DJ Qbert
The Humble God of Scratch
2008-01-24
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Not too many people would dispute the fact that Qbert is one of the greatest scratch DJs to walk this earth. While he didn’t birth the craft, in the early ‘90s Q and his crew, the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, took the turntable to a whole other level by justifying the role of the DJ as a musician and the turntable as a legitimate musical instrument. No longer would the DJ play backup for a rapper or a band, for any sound and instrument was at their fingertips to cut and manipulate. Known for being one of the most technical and rhythmic scratchers in the game, Qbert also earned a reputation as a turntable visionary with his 2001 animated movie, Wave Twisters (the dialog and score of which were lifted directly from his scratched-based album of the same name), as well as developing numerous products from turntables to mixers with partner company Vestax. Everyone has an opinion, but when it comes to scratch music and the future of the DJ, Qbert’s voice is one people listen to and trust.
Your newest product with Vestax, the QFO, combines all the elements of a turntable and a mixer into one piece of equipment. The marketing slogan is “technology exceeds the art form,” can you explain why you chose that?
Actually, Yoda Frog wrote that one, and I guess he’s saying that technology exceeds the art form [laughs]. I don’t know. I was like “cool poster, whatever dude.”
How did the idea for the QFO come about?
It’s been in my head for a while, and I just drew it up one day. We used to work with Vestax, for like 10 years now, and then we stopped working with them for a while and then they made this weird thing called the Samurai mixer where they had all these cuts in the fader and we were like, “what the hell is this?” We went back to Vestax and said, “okay, let’s make this.” I took drafting in high school, so I drew up a design, and a month later they came with a prototype made of all wood. A few prototypes later, and since last November, we had it available for the people.
So product developing will continue?
Absolutely. With everything there is always a high level of creation.
Can you divulge what you have in your mind?
Well, right now I’d like a smaller version of the QFO. I like to scratch in my car, and in the front seat sometimes it seems a little big. Like a little 45 RPM version on my lap, and make a couple 45 RPM scratch records.
Are you happy with the final product?
Very happy. It’s actually very amazing something like that can be in this world. It’s actually pretty retarded.
Do you believe the advancement of the DJ should rely on technology?
Absolutely not. Advancement should rely on the techniques themselves.
Do certain technologies take away from those techniques or distance a DJ from the foundation that is scratch music?
It depends on the creativity of the user. Every DJ is going to do something a different way, and it depends on what you want to use for your tools. Some painters want to use oil paints, some painters want to use finger paints, some painters want to use body paints, it just depends on what style or what feel the artist wants to bring out. There can be a digital scratch DJ, there can be a vinyl scratch DJ, it all depends on how the artist wants to relay his art to the people.
With the digital scratch programs, do you feel that things get lost?
To the normal person it’s no big deal, but to someone who’s been scratching a while, you can tell the difference when you move the vinyl of an MP3 thing. Like when you move it real slow, it doesn’t pick it up, and that makes a big difference to the subtleties of vinyl. Until it gets 100 percent, then I think there will always be a little apprehension. And on top of that you’re scratching digital; the sound of analog when you can hear all the pops and hisses, that all gets taken away when you use digital technologies.
Can you envision technology fully taking over, or will there always be the hardcore heads using simply two turntables and mixer?
I think that it will split. It’s like piano. There are guys who play piano, and then you have guys who play synthesizer keyboards. There are always going to be both. And there are always going to be guys who play both, like Herbie Hancock who will play a keyboard and then play piano. And then you got the really hardcore heads who are gonna be like, “what about the harp man? That’s where it all came from, dude.”
Why do you think people are scared of technology? And are those people holding back the inevitable?
It’s just change. A lot of people are afraid of change, but that’s what the universe is about—evolution and change. I think a lot of people are comfortable where they’re at, and they don’t want that change like, “aww what’s all this, these guys are taking over.” If you love what you do and you see a future with your art, then continue that, but if you don’t see a future, and you’re comfortable at that position then you’re afraid of change.
Do you think the turntable has been explored to its full capabilities?
Absolutely not. Hell no. It’s in infinite instrument. That’s like saying the electric guitar or the piano has made every song it can.
In what direction can you see it going?
