A Brief History of....
Turntablism:
Im interested in electronic music and have some electronic turntables at home so I thought it would be interesting to research this for my interest. Im going to start off by looking at the historical background of music and technology and how the progression of these are relevant to the context of turntablism.
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using direct-drive turntables and a DJ mixer.
1850's - The phonoautograph is developed by French Researchers. The device records sound waves on a rotating cylinder
1870's - Thomas Edison begins to develop a tinfoil phonograph or speaking machine. The machine included a cardboard cylinder wrapped in tinfoil on a threaded axle. A mouthpiece and diaphragm were connected to a stylus that embossed the sound waves on the tinfoil. To play back the recording, a reproducer replaced the mouthpiece. To test the invention for the first time, Edison recited "Mary Had a Little Lamb" into the mouthpiece.
1876 - Elisha Gray invents the Musical Telegraph. Alexander Graham Bell beats him to the patent office and patents the technology, calling it a graphophone.
1877 - Edison unveils the first hand-cranked phonograph.
1878 - Edison patents the phonograph and intends it to be an office machine.
1887 - Bell's graphophone used wax cylinders and included a floating stylus for clearer sound. Edison improves the phonograph by using a solid wax cylinder and a battery-driven motor to replace the original hand crank.
1890 - Musicians begin recording their music. The cylinders of the phonograph had the ability to record 2-4 minutes of audio. Around 1890, musicians began to record their sessions by setting up several phonographs to record at the same time.
1892 - Flat recording discs are invented; the first of which is called the gramophone disc.
1895 - Edison begins mass production of the phonograph and continues to improve the original design by adding a large horn to amplify the sound.
1901 - The Victor Talking Machine Company of New Jersey is incorporated, and the first Victor gramophones is introduced.
1906 - A new Victor gramaphone was introduced, which featured a concealed (inside) horn. It was dubbed the Victrola.
1919 - Invention of the Theremin, by Leon Theremin (Lev Sergeivitch Termen).
The Theremin is considered the predecessor to the Moog Synthesizer. It is unique in that it is the first musical instrument that can be played without being touched.
1920's - The first electronic instruments appear. Theremin, Ondes Martenot and Trautonium
1925 - Electrical amplification (the microphone) was introduced. This invention forced engineers to re-design reproducers.
1925 - Electrical amplification (the microphone) was introduced. This invention forced engineers to re-design reproducers.
The Victor Company's answer to this revolution in sound was the Orthophonic Sound Box, which was very sensitive to high and low frequencies.
1931 - EMI researcher Alan Dower Blumlein invents stereophonic sound for recording.
1939 - Invention of the magnetic tape.
1931 - EMI researcher Alan Dower Blumlein invents stereophonic sound for recording.
1939 - Invention of the magnetic tape.
John Cage composes imaginary Landscape #1: the first piece to use electronic reproduction. The piece was performed on variable-speed turntables with RCA test tones and other sounds.
1940s - The first DJs emerge as entertainers for troops overseas.
During WWII, persons armed with a turntable, an armful of records, and a basic amplifier would entertain troops in mess halls, spinning Glen Miller, the Andrews sisters, and Benny Goodman. It was much easier than sending an entire band overseas.
1940s - The first DJs emerge as entertainers for troops overseas.
During WWII, persons armed with a turntable, an armful of records, and a basic amplifier would entertain troops in mess halls, spinning Glen Miller, the Andrews sisters, and Benny Goodman. It was much easier than sending an entire band overseas.
1950s - Invention of the 45 RPM 7 inch records.
45 RPM records were cheaper to make and easier for American youths to carry to parties.
45 RPM records were cheaper to make and easier for American youths to carry to parties.
1951 - John Cage composes imaginary Landscape #4: the first piece to use radios as instruments.
1956 - Ska develops in Jamaica, which makes the sound system explode in popularity.
In Jamaica, as popularity of Jazz and R'n B increases, sound systems are used to promote the music. Sound systems developed from enterprising record shop disc jockeys with reliable American connections for 45s. They would load a pair of hefty PA speakers into a pickup truck and tour the island from hilltop to savannah, spinning the latest hits.
1958 - Invention of the E-Piano
1959 - Artist begin conducting recording sessions that center on sound systems.
1959 - Artist begin conducting recording sessions that center on sound systems.
1960's - During the 1960's, modern electronics enters the music domain.
The first Moog Synthesizer hits the market created by Robert Moog.
New concepts and sounds begin to be used in music composition, such as mathematically based compositions by Arnold Schonberg and Erik Satie and "machine" sound by Luigi Russolo.
