
The reason fly uses 45 for this set is to have a 4 point grid like a 133.3 scratch record. But on a 90 bpm track. With a plus 8 on the turntable to make it like 97 bpm.
Same thing fong fong did in his DMC online win.
Very interesting insight thank you!
Im watching him use the 4 point grid and its like he can back it up to anywhere and still be on beat. Makes it much easier to come up with patterns, interesting....
I'm definitely inclined to agree, Fummy was my fave. Granted, some of this stuff is beyond my understanding technically, but Fummy was certainly the most enjoyable for me and if Blakey agreed then he was obviously doing enough technically too
Add much respect for this and I'm not really dissing it but this is the equivalent to being the best guitar player in the college quad
Meh. Not enough flavour, horrible tune selections. There might be some cool tricks going on but half of it is a chore to listen too. Less is more people
my thoughts exactly. it should sound good as a priority over technical tricks.
👏👏👏 great sets
Yeh Fummy was actually my favourite this year, the Mix Master Mike & Rok Raida influences were loud & clear
DJ shiftees winning set, where he mimic’d the prev winners, is so slept on. Love to see you break that one down.
Honest opinion, DJ Fly is one of the best Djs in the game, for decades. Saw him win in 08, then came back and hit 2013 with the win.. only to show up in 2024 and take his 3rd win in 3 different decades. Each win was completely different, right down to the use of technology. His freemix series on yt is a masterclass in mixing. K swizz is a beast, but as a musician i could understand and hear everything Fly was doing. Tbh I thought it was an incredible set.
Honestly I thought, for the majority of the set, it sounded a mess. It was just noise.
@@terrra_2024 you must not have attended many tekno raves and genres alike.. it was masterful..
@Joe-A-Sneaker-Lover Hilariously incorrect. I was literally a Techno dj and producer (mostly gabber and hard techno) from 1990-1998. I played at mainly squat parties and illegal raves for crews such as Spiral Tribe, Bedlam, and Fear Teachers. I am now a jungle/drum & bass dj and producer and literally play all over the world every weekend and have been doing that for over 25 years.
I was into hip hop from 1982, was at UK Fresh 86 and attended my first DMC finals in 1988.
One of the best scratch dj i have seen live is Mike RuffCut Lloyd from Uk Garage in London
if you ever get a chance to see him do it you'll be like wow .
I had no idea Ruffcut Lloyd was a scratcher too. Need to try and find some footage of that! Thanks for watching
@DJBlakeyUk yeh man , there are clips of him scratching garage tunes in his dj sets around he has won awards for mixing and scratching
I think Fummy played a great set, but it was still 2nd or 3rd overall - it reminded me more of a Craze-era set, with a lot of musicality and skill. Very nice and very tight none the less
I'm not usually a fan of K-Swizz (some of his sets come across as too gimmicky to me) but there's no denying his set did a lot - technical and musical and the right amount of aggression (those scratches have got venom - love it!). Parts of the set reminded me of how i.eMerge commands the stage and it was brilliant to see
Fly, as much as it was technical, it just felt like a lot going on for not many reasons. I know there was a lot of backlash when Le Jad started producing sets for competitors and I loved the newer style and techniques at the time, but this feels like it's gone too far the wrong way (even from that era). The musicality was nonexistent and it was a bit one-trick-pony once the initial "it's on 45" wore off.
Stage presence is a good thing, but the god-mode personas are a fine line imo.
Regardless of all that, big respect to everyone who took part ❤
Thanks for your comment. I stopped competing before the wave of self pressed records in the DMCs became a thing. I’ve always been of the opinion that the best route for these competitions is to use songs people know. That way, the crowd have a better understanding of how you’ve flipped it, because they know what the original sounds like. This is part of the reason I preferred Fummy’s set. All 3 were great tho IMO
@@DJBlakeyUk Yeah, totally agree with that - for a seasoned fan it's easy to see what tricks are being utilised, but for someone new it just looks and sounds like a mess (possibly the reason turntablism has lost its pull these days?)
