DJ Kentaro
It was probably around 1998 when I officially gave up on DJ scratch records. Not that there haven't been amazing records released since then but that was the year Q-Bert dropped Wave Twisters and perhaps it was the combination of weed and Old English but given the state I was in at the time I was conviced that scratching could not get more complicated and creative. That record was as welcome a mind-fuck as there was back then. And while all you scratch afficianados (who have a library of past DMC championships at the ready ) already know about Japan's DJ Kentaro many of you have probably never heard of him. The man is like the Takeru Kobyashi of turntablism, bringing it back to an art rather than a heavily practiced, almost forecfully communicated skill. And the dude cuts up video on the sick Pioneer DVJ digital turntable as well so as to truly differentiate himself from not only other DJs but the increasing masses of video jocks all over the world. Who else then but Ninja would be the first to break this cat worldwide. On the upcoming DJ Kentaro On the Wheels of Solid Steel, the Ninja clan present a double disk (CD & DVD) showcasing Kentaro's unmatched abilities. But unlike recent scratch-centric mixes, this is actually listenable and won't cause an aneurysm within the first 1000 baby scratches. Not only does Kentaro prove his mastery of both traditional and digital decks, he also shows a solid song selection -- to me the most important aspect of DJing -- and seemlessly mixes some of Ninja Tune's absolute best. From relative newcomers like Jaga Jazzist and Pest to old reliables like Wagon Christ, Coldcut and Vadim (even throwing great cuts from Clifford Gilberto and Animals on Wheels) Kentaro represents both Ninja Tune and himself with an elevated class and creativity. An amazing follow-up to Scruff's Solid Steel mix and a must-have for students of Zen sounds worldwide. Today's post is a short roughly 2 minute intro to the mix created by Kentaro. I think it best summarizes his unique style and should get you amped for the mix which comes out in a month or so. Resources
DJ Kentaro :: "Introduction"
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