The late 1960's brought the birth of Dub music and the first remixes pioneered by King Tubby.
1960 - The "afterbeat" and "syncopation" concepts are born.
Prince Buster and Voice of the People begin to emphasize the afterbeat, which became the essence of Jamaican syncopation.
1966 - Rocksteady comes onto the scene in Jamaica.
1967 - Stockhausen Telemusik uses shortwave radio as instruments to create a "world music."
Late 60's - reggae takes over Rock Steady
Foundations for remix and rap music emerge!
1968 - King Tubby develops cutting
In his position as master cutter for Duke Reid, King Tubby regularly cut acetates (soft wax discs) that were designed exclusively for his own, and a few other, sound systems. When he left out portions of the vocal on a 'dub plate', (the local term for the acetate disc) he effectively created a new 'version' of a song.
1968 - King Tubby develops cutting
In his position as master cutter for Duke Reid, King Tubby regularly cut acetates (soft wax discs) that were designed exclusively for his own, and a few other, sound systems. When he left out portions of the vocal on a 'dub plate', (the local term for the acetate disc) he effectively created a new 'version' of a song.
1969 - Kool Herc, considered to be the first hip-hop DJ develops "Cutting Breaks." Kool Herc adapted his style by chanting over the instrumental or percussion sections of the day's popular songs. Because these breaks were relatively short, he learned to extend them indefinitely by using an audio mixer and two identical records in which he continuously replaced the desired segment. His particular skill, later copied by many others, was to meld the percussion breaks from two identical records by playing the break over and over switching from one deck to the other. Hip hop derived from "hip hoppin" on the turntable.
"Toasting" begins in dance halls - considered to be a direct link to rap music.
Technics introduced the Direct Drive System, SP-10
Early 70's - Technics released the original SL-1200 as a hi-fi turntable.
Giorgio Moroder is considered to be the pioneer of pro-synthesizer electronic disco music.
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1971 - Ralf Hutter, Florian Schneider & Co. form Kraftwerk - the first electronic band.
1975 - Grand Wizard Theodore discovers the scratch.
The story behind the invention of the Scratch is almost too logical to be told. Growing up in the Bronx, Grand Wizard Theodore discovers the scratch by accident in 1975. Rumour has it that he was mixing away in his bedroom when his mum told him to be quiet and instead of stopping the record with the stop button he used his hand instead and it made a nice sound.
He then came back to the turntables and experimented with pulling the record back and forth across the needle, giving birth to scratch.
1979 - Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" is released. While they didn't really utilize the skills of a DJ, this song had a profound influence on the sound of commercial hip-hop during the early 1980's.
Late 70's - Technics does some work on 1200s turntables by improving the motor, redesigning the casing, and adding a separate ground wire and pitch control. It releases it as the sl-1200.
1980's - While playing at a club called the Warehouse, DJ Frankie Knuckles lays down drum machine-generated 4/4 beats on top of soul and disco tunes.
Marshall Jefferson develops a deep, melodic sound that relied on big strings and pounding piano. The result was 'Move Your Body' which became the house record of 1986.
12" disco records that included long percussion breaks (ideal for mixing) contribute to the emergence of House Music.
12" disco records that included long percussion breaks (ideal for mixing) contribute to the emergence of House Music.
Grandmaster Flash is one of the first DJs to utilize the "breaks" of certain songs which when looped in a table to table fashion created the "breakbeat".
1980 - Roland introduces the TB-303 bassline machine and the TR-808 drum machine.
1981 - Grandmaster Flash's 1981 single "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" was Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five's first record to demonstrate hip-hop deejaying skills
1982 - Afrika Bambaata's "Planet Rock" samples Kraftwerk and creates electro.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message" becomes a hit. "The Message" is seen by many as the first serious rap record.
1982 - Davy DMX's "One For the Treble" is released
1983 - Grandmaster D.S.T.'s "Megamix" is released
Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" featuring cuts and scratches by Grandmaster D.S.T. brings turntablism to a much wider audience
mid 80s - First affordable samplers (Akai s900) hit the market, which enable musicians to capture and manipulate existing sounds.
Other Hip-hop DJs in New York begin to use the spinback capabilities of the Technics 1200 turntable for "scratching", and to extend grooves and "breaks" by cutting back and forth between 2 copies of the same record as first exhibited by Grandmaster Flash.
1989 - The rave scene develops.
The rave scene came out of Acid House and became so big that promoters came up with the idea of putting on huge events in the countryside outside London - events that held thousands of people and went on all night.
early 90s - Breakbeat emerges and produces Drum 'n Bass and Trip Hop.
