Showing posts with label invisible skratch piklz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label invisible skratch piklz. Show all posts

May 10, 2016

Kindred Journey 9 - Invisible Skratch Piklz

The "Invisible Skratch Piklz" are DJ D-Styles, DJ Mix Master Mike, DJ Shortkut, DJ Apollo, and DJ Qbert. There are more members, but I'm listing the ones I've seen perform together mostly as a crew or band. I cant remember the first time I heard of ISP, but I knew who DJ Apollo and DJ Qbert were when I was entering high school. They were famous in the Bay for mix-tapes and ripping shit up in battles like the DMC, ITF, New Music seminar, and more. Later, when I got into bedroom DJing and collecting I caught word of battling, the infamous X-Men vs ISP battle at Rock Steady's anniversary, and a re-emerging culture. As I was getting into scratching, so was the whole Bay! Many continue to scratch , rock parties, weddings, your corporate event, classroom, or the lunch hour on your local radio station. 
It is important to note that this crew made history because of millions of hours of practice, performance, and and building community with so many other DJs. They innovated so many aspects of performing, equipment, music, and learning because they shared their knowledge. Before people were really using the internet crews like ISP, Beat Junkies, and the X-Men were making VHS tapes with instructions.  I'm sure many entered the class just by listening to them. They're still rocking, still teaching, still touring, and when many left the underground culture of "turntablism" they kept going,; returning to party rocking roots and expanding to other crews and opportunities. ISP, a mostly Filipino American group is a pillar in the hip hop community and an timeless part of the Bay/LA music scene and Asian American history as a whole. Salute! 
Oh and if you're looking for that scratching itch, look up "Skratch Pad"!
Sources: Memory, Life, Experience

Mar 27, 2012

Typography 20- I for Invisible Skratch Piklz (turntables)

I know, I know! Some of y'all are going to disagree with me on this one again. But I've seen these cats individually at different times and if what they do scratch wise on turntables don't have syncopation, rhythm, notes, and improvisation in it; I don't know what does. Just try looking up a Charlie Parker solo and compare it with D-Styles, Shortkut, Mix Master Mike, or Qbert's.

Some of my favorite examples of them involve just scratching (manipulating a record on a turntable to make music). Like this practice session between Qbert and DStyles, Mike cutting it up, or Shortkut doing his legendary strobe beat juggling technique.

Still not convinced? You never saw "Scratch" did you?

Anyway, in this "I" for "Invisible Skratch Piklz" i decided to put in some Filipino tattoo designs from old archival photos and my imagination. Top that off with a roman numeral-esk letter I and 3D like a graff piece and there you have it. A word on scratching, when i first saw "Juice" in 1992 my mind was blown and for the next ten years I dedicated countless hours searching for records, scratching, buying equipment and vinyl, one piece at a time. ISP=Jazz (to me).

I've had the chance to scratch with Q and I can tell you that these dudes along with countless others from the Bay Area spawned generations of turntablists because they shared what they knew. Q is still teaching last I checked. Much respect.