Section A·Page 5
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, January 19, 2001
DJs showcase talent at competition
Local disc jockeys spin for audience pleasure of music
That Guy Downstairs, winner of the second KJHK DJ Battle, lays out a high-speed scratch during the semifinal round of competition. About 300 people attended the contest Wednesday night at Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St., that kicked off a new semester for the student-run radio station. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
By Sarah Smarsh
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
The beat of the music throbs in the dark hall. Entralled audience members bob their heads and stand on their hands. The beat changes, changes again, and the revelers smile at the source of the sounds: the DJ.
Disc jockey Vex 1 hovers above a pair of turntables, shifting his own body as he shifts the sounds on his records. The beat thumps with great force, but Vex 1 touches the rotating vinyl with careful grace. He spins for a crowd, and he spins for his own happiness.
"It's a way to focus your energy." Vex 1, or Joel Bogart, said Wednesday at the second annual KJHK DJ Battle at Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St.
Bogart, Tonganoxie junior,
said he had been a huge music
fan since childhood. His listening
experiences in the early '90s
— "pivotal years in hip hop" —
changed his life.
"Then I just turned into a participant." he said.
Vex 1 said he drew from his knowledge of and admiration for music when he scratched, incorporating musical genres from hip to jazz. But you probably won't find Britney Spears or the Backstreet Boys among his albums. One of Vex 1's missions is to expose people to songs beyond radio hits.
"There's a lot of good music out there," he said. "But folks these days are so used to hearing bull; it's like a blessing to be able to
do this for them."
That Guy Downstairs, who won the DJ battle for a second year, also enjoys communicating through the turntables.
"I try to incorporate lessons in my music," he said.
That Guy, an area DJ who did not reveal his real name, pointed out that his greatest enjoyment came with or without lookers.
"It's all about me and the records," he said. "I'm not concerned with impressing the audience."
DJ Proof, or Ian Sotomayor
spins at Club Life in Kansas City. He agrees that a DJ's experience transcends the element of performance.
"My way of DJ-ing is almost a religion," Proof said. "I wake up with it, and I go to bed with it."
Proof, who moved to Lawrence in 1998 for its artistic opportunities, went from scratching on his mom's turntable to opening for big acts like DJ Craze and competing in the national DMC DJ Contest. He said success as a DJ wasn't easy. Proof said he used focus and determination to face
obstacles like learning timing and overcoming his Midwest background.
"I didn't want them to be like,
'He's good, from Kansas.' " he said. "I wanted them to be like,
'He's good.' "
But Proof would still scratch without the acclaim. Everything comes back to the music.
"You take something basic and take it 10 or 20 steps further and make it sound however you want," he said. "That is the most amazing thing."
www.w.kansan
BARGAIN MATINEES INDICATED BY () STADIUM SEATING • A DIGITAL
Set - Sun Daily
1 13 Days (1:05) 1:45 4:55 9:55
2 What Women Want (1:10) 4:55 7:00 10:00
3 State And Main (1:50) 4:55 7:35 10:00
4 Cast Away (1:00) 4:55 7:00 10:10
5 Brother, Where Art Thou? (1:50) 4:40 7:25 9:50
6 Finding Forster (1:15) 4:15 7:10 10:05
7 Snatch (1:35) 4:15 7:25 9:50
8 Traffic (1:00) 4:00 7:10 10:10
9 The Save the Lest Dance (1:30) 4:00 7:15 9:45
10 The Family Man (1:15) 4:10 7:25 9:55
11 Empower's New Groove (1:25) 4:25 7:20
also_Cast Away (1:50) 4:55 7:30
12 Miss Concipency (1:45) 4:45 7:25 10:50
PLAZA 6
2334 10 DAWN
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