Breakbeat, a descendent of Techno, has origins of Hip-Hop frenetic beats and high pitch samples. There are many variations of breakbeats: Darkside, Jungle and the most popular, Drum 'n Bass.
Trip Hop has roots in breakbeat and ambient and is a montage of beats, vocals, guitar & bass strings, and jazzy elements.
Steve Dee, strongly influenced by DJ Barry B. "The Cut Professor" from the Get Fresh Crew begins experimenting with "The Funk" which further develops and comes to be know as "beat juggling", or "remixing right before your eyes." He later founds the X-men who begin utilizing the style and take beat juggling to a higher level.
1990 - Mix Master Mike, and DJ Apollo form the first all turntable skratch band called "Shadow of the Prophet". They were the DJs for a rap group named F.M.2.0. and performed at various, radio shows and venues in the Bay Area.
1991 - Scratch DJ Innovator/Perfectionist DJ QBert gains worldwide attention in the Technics DMC DJ Championships
1992 - DJ Flare introduces the "Flare" skratch
QBert, Mix Master Mike, and Apollo dubbed as the "Rocksteady DJ's" by Crazy Legs.
92' also marks the year of the first skratch / battle record that was designed for ease of kutting and tricks because of the samples being on beat one after the other with no pause or lag time. It was called "Battlebreaks". The idea was then given to Darth Fader and the rest is history.
1994 - Shortkut, Disk, and QBert form the band, "Tern Tabel Dragunz" and perform at local Hip-Hop events around the Bay during 94'.
Shortkut Wins the Rap Pages DJ Battle in L.A. Strongly influenced by Steve Dee and the X-men, he also introduces his patented "Strobe" juggling technique and later in 94', wins the Technics DMC west coast championships.
Qbert's mixtape "Demolition Pumpkin Squeeze Musik" (dubbed by Rap Pages as the greatest Mixtape of all time) ignites the fire of the experimental skratch / mixtape revolution.
DJ Shadow releases "In/Flux" further fueling the movement towards a more sampler oriented movement in turntablism
1995 - Perhaps the winningest competition DJs ever, Qbert and Mix Master Mike retire from the DMC to become judges and enter a new challenge, the creation of music with turntables.
Mix Master Mike and Disk unknowingly create the name "Invisibl Skratch Piklz" for the crew by jokingly throwing out hundreds of goofy names for bands.
1995 also marked the birth of the first "all samples skratched song" by QBert entitled, "Invasion of the Octopus People" which starts another phase in turntablist culture.
With the help of Shortkut's initial introduction to them in 95', ISP became the first DJ band to be sponsored by, then a small manufacturer of DJ products, "Vestax". With the help of ISP's designs like the PMC 05 pro, 06 pro, 07 Pro and 05 Pro ltd., Vestax has now captured first place as the world's leader in sales of mixers and become the biggest DJ product company.
1996 - The I.T.F. (International Turntablist Federation) holds it's first world champioinship competitions
Showcasing the new era of turntablism, the historic battle at the Rocksteady Reunion between ISP and the X-Men (now called the X-Ececutioners) took place.
ISP recorded the classic turntable orchestrated piece, "Invisibl Skratch Piklz Vs. Da Klamz uv Deth", on Vinyl.
1997 - Turntable T.V. was born on March 23, 1997 (the day of the Lunar Eclipse) and has now turned into an international turntablist video magazine featuring the Piklz practicing and hanging out with DJs from all over the world showing off their talents, skills, tips, tricks, and other turntable entertainment.
ISP filmed the educational and hilarious "Turntable Mechanics Workshop" for Vestax. In this video, skratches were more publicly defined and given names so that turntablists may now share a mutual "skratch Language".
1998 - Yogafrog creates and gives away the first ISP music grant to aspiring artists in the Bay Area.
Mix Master Mike Joins the "Beastie Boys" in 98' and brings skratching to the eyes of the mainstream.
QBert Receives a lifetime acheivement award from the DMC
mid to late 90s - Individual DJs and crews such as the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, BulletProof Scratch Hamsters/Space Travelers, Allies, Supernatural Turntable Artists, Fifth Platoon, Beat Junkies, 1200 Hobos, Scratch Perverts, X-Men/X-Ecutioners, Cosmic Crew, and many others continue to expand on the frontiers of turntablism as an art form.
One genre of music associated with turntables is house music. I am a fan of this style of music and enjoy listening to it so I am going to research further into the background of the movement.
