DJ Disk -Interview
DJ DISK -INTERVIEW
by Bevan Jee
BEVAN: What have you and the Skratch Picklz been up to lately?
DISK: We have been working on a lot of mix tapes and the Invisible
Skratch Picklz album. I'm basically working on a lot of different
scratches, music, songs and stuff.
BEVAN: Tell me some more about your solo album.
DISK: I'm working on a solo album and it should be finished in two
months. It's going to be straight orchestrated turntable scratching,
everything's going to be the scratch just like "The Invasion of the
Octopus People." I also got a song called "Beaver Claus" coming out
on Altered Beats - Volume 2.
BEVAN: What can people in Australia expect from your show?
DISK: A lot of different styles of scratching!, that's my thing. I
like to show different varieties of scratching. Different weird
sounds are going to come from the scratch that they never heard. Its
going to be like playing a guitar, everything's going to be well put
with different combinations of scratching, transforming, flares,
crabs, chirps, slugs, you name it.
BEVAN: You tend to refer to yourself more as a musician and
turntablist rather than just a straight DJ, why is this?
DISK: I always had this thing for years since the 80s and I've
always loved the scratch. My mother used to play her Spanish music
and I used to scratch over it and I was like "damn it sounds pretty
good," you know. The difference is that a DJ he plays in the clubs,
parties and in the radio station. Myself I am more of a musician, I
play the turntable like a musical instrument. Everybody sounds
different but I can say I have specialized and professioned my
skills to be a turntablist and more of a musician. You're moving the
records and creating a new sound over the top of the sound. That's
why the turntable can be any instrument, violinist, bagpipes, you
name it.
BEVAN: Tell me more about this new group you are working on.
DISK: It's me and Buckethead the guitarist. The groups called Giant
Robot 2, GR2 for short. Whoever's seen or heard Buckethead knows he
is one of the most outstanding guitar players in the world. He's
very crazy and very experimental, he's fast and one of the best.
While I'm doing scratching he is going to be guitaring. There is
going to be a drummer his name is Pinchface from Primus, we are also
going to have another Bass Player. Buckethead is going to be playing
Bass and Guitar so it's going to be a big group. We are going to be
touring a lot and hopefully one-day we will land in Australia. The
album should come out on Walt Disney's label Hollywood records.
BEVAN: Tell us about the new vinyl you are pressing and tapes you
are releasing.
DISK: The Shigger Fragger Shows are going to be on vinyl starting
backwards from Volume Five to Volume One. There is a shit load of
mix tapes coming from all of us; Q-Bert, Shortkut, D-Styles, Myself,
Mixmaster Mike. It's going to be maybe like 20-30 mix tapes just
scratching and all that. There is going to be a 12" with live
performances by the Invisibl Skratch Picklz in Switzerland, Poland,
and that. You're going to see a lot of stuff on vinyl and more
material like Battle Breaks.
BEVAN: What are you feelings towards the current DJ Competition
scene, in particular the DMC?
DISK: DMC is fucked up. They don't respect the art of DJing. To me
they're more into the money. They are concerned with selling more
tapes than the DJ itself. They don't do anything for the DJ, they
should hook up a tour or something for them. DMC don't give credit
to DJs, it's all bullshit. I think its better for the DJs coming up
and its more recognition that people can see them on tape. Its good
practice for the audience, that way they can be less scared. Just do
it so people can see you but as far as DMC they suck, I don't give a
fuck about them. DMC to me is just bullshit.
BEVAN: I know you worked with Grandmaster DST how was that.
DISK: That was great I went on tour with him. It was a good thing to
meet him, he's a funny guy. We all joked around it was a good
experience.
BEVAN: What were your influences as a DJ?
DISK: When I was growing up I really didn't look up to certain DJs.
Back in the days I started DJing in 1981. I started seeing DJ
Cheese, Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, those type of people. One of the
first DJs I liked was DJ Cheese. I liked his style and cutting, I
would practice it and try to copy it. As far as looking up I didn't
look up, no one really taught me I taught myself but I looked at
them as real good scratchers. Every scratch they do, I do it. Back
when I started I knew no one who scratched more than me and I was
eleven years old.
BEVAN: I notice the Bay Area has a lot of other good DJs like the
Beat Junkies. Do all you guys hang out?
DISK: When it comes to doing concerts or DJ battles or just when we
are in each other's city, we hang out, practice together, talk
about music, and buy records. We teach each other new scratches we
learn off each other.
BEVAN: Tell me a bit about the Shigger Fragger and how that came
about.
DISK: It's a crazy guy that goes inside somebody. Everybody knows I
am the Shigger Fragger, oh I guess its obvious. One day I sat in my
room and me and Q-Bert were messing around, we're always joking
around and I started making this voice [makes voice] and little by
little I stated saying something; Shigger Fragger, Shigger Fragger,
ok fuck it Shigger Fragger. I made a tape here and one-day Q-Bert
said "why don't you just do something funny, do something crazy."
Ever since then we did the radio show. All of a sudden I just
decided to be this guy and put a bag over the head, put on some
horns. The Shigger Fragger has his own language but you can still
understand it. He loves scratching, hip-hop, dancing, drinking,
smoking, and he loves pizza. He's just a crazy hip-hop guy.
BEVAN: You recently left the Scratch Picklz for a while. What was up
with all that?
DISK: I mean nothing bad happened between us. I'm a person that
likes to do new things, I been down with the Rocksteady DJs and
Skratch Picklz for 6-7 years now. I took some time off and started
doing my own thing and doing my own work. But I'm back, so now you
can say I am part of the Picklz again.
BEVAN: So break down the members of The Skratch Picklz.
DISK: It's Q-Bert, Me, Mixmaster Mike, and DJ Shortkut. We got 2
other DJs in there; DJ Tomkat and DJ Flare. They are part of our
group but they do their own thing. As far as us being together its
Me Shortkut, Q-Bert and Mike.
BEVAN: I've seen all of those DJs except for Tomkat, what's he like?
DISK: He's a very good scratcher. He has his own music production
where he throws big parties here and there.
BEVAN: Is there anything else you want to say to Australia?
DISK: Just be prepared for The Shigger Fragger and the Koalas. We
are going to go crazy over there and chase Kangaroos. Just be
prepared, I'm going to give the best show I can. Actually I'm going
to try something new that I've never done for the first time in
Australia. Hopefully it will work out!