I've been trying to workout when Q and D got super sick...

[ericuk]

Obviously they've always been uber dope, but I'm trying workout when the super race of aliens took them and taught them the fresh shit.

 

In 97 they were doing stuff that I can understand.

 

They're getting advanced with the new stuff in 98.

 

They're sick in 99 and sound like they do today.

 

That's some mad progression in a couple of years. I seem to get WORSE lol

[Steve]

For me, it was around the time when the delayed flare and boomerang came out when I lost the ability to hear any scratch and figure out how to do it in my head.

 

That said, there are some older scratches that stumped me for a bit at the time, for example, the "the grand wizard" stuff at the start of this: -

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITQjao5Lzxw

 

Mixmaster Ice's "underwater scratch" was another one (can't find that on YouTube).

[d00ban]

Yeah you right Erik, that's some pretty fast progression when you look at it like that!

 

How did he do that scratch then Steve? Sounds like some kind of rub with his fingers

[Steve]

I have no way of knowing for sure mate, haha. I eventually got the same sound by tensing my arm up so my hand kinda vibrates, then pushing the record forward through the sample.

[Motek]

Any thread with Hijack in it is good with me.

[DJ Rock Well]

I think they got as good as they could in the early nineties with shit faders and line switches, then in about 1995 they got their hands on the first vestax 05s with sharp cut-in free moving faders and they just took off from there.

 

I think that their progression from about 96 to 99 was immense. I'm pretty sure they spent some serious hours around then just hanging out with other Piklz and other bay area DJs just scratching.

 

Actually, some of my favourite cuts from Q are his 96/97 era stuff (Dr Octagon, Camelbobsled, Piklz practice tapes, etc) - not as complex as his later stuff but maybe the funkiest.

[Blak Randy]

To be honest Eric. Qberts stuff on here is pretty unfathomable and it's from 95. (Skip to 3 minutes in the video) Also bear in mind they did not have instant cut in faders back then : o

it's isn't as tight as he would become though.

 

[ericuk]

It definitely mind blowing both for the era, the rubbish faders and the speed, but I can kind of follow what he's doing and even replicate some of the patterns (only no where near that good).

 

Even the 97 video can be understood to a degree, in that I can make out the flares etc. However, from 99 onwards there was just too much information to even begin to process! lol

 

I'm looking to try and be a little Q-bert Clone and mimic his style so that I can learn eventually improve my own, but I DONT EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START!

 

 

I could call myself Q-Burn....

[d00ban]

Get your ass on the QSU if you wanna do that Erik. You can really figure out his way of thinking on there. All he does is get 2 random techniques and combines them and just jams... I've seen him combine any old shit and still make it sound good.

[Jimmy]

would it not be better to figure out your own style?

its not like you're shit eric!

[DJ Rock Well]

would it not be better to figure out your own style?

its not like you're shit eric!

 

He's not, of course, but "Shit Eric" would be the funniest DJ name I've ever heard.

 

I think Doob is right about QSU - the most famous QSUers I can think of, Rayted R and Zeke, both use a lot of Qesque flows and I've looked at some of the other QSU students with my mate's account and they all had a few moves that sound a bit like Q Bert.

[DJ Rock Well]

I could call myself Q-Burn....

 

Did you ever watch Brass Eye? There was an MC Fur-Q.

[Jimmy]

one thing that really blows my mind with these guys is the record hand movement, its fucking crazy.

 

i've had the urge to practice alot more since CSG so hopefully i can start to play with it all myself.

[kut_class]

Back to the point about Eric developing his own style n not biting q. For me, I found doing this meant I did the same scratches, got stuck in a rut n got bored. When I tried learning new techniques or pattern from others or the net, its fuckin hard to get used to, but by practise, I found it helps unlock transitions in pattens that I would have ignored for feeling uncomfortable and helped my flow progress.

 

I'm all about biting GOD at the moment and learning tappy twiddle flares so I can sound super fast at 160 :-)

[sparkman56]

For me, it was around the time when the delayed flare and boomerang came out when I lost the ability to hear any scratch and figure out how to do it in my head.

 

Very true. This is when I lost touch of things, too.I have a couple of pals doing all the new stuff, that I can't figure out yet and that kinda makes me wanna give up scratching...

[Ryan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgdVv11eVRE&feature=related

 

^^When i first seen this (on wavetwisters) it blew my world apart this video single handedly turned me into a fucking recluse. 8 plus hour scratch sessions

[ericuk]

I watched it again today..., I think q is doing 3 clickers towards the end, but with a tear on the pullback? I'm going to slow that shit down and learn it!

 

As for joining qsu... Could I join for a month and rape (download) all the content and leave?

[Guest Symatic]

 

this was the shit!!

i remember only having audio of this and then seeing the video and being even more blown away

[JHouse]

@ERICUK: Nah, it's a 3 month minimum, then monthly thereafter...if it's still the same deal as before. I did it a few years ago and it was okay, but honestly, I think this forum is better and you get lots of legit feedback here, too.

 

Regarding the OP, I think it's when D became a part of their crew, circa '96. The hours they spent cuttin' with each other then and other Bay area top DJs, totally sharpened their skills. Iron sharpens iron.

 

My skratching totally changed when I started cuttin' with DJ Astro on the daily (Mon-Fri. midnight to 3-4am). Alls I knew before were transforms, crabs, scribbles... but through Astro, I started getting Flares, Chirps, and more than anything, consistency. For instance, I could execute a skratch over and over, varying the sound up and down with minimal movement, whereas before I was all over the place, not getting nearly the sound as Astro, nor the phrasing, etc. Anyways, I think it just comes down to cuttin' with other dope fools on the regular, for hours and hours at a time.