Infinity. Let’s say you have two scratches, a transform and stab. Now if you combine them, there’s one, there’s two, there’s three and then you have a verse and you have four sounds. If you add another element to it, like a transform and a chirp, then that’s like three more things, and when you combine those, you have another thing. There are a whole bunch of combinations with just those three scratches. Right now there are over a thousand different scratches, and every day a new one is made, so imagine all those combinations. Also you have to include the melody of your scratch. The way you’re making the sounds, the patterns, the rhythms and all the music theory that can be involved, it adds even more elements of infinity to it as well.
How do you think the definition of the DJ has changed since its conception?
Well there are a million terms. You know you have the radio DJ, guys in the clubs, guys who battle, guys who just want to scratch all day, guys who make scratch music, all kinds of DJs. I think it grows everyday. Some guys want to DJ rock or punk music. I’m sure they even have country DJs. Then you got some weirdos who maybe want to fuse punk rock with scratching, and add some country elements. It’s going to go all kinds of ways, and branch out like a tree.
So someone who plays strictly MP3s is deserving of the title, too?
Sure, that’s another style of expressing yourself. For the scratch DJs, it’s difficult. The feeling of being an analog scratch DJ, we’re like, and I can’t think of anything better but, “fuck those MP3 guys.”
Does the animosity come in because scratch DJs are very serious about what they do, where other people can sit there and essentially do nothing?
I mean a guy who mixes in the club, that’s fine. If I could just play music for people, I would record it all on a whatever disc and press play, and go to talk to chicks, I would.
How often do you practice?
I try to practice every day at the least. I’m trying to practice all day now. I’ve cut out all the video games, but the one thing holding me back is MySpace [laughs]. I gotta chill out on that a little bit.
Do you ever get frustrated, and start feeling stagnant?
One thing with that is if I do stop for a day or two, I might feel stagnant, but if I practice all the time there’s no stagnancy because every time I practice I always think of something new, so I’ll write that down, and the next day I’ll try to do it again and all of a sudden I’ll come up with something new. It’s kind of like a diary, you have to summarize your day so you can go back and be like, “oh yeah, that’s what I was trying to work on.”
Being hailed as the greatest DJ, what still keeps you motivated?
Well the thing with me is that when I was young, I was taught to write down my short-term goals, mid-term goals and long-terms goals. When I write my long-terms goals, I know what I want to have in the future, and I know what I’m building to, so it’s like every day is a stepping stone towards that, because I can see what it’s going to look like in the future. The only way to get there is to keep working at it everyday.
Your newest product with Vestax, the QFO, combines all the elements of a turntable and a mixer into one piece of equipment. The marketing slogan is “technology exceeds the art form,” can you explain why you chose that?
Actually, Yoda Frog wrote that one, and I guess he’s saying that technology exceeds the art form [laughs]. I don’t know. I was like “cool poster, whatever dude.”
How did the idea for the QFO come about?
It’s been in my head for a while, and I just drew it up one day. We used to work with Vestax, for like 10 years now, and then we stopped working with them for a while and then they made this weird thing called the Samurai mixer where they had all these cuts in the fader and we were like, “what the hell is this?” We went back to Vestax and said, “okay, let’s make this.” I took drafting in high school, so I drew up a design, and a month later they came with a prototype made of all wood. A few prototypes later, and since last November, we had it available for the people.
So product developing will continue?
Absolutely. With everything there is always a high level of creation.
Can you divulge what you have in your mind?
Well, right now I’d like a smaller version of the QFO. I like to scratch in my car, and in the front seat sometimes it seems a little big. Like a little 45 RPM version on my lap, and make a couple 45 RPM scratch records.
Are you happy with the final product?
Very happy. It’s actually very amazing something like that can be in this world. It’s actually pretty retarded.
Do you believe the advancement of the DJ should rely on technology?
Absolutely not. Advancement should rely on the techniques themselves.
Do certain technologies take away from those techniques or distance a DJ from the foundation that is scratch music?
It depends on the creativity of the user. Every DJ is going to do something a different way, and it depends on what you want to use for your tools. Some painters want to use oil paints, some painters want to use finger paints, some painters want to use body paints, it just depends on what style or what feel the artist wants to bring out. There can be a digital scratch DJ, there can be a vinyl scratch DJ, it all depends on how the artist wants to relay his art to the people.
