DMC World DJ Championship——World history of turntablism

Text: mmr｜Theme: History of the DMC World DJ Championship, technological innovation, crowdfunding, changes in the world championship, achievements of Japanese players, equipment culture, Turntablism

Known as one of the world’s largest DJ battles, the DMC World DJ Championship (hereinafter referred to as DMC) has progressed with the growth of turntablism culture since its inception in 1985. The process by which hip-hop DJ techniques became independent as a ““musical expression” and was further institutionalized as a ““world competition” is a unique history unparalleled to any other genre.

Chapter 1 Why was DMC born?

1-1　Disco music and the rise of mix technology

DMC (Disco Mix Club) was originally established in the UK in 1983 as a record pool service for club DJs, with the main purpose of providing remixed sound sources for DJs. The background was the rapidly growing club culture in Europe and the occupation of professional DJs.

At the time, DJ technology was dominated by mixes that seamlessly connected songs, and scratching and tricks were still only being developed in certain hip-hop regions.

1-2 In 1985, the invention of “competitive DJing”

DMC founder Tony Prince came up with the idea of ​​showcasing the creativity of DJs as a ““competition’’ and held the first DMC World DJ Championship in London in 1985. Initially, this competition was not focused on tricks as it is today, but instead was a place to compete in song selection and mixing techniques.

Chapter 2 Scratch Revolution: Hip-hop techniques reach the world

2-1 1987: DJ Cheese changed the world

An essential incident in the history of DMC is the appearance of DJ Cheese (USA). At the 1986 tournament, he performed a routine that emphasized scratching and beat juggling, completely overturning the traditional mix-based rules.

From this moment on, the world began to share the value that ““turntablism, including scratching, decides the game.’’

2-2　1988-1990: Toward the era of sampling, beat juggling, and composition

After Cheese, DJs didn’t just play songs;

• Manually reconfigure beats
• chop the pieces
• Treat samples like instruments It has evolved in that direction.

Particularly in the early 1990s, DJ Aladdin, Cutmaster Swift, Cash Money and others created routines centered around “rhythmic reconstruction,” and the competition grew as a showcase for musical performance.

Chapter 3 Analog golden age (around 1990-2000)

3-1 “World Tournament” format established

In the 1990s, DMC established the “6-minute routine system” that continues today, and in addition to the Individual Competition (World DJ Championship),

• Battle for World Supremacy
• Team Division (World Team Championship)

will be added.

3-2 Advancement of Japanese companies

Japan has had a major influence on the DMC world since the late 1990s.

Main historical topics

• 1997: DJ KRUSH joins the jury (symbol of international recognition)
• 2000: DJ KENTARO becomes the first Japanese to win the world championship (highest score in history)
• Since then, DJ YASA, DJ HI-C, Kireek (5 consecutive wins in the team category), etc. have gained worldwide acclaim.

In particular, KENTARO”s routine is said to be ““outstanding in its speed, accuracy, composition, and musicality,’’ making it one of the most symbolic years in DMC”s history.

Chapter 4 Digitalization and reorganization of tournament rules (2000-2010)

4-1　Final Scratch, Serato, Traktor: Introduction of digital sound sources

In the mid-2000s, when DVS (Digital Vinyl System) became popular, there was a move toward allowing its use at DMC tournaments. In 2006, the use of DVS in various formats was allowed, and the tournament, which had previously been limited to analog, accepted the style of ““manipulating digital sound sources with a turntable.’’

This results in

• Freely use original sound sources
• Greatly expands the range of routine configurations
• Increased tone play and melodic expression Such an evolution is taking place.

4-2　Video qualifying/online

Around 2011, an Online DJ Championship using YouTube was introduced, opening the door for DJs from all over the world to participate.

Chapter 5 Crowdfunding and DMC maintenance (2015-present)

5-1　The power of the community that supported the continuation of the tournament

While DMC is a world-class tournament, it is not a commercially huge organization and has always faced financial challenges. In particular, in the late 2010s, as the burden of operating costs increased, DMC conducted crowdfunding multiple times targeting fans and the DJ community.

Main facts

• A fundraising project was carried out by DMC Foundation and funds were allocated to the continuation of the tournament.
• Supported by DJs, equipment brands, and fans around the world
• Providing commemorative goods and limited content for supporters

As a result, DMC began to become more of a community-led and protected cultural asset, rather than a ““commercial event’’.