The Fly set sounded sloppy because there was no time for errors. I wonder how many 'new' techniques were being used or was it just muscle memory of old moves that he's sped up? I also felt the scratches sounded like they were tripping over themselves in points as too much was going on in the different sections
I stopped battling in 06 but still love to follow it and I've got nothing but love for the competitors 👌✌
14:10 that was clean. reminds of Dj tigerstyles
The pinnacle for me was watching a guy do his set and then preform it in reverse
I see why he won. So creative.
was into turntablism around 4 years in my 20s, gave it up (luckiy, look at those guys - this video was very nice to watch, felt kind of nostalgic! Thanks
i'm sure u know your mic sound has a loud high-pitch tone - this one can be edited out via EQing really easy
@@OrignialDublix Thank you! Yes I sorted that now, thanks for the tip though :)
The aggressive style that these top 3 djs have is very telling.... the most aggressive dj i think ive seen in the DMC is i-emerge back in 2004, totally different from the clean, smooth style from perhaps a dj craze thats very seamless. The performance aspect definitely comes to the fore in modern djing possibly from the growth of club djs doing more interaction with the crowd....
Have to say tho DJ flys set was nuts... technical skill is off the charts but also alot to take in and get your head around 🤯
Yeah juggles are so confusing to follow
PS amazing video Blakey! Loving the commentary 😊
Cheers Tom 👊🏻
Everyone was amazing.
First place was Other Worldy!
21:13 - Greatest understatement, ever!
K Swiss was using the paddles like remember when you could use the phono/line switch for that crisp transform? 👀😳
@@tesaikealiiolanakila yes v true!
Really interesting for me watching modern DMC competitors for the first time. Growing up watching the competitions from circa 88-2000 I’m used to a certain skill set on display which whilst still prevalent in these modern DJ’s it’s become something quite different… I would love to try out some of this new equipment Blakey, the last time I used a set of decks it was an 07 pro & some 1210’s 😅
@@LoochMindReader I think you’d really like the DDJ-REV7 Looch. That’s my controller of choice these days.
@ Might have to meet for a coffee next time I’m down mate. 😁
FLY for me, he's right also and defo great to see some beat juggling musically, that's what put me off dmc was the juggling crazily think FLY did it with full on style, I like it when i can nod my head to it, find most juggling isn't in time so really can't & with digital now and cue buttons its defo easier than eva,, but yeah all supperb though must say that so I agree Tight as a microscopic knot,, brill,, Great to hear u describe it also DJBlakey, much appreciated 😀
I rewatched Fly's set on his UA-cam channel it sounds a lot cleaner and more musical, makes more sense.
Fly is unbeatable now. This guy is like bugatti chiron in cars. Power full fast precise detailed unique. His style sounds the best for me 👊👊 45 rpm 🙆 real turntablism. Creating new songs in real time. Awesomeeeeeeee 🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼
Definitely thought fumi had it here, great track selection, body tricks that were pretty entertaining but also very musical.
Yeah I think the slow pullback scratch sounds added a bit of muddiness to the fumi set he had pretty good timing but a lot of basic reverse sounds, if he had more complex scratches it would have likely made it way more technical and more interesting rather than juggles with a lot of pullback. If you really like the sound of juggling then it was good but I thought sonically it had a lot of non intelligible pullback sound which maybe went with the set theme though. His show tricks were nicely peformed but the memory of it is basically a lot of complex juggling. 2nd place imo made good use of stuff and felt more traditional hip hop / club feel, the sandstorm section didn't make much sense with the rest of the feel but I geuss he thought it is cool but I didn't really get it much what was going on with using it. 1st place felt like a hardcore set which was a nice difference to showcase hardcore EMD turntablism. I thought parts were a little sloppy and didn't translate well and a few were a bit off time but the overall track concept was nice. Overall they were all nice sets - being a prodigy fan I am a little biased. So I'd say 3rd had bets showmanship/trick but overall sound profile wasn't very appealing. 2nd had more of a traditional turntabalism feel but not sure what was going on with sandstorm in there nice track just didn't fit the set imo for the more funky feel. 1st probably had the best sounding set overall but a few points didn't hit on time, or sounded harsh. I think picking 1st would depend what the judging criteria was.