With the digital scratch programs, do you feel that things get lost?
To the normal person it’s no big deal, but to someone who’s been scratching a while, you can tell the difference when you move the vinyl of an MP3 thing. Like when you move it real slow, it doesn’t pick it up, and that makes a big difference to the subtleties of vinyl. Until it gets 100 percent, then I think there will always be a little apprehension. And on top of that you’re scratching digital; the sound of analog when you can hear all the pops and hisses, that all gets taken away when you use digital technologies.
Can you envision technology fully taking over, or will there always be the hardcore heads using simply two turntables and mixer?
I think that it will split. It’s like piano. There are guys who play piano, and then you have guys who play synthesizer keyboards. There are always going to be both. And there are always going to be guys who play both, like Herbie Hancock who will play a keyboard and then play piano. And then you got the really hardcore heads who are gonna be like, “what about the harp man? That’s where it all came from, dude.”
Why do you think people are scared of technology? And are those people holding back the inevitable?
It’s just change. A lot of people are afraid of change, but that’s what the universe is about—evolution and change. I think a lot of people are comfortable where they’re at, and they don’t want that change like, “aww what’s all this, these guys are taking over.” If you love what you do and you see a future with your art, then continue that, but if you don’t see a future, and you’re comfortable at that position then you’re afraid of change.
Do you think the turntable has been explored to its full capabilities?
Absolutely not. Hell no. It’s in infinite instrument. That’s like saying the electric guitar or the piano has made every song it can.
In what direction can you see it going?
Infinity. Let’s say you have two scratches, a transform and stab. Now if you combine them, there’s one, there’s two, there’s three and then you have a verse and you have four sounds. If you add another element to it, like a transform and a chirp, then that’s like three more things, and when you combine those, you have another thing. There are a whole bunch of combinations with just those three scratches. Right now there are over a thousand different scratches, and every day a new one is made, so imagine all those combinations. Also you have to include the melody of your scratch. The way you’re making the sounds, the patterns, the rhythms and all the music theory that can be involved, it adds even more elements of infinity to it as well.
How do you think the definition of the DJ has changed since its conception?
Well there are a million terms. You know you have the radio DJ, guys in the clubs, guys who battle, guys who just want to scratch all day, guys who make scratch music, all kinds of DJs. I think it grows everyday. Some guys want to DJ rock or punk music. I’m sure they even have country DJs. Then you got some weirdos who maybe want to fuse punk rock with scratching, and add some country elements. It’s going to go all kinds of ways, and branch out like a tree.
So someone who plays strictly MP3s is deserving of the title, too?
Sure, that’s another style of expressing yourself. For the scratch DJs, it’s difficult. The feeling of being an analog scratch DJ, we’re like, and I can’t think of anything better but, “fuck those MP3 guys.”
Does the animosity come in because scratch DJs are very serious about what they do, where other people can sit there and essentially do nothing?
I mean a guy who mixes in the club, that’s fine. If I could just play music for people, I would record it all on a whatever disc and press play, and go to talk to chicks, I would.
How often do you practice?
I try to practice every day at the least. I’m trying to practice all day now. I’ve cut out all the video games, but the one thing holding me back is MySpace [laughs]. I gotta chill out on that a little bit.
Do you ever get frustrated, and start feeling stagnant?
One thing with that is if I do stop for a day or two, I might feel stagnant, but if I practice all the time there’s no stagnancy because every time I practice I always think of something new, so I’ll write that down, and the next day I’ll try to do it again and all of a sudden I’ll come up with something new. It’s kind of like a diary, you have to summarize your day so you can go back and be like, “oh yeah, that’s what I was trying to work on.”
Being hailed as the greatest DJ, what still keeps you motivated?
Well the thing with me is that when I was young, I was taught to write down my short-term goals, mid-term goals and long-terms goals. When I write my long-terms goals, I know what I want to have in the future, and I know what I’m building to, so it’s like every day is a stepping stone towards that, because I can see what it’s going to look like in the future. The only way to get there is to keep working at it everyday.
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