House music was created in and by the African American community. Musically, House music evolved in Chicago and New York from African-American musical traditions like gospel, soul, jazz and funk as well as Latin salsa. Spiritually and aesthetically, it developed in the U.S. out of the need of oppressed people, African Americans, gays and Latinos, to build a community through dance , and later in the UK, out of the need of young people dissatisfied with the meaningless materialism of Thatcher’s England, to build an alternative community of music and dance via Acid House. From a different point of view, House music in the U.S. was associated with black people, with gay clubs, basically with things that white America would not even acknowledge.
House was just perceived as "gay" music for blacks and thus scorned by whites, although its aim was to unify people of all races, backgrounds and sexual orientations. According to Frankie Knuckles, many people could not and still cannot deal with the fact that House music started in gay clubs. Thus, narrow-mindedness, racism, and even corporate music politics played an important role in preventing House music from flourishing in the U.S. in the eighties.
House music had its origins in gospel, soul and funk rather than in commercial disco music. Furthermore, Chicago jazz, blues and soul had an immense influence on the creation of House music. There were significant Midwestern musical influences that led to the creation of the Chicago flavour of House music. No doubt, the Midwest had its own tradition of African American music. Thus, blues and jazz presented a part of the mix. To sum up, the soul music produced in Chicago, Detroit and Memphis certainly had an impact on Chicago house.
It all started in Chicago’s Southside in 1977, when a new kind of club opened. This new Chicago club called The Warehouse gave House music its name. Frankie Knuckles, who opened The Warehouse, mixed old disco classics and new Eurobeat pop. It was at this legendary club where many of the experiments were tried. It was also where Acid House got its start.
House music did not have its origins just in American music. The popularity of European music, specifically English electronic pop like Depeche Mode and Soft Cell and the earlier, more disco-based sounds of Giorgio Moroder, Klein & MBO, as well as Italian productions, they all gave rise to House music. Two clubs, the already mentioned Chicago’s Warehouse and New York’s Paradise Garage, which promoted European music, had at the same time broken the barriers of race and sexual preference (for House music was in part targeted at the gay community). Before The Warehouse opened, there had been clubs strictly designed to segregate race. However, The Warehouse did not make any difference between Blacks, Hispanics, or Whites; the main interest was simply music. And the music was as diverse as the clients.
People who influenced House
Frankie Knuckles
One of the leading DJs at that time was New York born Frankie Knuckles, also called the Godfather of House. Indeed, he was more than a DJ; he was an architect of sound, who experimented with sounds and thus added a new dimension to the art of mixing. In fact, he took the raw material of the disco he spun and added pre-programmed drum tracks to create a constant 4/4 tempo. He played eight to ten hours a night, and the dancers came home exhausted. Thanks to him The Warehouse was regarded as the most atmospheric place in Chicago. The uniqueness of this club lay in a simple mixing of old Philly classics by Harold Melvin, Billy Paul and The O’Jays with disco hits like Martin Circus’ "Disco Circus" and imported European pop music by synthesiser groups like Kraftwerk and Telex.
Frankie said, "When we first opened in 1977, I was playing a lot of the East Coast records, the Philly stuff, Salsoul. By ‘80/81, when that stuff was all over with, I started working a lot of the soul that was coming out. I had to re-construct the records to work for my dancefloor, to keep the dancefloor happy, as there was no dance music coming out! I’d take the existing songs, change the tempo, layer different bits of percussion over them, to make them more conductive for the dancefloor."
Larry Levan
Frankie’s friend Larry Levan was a black teenager from Brooklyn like Frankie. In fact, it was Larry who first suggested opening The Warehouse in Chicago. However, things took a different turn, and in the end Larry Levan spun in New York’s Paradise Garage. Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles were indeed two very important figures in the development of House music and the modern dance scene. Perhaps there would have been no fame for the two without the producer, DJ and devoted lover of dance and music, David Mancuso, and his dance parties for gays called Loft parties. "The Loft" was a house party intended for a very black and a very gay crowd.
Ron Hardy
By the mid 80s House had emerged in Chicago as a fully developed musical genre through the efforts of Knuckles and those inspired by him like DJ Ron Hardy of Music Box fame. Ron Hardy was another DJ from the gay scene. The sounds they produced differed in that the basis of Knuckle’s sound was still disco, whereas Hardy was the DJ that chose the rawest and wildest rhythm tracks he could find.
After looking into the history and background I have a better understanding of the subject. I have started to think about the product and range so I am going to research different media relating to the topic and ways that design can be applied to different outputs.
Evolution of Technics Turntables:
SL-1200
The SL-1200 was introduced in 1972 as an evolution to the popular SL-1100.
It represented a culmination of all Technics innovations to the world of Hi-Fi.
It was dubbed as "The Middle Class Player System".