23:20 if anyone would do that near my sensitive equipment I would freak out
luckily in such an environment, you could throw the decks in the trash and have new ones on the table within 30 seconds 😀
That dj fly is the best shit I've seen in years.
so happy to see some apashe songs used on these :)
Most of the new gen is too much for my old ears to take. I think because youre able to do so much now, thats what they do! And when they start doing classic scratches and juggles Im almost thinking why bother - you could prob get v similar effects using the new buttons on the mixer. The winner here also uses a shit ton of custom audio to the point where Im not sure how much or even what is being performed.
Those cuts from K-swizz were very tight. Love it!
Yeah he killed it!
I always wondered, what is the reason for having the pitch at +8? (or -8% like Fummy)
@@jlwasmer in my experience, it usually depends on the track you’re using. Some juggle patterns are easier to pull off and/or sound a lot better with the record slower or faster!
How much of these routines ate recited beginning to end? I'd assume the tracks and order would be, but the cuts and juggles in between, is allot of that improvised?
Thanks for the breakdown & thanks for the sample link too. Looking forward to releasing your set tomorrow! 😉
@@4loopsessions They will be 100% rehearsed. There may be longer scratching parts that might include a small amount of improvisation, but these routines have been meticulously practiced until it’s almost impossible to get wrong. Takes months to prepare.
@DJBlakeyUk its interesting you say that. IMO that is harder. In my own experience, I find it impossible to plan anything and rely solely on impulse in the moment. Anything I attempt to reproduce goes wrong. Its a testament with people like yourself how your technical skills along with muscle memory is so clinical and precise. Knowing that almost most acts are deliberate is mind blowing.
Dropping sandstorm at DMC and getting away with it 😂 🙇
DJ K-Swizz
I saw the homie DJ Akshen judging!
Dope video mate I've not watched the DMCs for years but these boys were all class. . I just wondered what your opinion of Dj Noize was? I loved him back when I regularly watched the performances
I think Noize is one of the greatest of all time!!
Noise definitely right up there
Noize was the perfect battle DJ, his wordplay was top notch, nobody like him back then.
Although Shortkut is better technically, Noize had the crowd momentum while Shortkut was too much focussed on his juggles. (it was a 90's battle)
I have no idea what's going on here...but can someone explain why the first dude seems to be the only one with the actual needle on the record?
@@thebig9720 Most turntablists now use a device called Phase which negates the need for needles on records.
As a 90s vinyl Dj this is mind blowing I don’t get it but damn it’s insane
Yo,when I used to dj we used final,and needles, this serrato keeps everything in time things are different but hey this is still good
Pretty crazy seeing how people are using phase, I guess it allows more stability than serato or vinyl as it’s not dependent on the needle locking into the groove allowing for much more aggressive styles from the likes of fly and k Swizz
Yes it’s pretty much the norm now
How's it going, Blakey? I'm really enjoying the content you've been putting out recently man.
I totally agree with what you said about DJs using recognisable songs in battles, compared to custom-made stuff just for the battle, cos when you know a song you can appreciate the way it's being flipped a lot more.
In terms of my own personal enjoyment, I'd reverse the order of the sets and put Fummy first, but I can see why the judges went the way they did.
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
hey blakey! what was that trance record you dropped in your 2004 set after you did the jam hot scratch? the one mixed with n.e.r.d lapdance. thanks!
@@eatshrots Hey there. Very far from trance, but it was the instrumental of Adam F ft Lil Mo - Where’s My. What a beat 🔥🔥
@@DJBlakeyUk wow thank you so much lol 20 years later and I have the answer haha you're the best!!
@@eatshrots no probs!
my god this is talent in the 4th dimension.
Subbed Blakey
@@manwiththeplan4130 🙏🏻🙏🏻
You could tell all three live for it. Fummy was super solid but 1st place guy had higher peaks. 2nd place guy was good just has a flavor I like less. I only judge by sound and have no clue what's hard to do.
@@ivannasha5556 Love that breakdown. Thanks for watching
accccktuallyyy 🤤
technically you don't need to pull the record back further when doing 45 juggles, you just need to be a lot faster to do the same patterns, but the record will travel further in the 6 mins so you do different patterns that require further pull backs
it's essentially a 9 mins set played fast
@@TheDjOfChoice yeah you’re right, I should’ve said you need to pull it back in less time!
