The history of turntablism began in the early 1930s, when the turntable began being used as a creative, experimental musical instrument. In the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, the musical genre ‘musique concrete’ was created. Much like modern music sampling, this early genre used sounds from recordings of musical instruments, vocals and environmental noises as well as those created from synthesizers.
It was not until the introduction of hip-hop in the late 1970s that turntablism more similar to what listeners know today began to surface. Modern turtablism’s roots lie in the hip-hop culture of the 1970s, when scratching, or scrubbing, was already wellknown. While scratching is a simple technique used to create distinct sounds while moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable, turtablism refers to a DJ using turntables and mixers not just as audio-playing equipment but also as music-creating instruments. This new skill set gave rise to a whole new genre of sound, musical talent, skill and culture.
DJs such as Kool DJ Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash are considered some of the pioneers of the genre. Kool Herc developed break-beat DJing, where the musical breaks of funk songs were separated and repeated for dancing. Here, a break, which is the climax of the song and typically only a few seconds in length, is extended indefinitely by switching back and forth between two of the same vinyl records on a mixer. The result is an infectious, danceable, looping beat.
Above: DJ Kool Herc early 90s
Afrika Bambaataa was also an innovator in break-beat DJing and electro tracks in the 1980s. Through his famous Bronx street parties, Bambaataa expanded awareness of the new break-beat technique. The protégé of scratching creator Grand Wizard Theodore, Grandmaster Flash, developed many techniques still considered standard today. The backspin technique and punch phrasing were some of Grandmaster’s innovations. Due to their extensive influence in the early days of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash his group ‘The Furious Five’ were the first hip-hop artists to be highly honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. By the 1980s, scratching had become a main feature of turtablism and a staple of hip-hop music.
In the 1990s turntablism had begun adopting new and more sophisticated techniques. DJs like Jazzy Jeff and Cash Money pioneered ‘transforming’, where the cross fader is flicked back and forth on the mixer whilst simultaneously scratching. One of the most important developments of the genre in the 1990s was the beginning of the ‘beat juggling’ technique. DJs, like the master of this skill, Steve Dee, use the mixer with the turntables to switch between two of the same vinyl records at incredible speed while looping or re-combining individual sounds to create a completely new rhythm. It was this technique, which evolved turntablism from just reworking existing tracks to composing entirely new music.
From block parties in 1970s New York and Philadelphia where the DJ was established as an important pillar of hip-hop, through the mid-1980s as techniques advanced, to the DMC World Championships of today, turntablism has become one of hip-hop’s most competitive and skillful arenas.
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