5-2　Pandemic period: Switching to remote competition

In 2020-2021, the new infectious disease made it difficult to hold a physical event, so DMC held the world tournament completely online. Equipment companies including Rane and Technics supported the competition, ushering in an era in which routines were valued as video works.

Chapter 6 Evolution of turntablism technology

The history of DMC is also the technical history of turntablism.

6-1 Development of scratch technology

1980s: Establishment of basic technology

• Baby Scratch
• Transformer -Chirp

1990s: Speeding up and compounding

-Flare

• Crab -Hydroplane
• Orbit

2000s: Toward the phase of handling melodies

• Musical Scratch
• Melodic Play
• Tone play

These technological innovations will lead to DJs gaining a position similar to that of ““beat makers” and ““composers.”

6-2 Team division and ensemble

As demonstrated by C2C (France), Kireek (Japan), The Mixfitz (Canada), etc., the team category is more than just an exhibition of scratch skills;

• Orchestration with 4 people at the same time
• Composed like a live performance
• Production synchronized with video

This led to the development of turntables being treated as ““ensemble instruments.’’

Chapter 7 Equipment history: Technics, Vestax, Rane, etc.

7-1　The overwhelming presence of Technics SL-1200

The equipment that has remained at the heart of DMC is the Technics SL-1200 series. Robustness, torque, precision, and durability were all at the top level, and it reigned as the standard machine for DJ battles.

7-2 Vestax revolution

In the 1990s and 2000s, Vestax

• High torque turntable
• DJ dedicated mixer (PMC series) , and gained support from turntablists around the world. Vestax mixers were frequently used at DMC venues, and their presence greatly contributed to the development of turntablism culture.

7-3 Baton to Rane

Since the 2010s, Rane has been the official sponsor of DMC, and Rane Sixty-Two, Seventy-Two, Twelve, etc. have been used at many world championships. This will accelerate a new DJ style that combines DVS and analog.

Chapter 8 Global movement supporting DMC

8-1 Institutionalization of regional qualifying rounds

DMC established the flow of national preliminaries → national champions → world championships, creating the foundation for each country’s scene to develop independently.

8-2 Impact on education/schools

Turntablism has been around since the 2000s.

• DJ School
• Workshop
• University Music and Media Department It was also incorporated into the club, and came to be evaluated as a genre of music rather than just a club technique.

Chapter 9 Chronology: DMC Main Topics

Chapter 10 Modern DMC and the future of turntablism

10-1 Era of hybrid tournaments

Since the pandemic, a tournament format that combines online and offline has become established. He is moving in the direction of combining the routine of a video work with the enthusiasm of real life.

10-2　Future where the turntable becomes a “musical instrument”

In the world of electronic music, turntables are

• improvisation
• Composition tools
• live art It is being treated as such.

DMC is at the center of this trend, and DJs are becoming recognized as ““artists who create music” rather than simply ““playing songs.”

Conclusion: DMC has become a culture itself

DMC World DJ Championship is more than just a competition. The Spirit of Hip Hop Culture Community solidarity Express your creativity History of technological innovation

All of that became a condensed existence.

As symbolized by crowdfunding, DMC is a culture protected by fans around the world, and its story will continue to be rewritten by DJs and the community.

Technique family tree

*Below is a diagram categorizing turntablism techniques.

① Turntablism technique/system diagram (scratch technique classification)

Systematic diagram of scratch techniques

② “Generational genealogy chart” of turntablist

(Facts only: not the relationship between specific performers, but the general genealogy of periodization)

Generational division of turntablism

③ Development of DMC tournament format (by division)

Changes in DMC tournament format

④ “Equipment dependency chart” of turntablism technique

(Analogue dependence → Classification of changes in techniques due to digitalization)

Technique and equipment dependent structure

⑤ DMC World Conference “Number of Participating Countries” Trends (Conceptual Diagram)

(Detailed yearly data is not published, so only increasing trends and period classifications)

Changes in the number of DMC participating countries (conceptual diagram)

⑥ Technical structure for turning a turntable into a musical instrument (functional breakdown diagram)

Turntable instrumentation structure

⑦ “Cultural influence” map of turntablism (inside and outside of hip-hop)

Cultural spread of turntablism

⑧ DMC World Tournament “Historical Rule Changes” Structure Diagram

History of DMC rules (main changes)