It's so good that battle DJs going back using real tracks. Of course to be technical being good as DJ is impressive and even more impressive for other DJs, but in the end you are still a DJ. DJing is making people dance or having a good time and taking some breakbeats or sample from splice is not the whole package as a DJ.
Taking songs people know and love and making something different out it is what impresses the audience the most. It's the unexpected in a song they know and where they thought the knew whats coming.
Oiii you guyz might help me... Does anyone know what's the name of some crazy ass scratch with some guitar samples? The dude was scratching IN TONE over this guitar solo; some crazy things are happening in that video. Low quality, cosmos knows from what year that is...
DJ A Trak Guitar Solo Scratch Routine hahahha I found it like in a second, and I couldn't think of good tag terms to write in omnibox... Holly, I was looking for this aaaa looooong timeeeeeeeee....
Why is K-Swiss' not using records with needles?
He’s using Phase, very common nowadays
@@DJBlakeyUk I am checking them out now. I have never heard of them.
@ Sick little bit of tech tbf
@@DJBlakeyUk The one video I watched, the guy put the Phase on a fan and was scratching... Now that was funny.
did they have a analog battle this year?
Kentaro was my fav winner from back in the day. Nothing compares to
I'm more of an old head and like to hear actual songs being mashed up so I'm leaning more towards K-Swizz as my personal favourite (his intro got my feet tapping) then Fummy love to see body tricks still being done. Fly is obviously very technical but I found his set a bit repetitive, he'd be my 3rd place. These were the top 3 sets of the night I think it just comes down to your own personal preference.
I love the new tech I got my first set of 1200s back in the early 90s music is digital but I still have records and crates of records great for sampling
whats that sandstorm rmx? that sounded kool
The thing with 45 vs 33 is it’s only two quick if you’re using something that supposed to be in 33 on 45 .. then it’s too quick .. if you tracks are supposed to be on 45 then it’s not as difficult because you still have the same amount of time within the music .. when you speed up from 33 or 45 the music is sped up so you get less in the track which makes it really difficult.. try it out in Serato get beat and juggle on 33 and then speed that up to 45 then go in settings and just set it to play at 45 then juggle that beat up at it’s normal speed on 45 and it’s not as difficult as it was sped up
I think djs should slow down their routines. Don't understand this obsession for doing everything so fast and agresive.
At least for me, you can be highly technical but more musical. We can use the turntables as instruments but we choose using to make this frenetic ugly shows.
Don't like to much any of this routines, but Fly's one... man, why in 45rpm? It's a challenge? Yeah, because everything gonna be harder but at the expense of being clean... and it wasn't clean at all. I don't understand judge's decisions though.
Miss djs like Brace 😮💨
Awesome 👍
🙏🏻
Whilst I appreciate the technicality, I'm not a fan of the over-produced, everything at 100mph style of Fly's set. Compared to Fummy and K-Swiss, I imagine it's just "aggressive noise" to a lot of the crowd. For me:
1st - Fummy
2nd - K-Swiss
3rd - Fly
I asked DJ skully to do the shiver, I asked “can you do the Robot hand,”he did it😊
Great analysis Blakey 💯
On an unrelated note, what's the housey track you're using in the background in between the sets?
Thanks! The track is from epidemic sound
The first 30 seconds of Fummy were more interesting than anything DJ Fly did
Completely amazing sets, no doubt. The skills are undeniable. It's futuristic 4D space cutting. But I must have gone full geezer because I think the digital stuff is turning sets into 80s guitar solos. Just fast noise, where's the music? Now, if you'll excuse me, i'm going to listen to some old sets with a real stylus in a real groove and a DJ touching real records. I bet I will nod my head, smile from ear to ear and feel old as hell doing it.
Fummy or K.Swiss just because of the tracks that played not weirdos Tracks 😉😉😉😉🙄🙄🙄🙄
these videos are great breakdowns, but I'm not sure who is saying this stuff isn't incredibly difficult
As a casual who knows nothing about this, the 2nd guy sounded better, even though 1st place used apashe which was cool
Wow. Fly for me, hands down.