 

Oh yeah, I think the acid helped them too, especially with the Alien ish. Haha.

[Jimmy]

Back to the point about Eric developing his own style n not biting q. For me, I found doing this meant I did the same scratches, got stuck in a rut n got bored. When I tried learning new techniques or pattern from others or the net, its fuckin hard to get used to, but by practise, I found it helps unlock transitions in pattens that I would have ignored for feeling uncomfortable and helped my flow progress.

 

 

i never said its easy, but i personally think the end result it worth it.

i spend ages going over the same shit, but then out of no where will think of something new. for me its just about putting the time in on my decks. if i copy a pattern or a new combo, i'll be able to do it after while (unless its chile's) but i'll struggle to fit it in to my other cuts and make it flow. whereas if its something thats come about more naturally, it just works.

for me at least anyway.

 

when i used to read bmx magazines, there was a quite from someone that i thought made alot of sense and i kind of thing it translate to anything you need to practice.

this jist was, "if you want to get better just spend time on your bike (decks). the more you're with them, even if its just messing out, you'll be gaining control/progress without realising"

[Blak Randy]

@ERICUK: Nah, it's a 3 month minimum, then monthly thereafter...if it's still the same deal as before. I did it a few years ago and it was okay, but honestly, I think this forum is better and you get lots of legit feedback here, too.

 

Regarding the OP, I think it's when D became a part of their crew, circa '96. The hours they spent cuttin' with each other then and other Bay area top DJs, totally sharpened their skills. Iron sharpens iron.

 

My skratching totally changed when I started cuttin' with DJ Astro on the daily (Mon-Fri. midnight to 3-4am). Alls I knew before were transforms, crabs, scribbles... but through Astro, I started getting Flares, Chirps, and more than anything, consistency. For instance, I could execute a skratch over and over, varying the sound up and down with minimal movement, whereas before I was all over the place, not getting nearly the sound as Astro, nor the phrasing, etc. Anyways, I think it just comes down to cuttin' with other dope fools on the regular, for hours and hours at a time.

 

Oh yeah, I think the acid helped them too, especially with the Alien ish. Haha.

 

Does Astro still scratch man? Astros youtube video called "DJ Astro cuttin it up" is my favourite non D Styles video on the whole of youtube. A lot of the europen power scratchers could learn a lot from watching that vid. It actually gets me hyped.

 

I also remember having his Hip Hop mix that had LOADS of scratching it it. I also remember getting a shortish all scratched album that he made. I completely lost that. Damn. Do you have that J House? I would love to hear that again.

[ericuk]

just peeped Astro. NICENESS

 

[Blak Randy]

As said, my fave non d styles clip on YouTube.

[JHouse]

@ERICUK: Nah, it's a 3 month minimum, then monthly thereafter...if it's still the same deal as before. I did it a few years ago and it was okay, but honestly, I think this forum is better and you get lots of legit feedback here, too.

 

Regarding the OP, I think it's when D became a part of their crew, circa '96. The hours they spent cuttin' with each other then and other Bay area top DJs, totally sharpened their skills. Iron sharpens iron.

 

My skratching totally changed when I started cuttin' with DJ Astro on the daily (Mon-Fri. midnight to 3-4am). Alls I knew before were transforms, crabs, scribbles... but through Astro, I started getting Flares, Chirps, and more than anything, consistency. For instance, I could execute a skratch over and over, varying the sound up and down with minimal movement, whereas before I was all over the place, not getting nearly the sound as Astro, nor the phrasing, etc. Anyways, I think it just comes down to cuttin' with other dope fools on the regular, for hours and hours at a time.

 

Oh yeah, I think the acid helped them too, especially with the Alien ish. Haha.

 

Does Astro still scratch man? Astros youtube video called "DJ Astro cuttin it up" is my favourite non D Styles video on the whole of youtube. A lot of the europen power scratchers could learn a lot from watching that vid. It actually gets me hyped.

 

I also remember having his Hip Hop mix that had LOADS of scratching it it. I also remember getting a shortish all scratched album that he made. I completely lost that. Damn. Do you have that J House? I would love to hear that again.

Unfortunately, as far as I know, Astro doesn't cut any longer. I haven't talked to him in 3 years, but I'm pretty sure he's still off the tables. In short, he went Christian and ditched DJ'ing, however, eventually picked up the guitar, and from what I've heard,he' killin' it. I think the main reason he stopped skratching is because it was consuming him and putting it ahead of God. After quitting, he got a job working with the mentally challenged and has been doing so ever since.

 

Regarding his tracks and mixes, he done deleted all of 'em. Seriously. He didn't like the messages he was putting out, so scraped the tracks. Fortunately though, I have lots of his stuff, but unfortunately it's in Colorado on my music production PC. When I get it back, I'll up some tracks Randy. Lots of them were on TurntableRadio.com though, various shows around 2002-2004.

 

With respect to his skills, he played cello and piano growing up, then when he got tables, he practiced tablism everyday, 3-5 hours. Consistently. He also recorded himself all the time and battled. The funny thing is, he was so ridiculously shy, but he would battle fools no prob.

 

Next time I see him, I'll pass on the respect. I think he would trip if peeps were still talking about him today. He and Deeswift were two of my favorite skratchers. And yeah, Astro had the power cuts on lock, and they sounded so clean and melodic. Dude would spend hours on one cut, varying the pitch up and down, and just getting funky. Full clean control.

 

Astro's nuts>

[Blak Randy]

Thanks for the reply JHouse. It's a real shame Astro doesn't cut anymore but if he's happy then fair enough. I'm gonna see if I can find that scratch album.

 

Ah yeah man. Also. Make sure he never takes that video down : )