Not only is DJ Chile an incredibly talented turntablist, as his YouTube videos and a 2011 WTK World Freestyle title testify, he is also quite the philosopher when it comes to skratching. In this interview we learn about his process of first learning to skratch, how playing drums have inspired him, his debilitating tendonitis and the frustration of not being able to cut for two years, and much more. This is essential reading for anyone serious about skratching.
What is it about skratching that first made you want to do it?
DJ Chile: I guess what drew me to it initially was the sound; it seemed so different to what I’d heard before and it would sometimes give me the shivers, like when you hear music you really like. I also used to be heavily into Drum and Bass in my mid-teens, so I would listen to people like DJ Hype, Scratch Perverts, the Mixologists, and DJ Craze scratching in their mixes, and it would amaze me.
Three new lessons have been posted in the Skratch Theory section:
Make sure you check 'em out!
Congrats to our two winners of the Ox Flare Battle: DJ Hypnotize and JB Wizardry! Both videos are excellent examples of this flare combo and so they will reside on the Ox Flare lesson page as inspiration for us all. JB Wizardry is now a 3x QSU Battle Winner, having also won the Chirp Battle and the Stewie Skratch Battle. DJ Hypnotize is now a 4x QSU Battle Winner, having also won the Tear Battle, Slice Battle, and the original Combo Challenge a few years ago. Congrats on winning those gold records fellas, keep making us proud! Honorable mentions go out to Supaphonik, Akiko Luv, and POTB.
In other news, Qbert is embarking on World Wide Tour across the US and Europe! From all his students here, we wish him safe travels and a speedy return. Since he'll be away from his home studio for awhile, he's decided to announce not 1, but 2 new QSU Battles!
One is more for the advanced students and it's on the 1 Click Prizm which Q also breaks down in the new welcome video here. The other battle is on a more foundational skratch: the Fade. It's in the Level 1 of the lessons here and everyone should be familiar with it already. Here's Q's tips for what he's looking for:
"Do it slow, do it medium, do it fast, show different variations, show your funkiness, show your diversity with that skratch, I want to see your hands, I want to see how you do it… it's for students to learn."
You can enter whichever battle you want, but the deadline to submit is Monday, November 3rd - you know what to do. Just submit your best 1 minute video to the Battle Category when you click on the "Submit A Video" tab.
We're happy to announce the winner of the Tazer Battle is a dual win between ManOfTheTreeZ and Beha! They each have a special prize being shipped his way and our congrats go out to them! Their winning videos are now linked to the official lesson page so be sure to check them out in the Level 3 Area of the Lessons.
The next battle is on a skratch that Q learned on his recent trip to Germany. It's called the Ox Flare and you can see Q break it down in the latest Welcome video. Basically, it starts with an OG Flare and ends with two Tears coming back. It's a good one to try out different speeds and rhythms, so do some experiments to find your own unique flow. Q also recorded an official lesson for this and put it up in Level 4 so be sure to check it out:
Lessons --> Level 4 --> Ox Flare
The winner of this battle will receive a Special Limited Edition Gold Beedle Record and also have their video featured on the official lesson page until the end of time. The Deadline to submit your 1 minute entry video is Monday, September 8th. Good luck!