It was delivered in 2 different versions:
The SL-1200 came complete with a tonearm section.
The SL-120 came without a tonearm section.
A SME™ tonearm was the usual chioce for the audiophile.
The SL-1200 Mark 2 was introduced in 1979 .
It was an update to the popular SL-1200 series.
It again represented a culmination of Technics Turntable Innovations.
It was dubbed as "The Middle Class Quartz Direct Drive".
It was not released as a "Professional Model, but became popular with pioneering hip-hop DJ's.
It soon after found it's way into Disco's as well as Radio Stations for airplay because of its increased Vibration Damping Ability and resistence to feedback.SL-1200 Mark 3
The SL-1200 Mark 3 was introduced in 1989.
It was an update to the popular SL-1200MK2 series.
It was intended for the Japan / Asia market only.
However, some units were imported to the US
and was priced at US $200 more than a MK2 version.
The SL-1200 Limited Edition was introduced in 1997
It marks the 25th anniversary of the SL-1200 series.
There were only 10,000 made and sold worldwide.
These units sold out in less than 1 year time
Tonearm and accessories have been 24K Gold Plated.
Price in US funds was about $1200.00SL-1200 Mark 3D
The SL-1200 Mark 3D was introduced in 1999 .
It was an update to the popular SL-1200MK2 series.
Basically the same as the SL-1200MK2, the SL-1200MK3D differed only slightly.
It features a few updates to the SL-1200MK2 chassis and Pitch Control System.
The Sl-1200 Mark 3D was discontinued from production in Summer 2003.SL-1200 Mark 4
The SL-1200 Mark 4 was introduced in 1996 .
It was an update to the popular SL-1200MK2 series.
Only available in Japan / SE Asia Markets
Price in US funds is about $650.00
SL-1200 Mark 5G
The SL-1200 Mark 5G was introduced in 2002.
It marks the 30th anniversary of the SL-1200 series.
Price in US funds is about $600.00
Vinyl Label Design
Because singles were usually printed only once, the record company logo variations can help identify the year of release. This is especially useful if there is no copyright or print date on the label.
Album Labels. The design of the label on the vinyl helps identify an original album from a reprint. Collectors with a sharp eye will notice differences in printing techniques, color variations, and even the company that pressed the recording because of the location of the raised vinyl ring under the label.
Dimensions:
7inch:
12inch:
Examples:
Record Sleeves
45 Sleeves. Until the 1980s, picture sleeves were reserved for well-known, better-selling artists. This was because picture sleeves were more expensive to produce. New artists or those signed only to record singles had their work issued in generic record company sleeves. The sleeve functioned to advertise the record company with its use of a large company logo or memorable design.
Dimensions:
7inch
Examples:
Retro sleeves
Album Liners. The record company's inner sleeves for albums often help to date the album in two ways. First, the sleeves may have been printed with information about other recent releases. Second, some companies like A&M Records placed codes on their inner sleeves which helps determine the period for an album release.
From the sleeves I have looked at I found the retro designs were much more appealing to me. Even though they are old designs I still think they could be used today, they are timeless.
Record Label and Artist Logos
“I grew up with 7-inch singles. The logos on those, from all of the small indie labels of the ’60s and ’70s, were the inspiration.”
1981 - Grandmaster Flash's 1981 single "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" was Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five's first record to demonstrate hip-hop deejaying skills
1982 - Afrika Bambaata's "Planet Rock" samples Kraftwerk and creates electro.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message" becomes a hit. "The Message" is seen by many as the first serious rap record.
1982 - Davy DMX's "One For the Treble" is released
1983 - Grandmaster D.S.T.'s "Megamix" is released
Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" featuring cuts and scratches by Grandmaster D.S.T. brings turntablism to a much wider audience
mid 80s - First affordable samplers (Akai s900) hit the market, which enable musicians to capture and manipulate existing sounds.
Other Hip-hop DJs in New York begin to use the spinback capabilities of the Technics 1200 turntable for "scratching", and to extend grooves and "breaks" by cutting back and forth between 2 copies of the same record as first exhibited by Grandmaster Flash.
1987 - The DMC (Disco Mix Club) holds its first annual DJ Competition
1989 - The rave scene develops.
The rave scene came out of Acid House and became so big that promoters came up with the idea of putting on huge events in the countryside outside London - events that held thousands of people and went on all night.
early 90s - Breakbeat emerges and produces Drum 'n Bass and Trip Hop.
Breakbeat, a descendent of Techno, has origins of Hip-Hop frenetic beats and high pitch samples. There are many variations of breakbeats: Darkside, Jungle and the most popular, Drum 'n Bass.
