with Jordan Scott, Mike De Wet, Bezwun
Ambar, September 10, 2016
Craze should need no introduction for anyone with even a passing interest in the art of turntablism. After retiring from competition years ago after winning multiple solo and team DMC comps, the boy has earned his stripes, and become known as one of the greatest of all time. His skills on the wheels of steel are undeniable, and he continues to push boundaries, on both the analog and digital fronts.
Lately he’s been using his profile to push his #realDJing crusade that has seen him being outspoken and critical of what “DJing” has become, and demonstrating what a Real DJ can do. See his New Slaves routine for reference. On a similar tip he’s recently teamed up with another champion turntablist, Seattle’s Four Color Zack, to put together a couple mixes aptly titled 2c – full of mad skills, fitting samples and cutup beats. So Ambar’s long running Japan 4 night brought the two of them out to show us how it’s done.
Mike De Wet had the job of warming up before the headliners, bringing us past midnight. The club was still filling up at that point and it seemed a party mash up of pop-dance hits was the way to go to please the early masses. A bass heavy mix of Flume’s Never Be Like You got people on the floor and Mike did well reading the crowd and building the vibe with some heavier trap and bass sounds as the room filled.
Four Color Zack stepped up around 1am, with Craze lurking behind him. It was immediately evident that the man is a machine! This is the guy you want on before you to pick up the atmosphere and prime the crowd. Amazing skills. A whole ‘nother level of DJing. Reminiscent of Krafty Kuts, Zack has those precision cuts and is just a gun at what he does – a very solid, professional and cleverly put together set.
Mixing in some Tame Impala and Pendulum samples near the beginning was a bit of a masterstroke, and a respectful nod to some of our finest musical exports. He blitzed through a little hip hop set featuring the Beastie Boys, and performed some amazing, effortless beat juggling.
He tapped into the dubstep vein with some big, heavy drops, cutting up Metallica and RATM samples and even a huge remix of Smells Like Team Spirit, turning the dance floor into a mosh pit! An amazingly tight party set showing off some impressive skills that he made look casual. One of the new school, he truly makes the most of new technology, punishing the brightly coloured buttons of his sampler, whilst keeping it real on the decks. He really knows how to work a crowd. He got on the mic to hype the crowd, “I’ve come all the way over here from Seattle to fuck with y’all!”
Then it was DJ Craze’s turn. Given their recent two man routines, some expected the two DJs to cross over a bit more. Craze did step up alongside Zack to do a little a little juggling, but only for a short while. This was more of a club set, and more about dancefloor rocking. Nevertheless, watching Craze work is always a pleasure.
The man was set loose on the decks. Getting his touch with some fast, intricate scratching, and getting funky with Afroman’s Because I Got High and Arrested Development’s Everyday People.
Fucking with samples of everything from Daft Punk to the Backstreet Boys, Trap to Drum ‘n’ Bass and Miami (his hometown) Bass. He’s so deft, he makes it look so easy. Sometimes he’s so quick, up close it appears like his movements are in fast forward! Though this was definitely a party set tonight from Craze – the focus wasn’t on the tricks, but they were always there – both hands constantly active. A particularly impressive moment saw him beat-juggle a riff from Voodoo People, while literally spinning around, scratching behind his back and even flicking the crossfader with his back. Nuts.
What sets Craze apart from many of his luminaries, who get stuck in the hip hop world doing trick routines, is that he really knows how to rock a club too. He’s always been one to stay on the cutting edge, soaking up new sounds and incorporating them into his own unique blend.
Towards the end he changed things up a bit, playing a few dancehall style tunes, and going back to his jungle roots. “Do we have any junglists in the house?!” he asked the crowd, to responses of loud cheers, before dropping some seriously nasty, heavy drum ‘n’ bass and rollin’ old school jungle. He again appeased the crowd by finishing with the always massive Pendulum remix of Prodigy’s Voodoo People.
Maybe not the masterclass he’s capable of, but a solid, club set, mixed by a true legend, and Real DJ. Bezwun had a tough act to follow, but the local lad repped it hard, keeping the dancefloor heaving with some more straight-up heavy sounds for those keen to cut loose into the wee hours.
ALFRED GORMAN
