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DMC Phoenix Review (Posted On: May 10, 2012)
DMC Phoenix Review
April 21, 2012
By Christie Z-Pabon DMC USA
Photos exclusively by Bobby Sparks! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.216425208467654.42537.178103952299780&type=3
View more Photos by John Carbis: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2693175707984.93853.1814308513&type=3
 DMC Phoenix was a very different show & situation than DMC USA usually sees. It was not held in a nightclub and was not brought in by a club promoter. Prof. Richard Mook of ASU’s School of Music had invited my husband, Jorge Fabel Pabon (Rock Steady Crew) and myself to Phoenix for several days – 10 to be exact – and I offered to throw a DMC DJ Battle while I was there!
The battle was to be held outdoors at the Downtown Phoenix Civic Space. Normally when we try to throw DJ battles outside in NYC – it always rains. In this case, the weather went to the other extreme – 103 degrees with the sun blazing! The battle was to begin at 6 pm but we had to wait until the sun rotated off of the turntables (even though there was some shading). We had to make sure no one’s vinyl melted during their sets! In the meantime, there were performances, bboy/bgirl battles and more.
When the sun was safely on it’s way to setting, we began the 2 min. eliminaton round of the battle with judges: DJ Quest, Fact135, Tricky T and M2. DJs battling included
Tee Wax: Phoenix AZ
IllTech the Cutter: Tempe AZ
DJ Astonish: Phoenix AZ
DJ Ruthless Ramsey: Peoria AZ – Record Breaker DJs
DJ Lodus: Norwalk CA – Lost Tone Pros (DMC US Team co-champ/Angry Exs)
DJ Bass Masta: Phoenix AZ – Front Forward
DJ Reflekshin: Tempe AZ – Versatile
Styles Flip the Turntable Manipulator: Tuscon AZ
DJ Flo-Fader: Albuquerque NM
DJ Wise One the Mayan Mixmaster: Chattsworth CA – Indigenous Bastards
DJ Ohm: Albuquerque NM – Table Vision & Versatile DJs (former DMC US Finalist)
KNS aka DJ Big and Bad: Phoenix AZ– Sonic Def Martians
 Special note just for the battle DJs: When DJs register, they get a very detailed letter from DMC USA on the rules of the battle, do’s and don’ts, direct info from Rane on how to trouble shoot using Serato Scratch Live and other dvs, etc. Inevitably, the DJs who do not read the letter, are clearly at a disadvantage during the battle and end up standing out in a not so favorable way, making mistakes, appearing disorganized, not understanding how the battle works, etc. Everyone from first time battle DJs as well as champions are welcome to battle in DMC, and we are very patient – but for the more novice DJs – we have given you all the info you need to succeed in the battle, the only thing we don’t do is call you on the phone and read the letter to you personally. Please take the time to read that letter, carefully, just as you will need to take the time to read contracts, releases, etc. in the future when you become a professional.
Judges scoring for the DJs upon completion of the elimination round is as follows:
(6 points means a judge ranked them in 1st place. 5 points = 2nd. 4 points = 3rd. 3 points = 4th. 2 points = 5th. 1 point means the judge scored him in the 6th place)
1st: Astonish: 5 + 4 + 3 + 6 = 18
2nd: Ohm: 6 + 6 + 5 = 17
3rd: Lodus: 2 + 6 + 4 + 3 = 15
4th: Flo Fader: 4 + 2 + 4 = 10
5th: Reflekshin: 3 + 3 + 1 + 2 = 9
6th: Tee Wax: 1 + 5 + 1 = 7
7th: Wise: 1 + 5 = 6
8th: Styles Flip: 2
DJ Astonish won the elimination round but had his regular Saturday night residency commitment so he had to walk away from a possible win in the Finals! I hope we will see him enter one of the remaining battles. Due to time constraints (due to technical issues during the elims) – we advanced 5 DJs to the Finals and had DJ Wise, who placed 7th on standby just in case there was time to squeeze him in. Because the event was in a park that closed at 10pm and not a club, we were not allowed to negotiate extra time as the amplified sound had to end at 10pm. We just made it in time to feature the top 5 DJs, get the judges scores together and announce the winners! In hindsight, I think closer supervision of what the DJs are doing with the mixers during set up & tear down + less acts on the line up – would have saved us some time – but these things happen. I was just relieved that we completed the battle and a champ is on his way to the US Finals!!
2012 DMC Phoenix Finals Results
(DMC judges scoring system = 1st place = 3 pts. 2nd place = 2 pts. 3rd place = 1 point.)
1st: Lodus: 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 11
2nd: Tee Wax : 2 + 2 + 3 = 7
3rd: Ohm: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3
4th: Reflekshin: 2
5th: Flo-Fader: 1
DJ Lodus took the title and along with it won, The Rane Sixty One Mixer ($1799), Stanton: Cartridge: SM v3 MP4 cartridges, Stanton Uberstand, Stanton SCS.3D Controller, Shure SRH550DJ Headphones + a Gift Certificate from 12 Inch Skinz. He will receive a round trip flight and hotel accommodations to NYC for the DMC US Finals on Aug. 4th at Le Poisson Rouge, courtesy of Urban Soul and Prof. Richard Mook of ASU!
 Placing 2nd: DJ Tee Wax won 2nd Place: Stanton SCS.3D Controller, Stanton 680 Cartridges, a Shure Record Bag + a Gift Certificate from 12 Inch Skinz
Placing 3rd: DJ Ohm won A Stanton Black Uberstand, A Shure Reverb T-Shirt + A Gift Certificate from 12 Inch Skinz
Thanks to Popmaster Fabel for hosting (and at the same time painting a graff piece lol). Special thanks to Professor Richard Mook of ASU’s School of Music, Urban Sol for bringing us out! Thanks to Coolin’ Out for supporting our efforts to bring in DJ Quest from Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters to judge!
The photos attached to this review appear courtesy of Bobby Sparks!
SPONSORS
http://rane.com/
http://serato.com/
http://stantondj.com/
http://www.12inchskinz.com/
http://www.shure.com
http://www.dubspot.com/
http://www.idjnow.com/
http://www.scratch.com/
http://www.djprolab.com/
http://www.hiphopdx.com/
http://turntablistnetwork.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=2
http://www.skratchworx.com
DMC USA LINKS
http://www.dmcdjchamps.com/
http://www.dmcworld.com/
http://www.dmcdjonline.com
http://www.dmcworld.com/dmctv
https://www.facebook.com/pages/DMC-USA-National-DJ-Battles/178103952299780?sk=wall
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dmcusa
http://twitter.com/dmcusadjbattles
http://vimeo.com/dmcusa
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheOFFICIALDMCUSA
http://www.muzu.tv/us/dmcusa/
http://stores.ebay.com/DMC-USA-DJ-Gear
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