Trip Hop has roots in breakbeat and ambient and is a montage of beats, vocals, guitar & bass strings, and jazzy elements.
Steve Dee, strongly influenced by DJ Barry B. "The Cut Professor" from the Get Fresh Crew begins experimenting with "The Funk" which further develops and comes to be know as "beat juggling", or "remixing right before your eyes." He later founds the X-men who begin utilizing the style and take beat juggling to a higher level.
1990 - Mix Master Mike, and DJ Apollo form the first all turntable skratch band called "Shadow of the Prophet". They were the DJs for a rap group named F.M.2.0. and performed at various, radio shows and venues in the Bay Area.
1991 - Scratch DJ Innovator/Perfectionist DJ QBert gains worldwide attention in the Technics DMC DJ Championships
1992 - DJ Flare introduces the "Flare" skratch
QBert, Mix Master Mike, and Apollo dubbed as the "Rocksteady DJ's" by Crazy Legs.
92' also marks the year of the first skratch / battle record that was designed for ease of kutting and tricks because of the samples being on beat one after the other with no pause or lag time. It was called "Battlebreaks". The idea was then given to Darth Fader and the rest is history.
1994 - Shortkut, Disk, and QBert form the band, "Tern Tabel Dragunz" and perform at local Hip-Hop events around the Bay during 94'.
Shortkut Wins the Rap Pages DJ Battle in L.A. Strongly influenced by Steve Dee and the X-men, he also introduces his patented "Strobe" juggling technique and later in 94', wins the Technics DMC west coast championships.
Qbert's mixtape "Demolition Pumpkin Squeeze Musik" (dubbed by Rap Pages as the greatest Mixtape of all time) ignites the fire of the experimental skratch / mixtape revolution.
DJ Shadow releases "In/Flux" further fueling the movement towards a more sampler oriented movement in turntablism
1995 - Perhaps the winningest competition DJs ever, Qbert and Mix Master Mike retire from the DMC to become judges and enter a new challenge, the creation of music with turntables.
Mix Master Mike and Disk unknowingly create the name "Invisibl Skratch Piklz" for the crew by jokingly throwing out hundreds of goofy names for bands.
1995 also marked the birth of the first "all samples skratched song" by QBert entitled, "Invasion of the Octopus People" which starts another phase in turntablist culture.
With the help of Shortkut's initial introduction to them in 95', ISP became the first DJ band to be sponsored by, then a small manufacturer of DJ products, "Vestax". With the help of ISP's designs like the PMC 05 pro, 06 pro, 07 Pro and 05 Pro ltd., Vestax has now captured first place as the world's leader in sales of mixers and become the biggest DJ product company.
1996 - The I.T.F. (International Turntablist Federation) holds it's first world champioinship competitions
Showcasing the new era of turntablism, the historic battle at the Rocksteady Reunion between ISP and the X-Men (now called the X-Ececutioners) took place.
QBert gets filmed as a starring role in the movie, "Hang the DJ", which gets picked up by Miramax and plays in theatres in Europe, Canada, and the U.S.
ISP recorded the classic turntable orchestrated piece, "Invisibl Skratch Piklz Vs. Da Klamz uv Deth", on Vinyl.
1997 - Turntable T.V. was born on March 23, 1997 (the day of the Lunar Eclipse) and has now turned into an international turntablist video magazine featuring the Piklz practicing and hanging out with DJs from all over the world showing off their talents, skills, tips, tricks, and other turntable entertainment.
ISP filmed the educational and hilarious "Turntable Mechanics Workshop" for Vestax. In this video, skratches were more publicly defined and given names so that turntablists may now share a mutual "skratch Language".
1998 - Yogafrog creates and gives away the first ISP music grant to aspiring artists in the Bay Area.
Mix Master Mike Joins the "Beastie Boys" in 98' and brings skratching to the eyes of the mainstream.
QBert Receives a lifetime acheivement award from the DMC
mid to late 90s - Individual DJs and crews such as the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, BulletProof Scratch Hamsters/Space Travelers, Allies, Supernatural Turntable Artists, Fifth Platoon, Beat Junkies, 1200 Hobos, Scratch Perverts, X-Men/X-Ecutioners, Cosmic Crew, and many others continue to expand on the frontiers of turntablism as an art form.
One genre of music associated with turntables is house music. I am a fan of this style of music and enjoy listening to it so I am going to research further into the background of the movement.