KSwiss is definitly the best... cutting and mixing that's what DJs do, while having a nice swing and funk. Fumi had great presence and show too but the musicality from KSwiss was superior and using proper songs. Fly... well I respect the dificulty but to me his set was just fucking noise and had little sense from the musical perspective. In hiphop it's never about what do you, but how you do it. It always has to have class, style and finesse. It's never about pure technical skills. Just like breaking, it's not about how fast your spin or how many air twists you can do... its about how you feel the funk and stay musical, being able to dance and still hit tricks. Djs have to be super funky, groovy and classy on top of being able to do crazy cuts and tricks. But if you loose the style and funk, it's just noise. On the other hand, DMC should only allow to use songs and not prepared sample tracks and all that preproduction. That's bullshit and kils the funk. The new hot cues from the mixers are enough help to save your cues. Otherwise bring back the DMC with analog mixers and records category, the true school. How are we going to be considered musicians if we don't even take the artform seriously??? Fuck the gimmicks, bring back the groove and the funk. Otherwise you will end looking like a fucking maniac nerd playing videogames and hitting buttons like crazy with no sense. DJs should remember it has to be danceable and funky at the end of the day. If it won't make you nod your head and get hyped it sucks!
Is the DMC always in Paris?
No this was the first time since 98 I believe
I much prefer it when you had to bring your records with you, the record could jump at anytime and then you had to work to get back on track. Now you can be as aggressive as you want and not pay the price.
I can respect that he did his set on 45, but it wasn't totally clean. I agree that overall fumi did the best. nevertheless, all these guys have put in their time and have mad skill. I remember how painstaking it was to mark my records with stickers for my cues, so honestly I hate that mixer with the lame buttons. I do see how it can make your routines interesting, but I personally wouldn't feel inclined to put in the time to do it. dmcs aren't what it used to be. roc raida, dj David, kentaro etc... so different from what it has evolved to be. BUT at least the dedication is still there regardless of what equipment is used.
Fummy
if Rena had participated, he would have won by a landslide. The routines he is posting with the reels are incredible
Rena’s recent videos on his IG are mind blowing. DMC needs Rena back!
I like to use some echo in my scratches. The first guy didn't sound very musical. 2nd guy is a bit better but when I hear all this slightly out of time scratching that doesn't really go anywhere I can't say it's something I would want to listen to in a club. The last guy boasts the whole show at 45 but true turntableism would use 33 and tricks such as tapping the 45 while holding down the 33. He is just saying that he is limiting himself.
Honestly I would be more interested in a musically impressive show but with less showing off attempted tricks. They are all trying to pull of tricks that all too often sounds more messy than good. Way over my level but still. The last two were both good I think the last guy was the one I would vote for.
I *JUST* realized y'all ain't concerned at ALL with needle jump anymore. You can touch your platter however the F you want and you ain't bouncing out of the groove. NO PENNIES ON YOUR CARTRIDGE. Feels like cheating.
Yes, with Phase that has gone.
As an outsider i feel like playing with an actual needle like the first guy is more intresting compared to playing at 45rpm
stage presence and using popular songs became more prevalent after the RED BULL 3 STYLE competitions started being a thing.
very nice and all. also very messy in a certain way. but still masters at work.
Only thing with fly is his juggling can be hard to understand.. the play through style of juggling can be hard to follow sometimes
Personally I found fly’s set more creative but I enjoyed Swizz’s more
Would love to see kentaro come back
Okay so without seeing this: a french winning this in france doesnt surprise me
I think I enjoyed K-swiss the most, perhaps cuz I know little and he did play more music I recognized. Now between Fummy and Fly, while he had an intermission mentioning musicality, overall I thought Fly's set lacked musicality and flow; Fummy's segments melded better together, so I'd give 2nd to him. But as I've said, I'm no DJ and have no clue what skills are required to do what they do. I enjoyed them all.
I am an oldschool guy and i am really sad i cannot find any soul these routins... ok it's nice from technical side, I agree there is work and practice innit but still do not feel the human and soul... i mostly loved vinyl mixing because there was risk in the sets and routins...
Japan should have won imo, was clean and smooth routine, very tight and with all those body inputs. Swizz second and fly third...fly was very messy and lost his way twice, very abrasive I found it
In the near future DJ championships will be determined by how well you confuse the DMCA standard . Can you evade the all the copyrights and still be rewarded something original champion of the world !