Club Scene
Ranking DJ Q-Bert will judge rising stars

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

In the battle of the DJs, local and Mainland turntablists will spin their stuff at the preliminary rounds of Technics DMC World 2001 DJ Championship. The winner competes in San Francisco in August. Advertiser library photo Technics DMC World 2001 DJ Championship Preliminary competition 7 p.m. Saturday Wave Waikiki, 1877 Kalakaua Ave. $5-$15 18 and over 591-3500, 941-0424, ext. 12; www.double-o-spot.com

Stoic, he stands there, clutching a headset to one ear, intently focused on the task of keeping bodies moving.

You don't notice him at first. You see the crowded bar, the line to the restroom, the movement of limbs. You don't realize the ambiance is created by him and the reason why you're here has something to do with his skills.

But DJs are more than just record spinners, satisfying the need for background to the alcohol-induced conversations and suggestive

dancing. They're turntablists, scratchers, musicians.

And the best are in town Saturday at Wave Waikiki for a preliminary competition leading toward the Technics DMC World 2001 DJ Championship Aug. 24 in San Francisco.

"They will be manipulating the turntables to be their own musical instruments," said Greg Dehnert, a twentysomething DJ, who is organizing the electronic battle. "Some of these guys are so talented, they've propelled this style of turntablism into a recognizable art form." More than 15 DJs from Hawai'i and across the nation will compete here.

Hosting a championship prelim validates Honolulu's emergence as a developing rhythm nation.

"The scene has really blown up," Dehnert said. "I remember seeing kids in the audience (at early DJ events) back then, and now they're actually competing this year. It's been a very interesting journey."

Much of the recent popularity spurt can be credited to Richard Quitevis, better known as Q-Bert, a well-known figure in San Francisco's DJ scene, in town to perform during the championship prelims.

Quitevis, who some consider a turntable pioneer, altered the sonic landscape more than 10 years ago with his innovation and creativity. He set the standards everyone else is trying to reach. Along with his now-defunct crew, Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Quitevis invented scratch techniques and styles, such as the crab, flare and orbit, that have become staples in deejaying.

"I think that, yeah, I'm trying to do something different," Quitevis said during a recent phone interview. "I feel that I think there's a level out there, as far as art is concerned, that people need to learn how to reach. Majority of people haven't matured to a point where they can be their own selves ... When you mature and find yourself and become original, there's a level of individuality you can achieve on that search."

Quitevis doesn't consider his search over, despite his accomplishments. The 31-year-old is the only person ever to win the DMC championship three times. Because of his dominance, the DMC asked Quitevis six year ago to stop competing and become a judge; he was intimidating other turntablists from entering the competition.

And that's not what he wanted. He recalled how difficult it was for him to break onto the scene, to come up with something new and different. He knows how impossible it seemed as a teenager to make deejaying a career.

"I think for the rest of my life and beyond I'll always be learning something new," he said.

Quitevis is living proof that anyone can turn a hobby into a profession. His latest company, Thud Rumble Limited, produces instructional videos, conducts workshops and lectures, publishes a video magazine for DJs, sells clothing and makes CDs. His latest endeavors involve the

visual world. He has just finished "Wave Twisters The Movie," an full-length animated film synchronized to his same-name solo debut album. Inspired by graffiti art, the sci-fi/kung-fu flick follows the adventure of four characters on a mission to revive the "Lost Arts" of b-boying, graffiti art, scratching and MC-ing. The movie will debut in Hawai'i at 9 p.m. Tuesday at the World Cafe.

Quitevis is also putting together a TV show (tentatively called "Mango Island") for public-access stations, including those in Hawai'i. The show will center on the night life of young Asian Americans. As a Filipino American, Quitevis is socially aware and conscious about who he is.

"I think that maybe I've let other Asians see that you can do this and become successful," he said.