Origins of House Music
The roots of House music
The roots of House music
House music was created in and by the African American community. Musically, House music evolved in Chicago and New York from African-American musical traditions like gospel, soul, jazz and funk as well as Latin salsa. Spiritually and aesthetically, it developed in the U.S. out of the need of oppressed people, African Americans, gays and Latinos, to build a community through dance , and later in the UK, out of the need of young people dissatisfied with the meaningless materialism of Thatcher’s England, to build an alternative community of music and dance via Acid House. From a different point of view, House music in the U.S. was associated with black people, with gay clubs, basically with things that white America would not even acknowledge.
House was just perceived as "gay" music for blacks and thus scorned by whites, although its aim was to unify people of all races, backgrounds and sexual orientations. According to Frankie Knuckles, many people could not and still cannot deal with the fact that House music started in gay clubs. Thus, narrow-mindedness, racism, and even corporate music politics played an important role in preventing House music from flourishing in the U.S. in the eighties.
House music had its origins in gospel, soul and funk rather than in commercial disco music. Furthermore, Chicago jazz, blues and soul had an immense influence on the creation of House music. There were significant Midwestern musical influences that led to the creation of the Chicago flavour of House music. No doubt, the Midwest had its own tradition of African American music. Thus, blues and jazz presented a part of the mix. To sum up, the soul music produced in Chicago, Detroit and Memphis certainly had an impact on Chicago house.
The Warehouse, 206 South Jefferson Street
It all started in Chicago’s Southside in 1977, when a new kind of club opened. This new Chicago club called The Warehouse gave House music its name. Frankie Knuckles, who opened The Warehouse, mixed old disco classics and new Eurobeat pop. It was at this legendary club where many of the experiments were tried. It was also where Acid House got its start.
House was the first direct descendant of disco. In comparison with disco, House was "deeper", "rawer", and more designed to make people dance. Disco had already produced the first records to be aimed specifically at DJs with extended 12" versions that included long percussion breaks for mixing purposes. The early 80s proved a vital turning point. Sinnamon’s "Thanks To You", D-Train’s "You're The One For Me", and The Peech Boys "Don’t Make Me Wait", a record that has been continually sampled over the last decade, took things in a different direction with their sparse, synthesised sounds that introduced dub effects and drop-outs that had never been heard before.
House music did not have its origins just in American music. The popularity of European music, specifically English electronic pop like Depeche Mode and Soft Cell and the earlier, more disco-based sounds of Giorgio Moroder, Klein & MBO, as well as Italian productions, they all gave rise to House music. Two clubs, the already mentioned Chicago’s Warehouse and New York’s Paradise Garage, which promoted European music, had at the same time broken the barriers of race and sexual preference (for House music was in part targeted at the gay community). Before The Warehouse opened, there had been clubs strictly designed to segregate race. However, The Warehouse did not make any difference between Blacks, Hispanics, or Whites; the main interest was simply music. And the music was as diverse as the clients.
Ron Hardy
After looking into the history and background I have a better understanding of the subject. I have started to think about the product and range so I am going to research different media relating to the topic and ways that design can be applied to different outputs.
Evolution of Technics Turntables:
SL-1200
It represented a culmination of all Technics innovations to the world of Hi-Fi.
It was dubbed as "The Middle Class Player System".
It was delivered in 2 different versions:
The SL-1200 came complete with a tonearm section.
The SL-120 came without a tonearm section.
A SME™ tonearm was the usual chioce for the audiophile.
SL-1200 Mark 2
The SL-1200 Mark 2 was introduced in 1979 .
It was an update to the popular SL-1200 series.
It again represented a culmination of Technics Turntable Innovations.
It was dubbed as "The Middle Class Quartz Direct Drive".
It was not released as a "Professional Model, but became popular with pioneering hip-hop DJ's.
It soon after found it's way into Disco's as well as Radio Stations for airplay because of its increased Vibration Damping Ability and resistence to feedback.SL-1200 Mark 3
The SL-1200 Mark 3 was introduced in 1989.
It was an update to the popular SL-1200MK2 series.
It was intended for the Japan / Asia market only.
However, some units were imported to the US
and was priced at US $200 more than a MK2 version.
SL-1200 Limited Edition
The SL-1200 Limited Edition was introduced in 1997
It marks the 25th anniversary of the SL-1200 series.
There were only 10,000 made and sold worldwide.
These units sold out in less than 1 year time
Tonearm and accessories have been 24K Gold Plated.
Price in US funds was about $1200.00SL-1200 Mark 3D
The SL-1200 Mark 3D was introduced in 1999 .
It was an update to the popular SL-1200MK2 series.
Basically the same as the SL-1200MK2, the SL-1200MK3D differed only slightly.
It features a few updates to the SL-1200MK2 chassis and Pitch Control System.
The Sl-1200 Mark 3D was discontinued from production in Summer 2003.SL-1200 Mark 4
The SL-1200 Mark 4 was introduced in 1996 .
It was an update to the popular SL-1200MK2 series.
Only available in Japan / SE Asia Markets
Price in US funds is about $650.00
SL-1200 Mark 5G
The SL-1200 Mark 5G was introduced in 2002.
It marks the 30th anniversary of the SL-1200 series.
Price in US funds is about $600.00
Vinyl Label Design
45 Labels. The label advertised the single. The information on the label may be the only credit information that is available to the public. Beyond the title, songwriters, the artist's name and record company logo, three important credits may be included: the producer, the arranger and the engineer. Each of them can be as collectible as the artist. Collectors may also extend their interest to include the records that artists created when they filled the role of producer, arrangers or songwriter.
Because singles were usually printed only once, the record company logo variations can help identify the year of release. This is especially useful if there is no copyright or print date on the label.
Album Labels. The design of the label on the vinyl helps identify an original album from a reprint. Collectors with a sharp eye will notice differences in printing techniques, color variations, and even the company that pressed the recording because of the location of the raised vinyl ring under the label.
Dimensions:
7inch:
Examples:
Record Sleeves
45 Sleeves. Until the 1980s, picture sleeves were reserved for well-known, better-selling artists. This was because picture sleeves were more expensive to produce. New artists or those signed only to record singles had their work issued in generic record company sleeves. The sleeve functioned to advertise the record company with its use of a large company logo or memorable design.
Dimensions:
7inch
10inch
12inch
Examples:
Retro sleeves
From the sleeves I have looked at I found the retro designs were much more appealing to me. Even though they are old designs I still think they could be used today, they are timeless.
Record Label and Artist Logos
“I grew up with 7-inch singles. The logos on those, from all of the small indie labels of the ’60s and ’70s, were the inspiration.”
- Rick Rubin
Even before designer Reid Miles joined Alfred Lion’s Blue Note Records in 1956, the jazz label was well known for the visual artistry of founding art director and photographerFrancis Wolff. During the transition from plain 78s to packaged 10- and 12-inch LPs, designers Paul Bacon, Gil Melle and John Hermansader played a role in what Leonard Feather, in his liner notes for 1955’s The Blue Note Story, described as the “painstaking attention to quality... present every step of the way – in the material used for the pressings, in the excellence of the recording, in the design and production of the covers, and in everything else that goes to make a finished, thoughtfully prepared product.”
Luis Negron rendered the first Masters At Work logo in 1989 in the form of a reel-to-reel deck, which Gonzalez says was limited to use on local flyers (until a few years ago, when he had it printed it on a t-shirt).
As Defected Records approached its 15 year anniversary, the new 2013 brand identity marks a significant turning point for the label. Conceptualised by renowned designer, DJ and producer Trevor Jackson working alongside Defected founder Simon Dunmore as well as other members of the Defected team, the new brand identity stripped the appearance down to its bare essentials and marked a clearly defined new look for the label.
Hot Creations releases have been charted by Steve Lawler, Fur Coat, NTFO, Fur Coat,Darius Syrossian, Wehbba, Kenny Dope, Yousef, Lauhaus, Martin Eyerer, Roger Sanchez, Oxia, Darius Syrossian, Dirt Crew, Robert James, Darius Syrossian, Uner,Lauhaus, Darius Syrossian, Butch, Kasper Bjorke, Lauhaus, Darius Syrossian and 2509 others.
Dirtybird releases have been charted by Jesse Rose, Catz 'N Dogz, Nick Warren, Matthias Tanzmann, Uner, Kiki, Pirupa, Marc Romboy, Martin Eyerer, Florian Meindl, Uner, Roger Sanchez, Catz 'N Dogz, Kiki, Gregor Tresher, Jesse Rose, DJ Hell, MANIK, Uner, Todd Bodine, Catz 'N Dogz, Marc Romboy and 2165 others.
AEON releases have been charted by Alex Niggemann, Wehbba, Alex Niggemann,Matthias Meyer, Martin Landsky, Marco Resmann, DJ Hell, Alex Niggemann, Oxia, Ralf Kollmann, Marco Resmann, Alex Niggemann, Uner, Alex Niggemann, Gregor Tresher and82 others.
Record Label founded 1999 in Cologne for Elektronische Musik - Made in Germany
Italic releases have been charted by Bill Patrick, Ada, Giorgio Gigli, Nick Höppner, Lucy,Umek, Dominik Eulberg, Moguai and 65 others.
Music Poster Design
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