DJ Switch is an absolute legend. Not only is he the most modest, down to earth and downright friendly chap you could possibly hope to meet, but he is officially the best battle DJ in the world. Tony Switch has won the DMC World title for the last 3 years running.
Each year the DMC crew hold the legendary DMC World finals in London, with the world’s top battle djs flying in to test their mettle on the wheels of steel. The comps have proved themselves career breakers for the likes of Q-Bert, A-Trak, Kentaro, Scratch Perverts and DJ Craze, and each year the world waits with bated breath to see who will be crowned the new king of turntablism. Each year 3 sets of winners are announced – the World DJ Champion, the World Team Champions and the World Battle for Supremacy champion. And Switch has obliterated all competition for the latter for a consecutive 3 years.
Tony is a busy guy, clocking up appearances on Blue Peter, fronting Gabriel Prokofiev’s “A Concerto for Turntables”, featuring in dubstep turntablist trio Brotherhood of Filth, scratching for the Alternative Dubstep Orchestra and playing solo dj sets all over the world.
Anyway my fingers are getting knackered from all this typing about how busy and amazing he is. We asked the man himself a few choice questions and he gave us some bloody fantastic answers. Read on!
BD – Hello mate! How are you and what are you doing at the mo?
DJS – I am good thanks, I’m currently sitting indoors typing these very words you read before you. Would be sitting in the amazing sunshine but it would mean I couldn’t see what I was doing, which I prefer to happen.
I don’t like being in direct sunlight anyway. Not in a vampire kind of way. I like looking at sunny things without being burned. Well, that and I don’t like it being too bright, because it means you can’t actually see how beautiful it is, which defeats the point somewhat.
BD – Can you introduce who you are and what you do?
DJS – My birth name has been lost in the annals of time. I am now simply known as Tony or DJ Switch, my parents prefer the latter. I began moving records backwards and forwards when I was 11, and now 11 years later people specifically come to watch me do it. I do mental scratching related things and play genre bingo during my sets.
BD – You’ve won the DMC world battle for supremacy champs 3 times in a row. How do the rules for the battle for supremacy differ from the other categories?
DJS – The supremacy is the classic head-to-head knockout format. I love the fact that it’ll all be over in a day – you go from having these 26 DJs who are their respective country’s finest offerings, two hours later it’s last man standing. I would say it’s my favourite format as I’ve won it three times, but you can play with the format. When you use your better rounds, dissing your opponent, making it personal…but it’s all still fun and good-natured off the turntables.
BD – Are you planning to go for the 4th consecutive win this year? Will they ban you from entering for being too good?!
DJS – Haha no I should dispel the rumours. I have it on good authority that no-one has ever been banned from defending their title. Craze [the first DJ to win three times in a DMC category] retired after three because it does take it out of you. And I’m not planning to do a 4th for the same reason. Also because my routines were essentially unseen old material reworked – I come up with a lot of new stuff regularly, but it has to cut the mustard to enter the battle.
Getting my 3rd title was super stressful, I was actually drinking beer during the battle just to calm myself down. But achieving it feels like a full circle. I have 3 sets of 3 titles, 2 UK (solo & team) and 1 world, so I can call myself Tony ’3 Times’ and not spoil it.
BD – You’re getting booked a lot for your electro-swing sets nowadays. What attracts you to the genre?
DJS – Well initially it came about by chance, that a promoter friend of mine about three years ago asked me ‘do you play swing?’ My response was ‘not yet, but i’m up for it’, and started looking for tracks to do stuff with, and that hasn’t abated. My approach to it is essentially that you can play anyt tracks which have a definite jazz/swing influence – dubstep, garage, hip hop. The scene is ever-expanding but it’s a hunt to find those tracks that no-one else will have.
The thing that keeps me in work is having loads of different projects on the go. I’m the current performer for the ‘Concerto For Turntables’, I do electro swing, I’m in a DJ crew called the Brotherhood of Filth..
BD – Ahh yes the infamous Brotherhood of Filth. Describe what you do…
DJS – 4 decks, 3 DJs, 2 laptops and a whole load of filthy dubstep scratching. We do a bit of showing off but mostly megamix as many ridiculous tracks as we can fit in. It’s a really enjoyable way of spinning tracks with your mates, who happen to be The Doctor & Malicious DJ, two of Birmingham’s finest. Malicious also founded the Alternative Dubstep Orchestra last year, and there are too many exciting things to tell you about that. A lot of them are still classified…
BD – Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
DJS – I’m influenced by a lot of people. My favourite scratch DJ would have to be Netik, his patterns are so technical, soulful and truly distinctive, I could identify him in a blindfold turntable line-up (I’d be wearing the blindfold). Loads of DJs who go through the DMC and do well have something worth bringing to the tables, and I can be inspired by loads of different bits.
I have such love and respect for Beardyman. To be a comedian, beatboxer, uber-live producer, freestyler and utter nutter…he’s utterly unique. But then I’m immersed in the current beatbox scene and everyone within that is wonderful.
BD – How did you first get into djing and battling?
DJS – Watching VHS tapes (that’s video, or pre-DVD to anyone reading this younger than me) of the battles. I also saw the X-ecutioners [legendary DJ battle crew] do this collab track with Linkin Park, who I was massively into at the time, and the music video panned over the top of these 4 DJs on 8 decks and I was just ‘What?!?’
BD – What’s your biggest tip to any up and coming scratch djs?
DJS – To all DJs, take every opportunity that presents itself, don’t expect anyone to hand you anything, and make connections. That’s the backbone of the business. To scratch DJs, start with the basics. Turntable, mixer, record. No digital embellishments. Jam with other people wherever possible, but spend a lot of time exploring and discovering your own capabilities.
BD – Any big news lined up?
DJS – Well the news broke on the 14th that I’m performing the “Concerto For Turntables” I mentioned earlier. At the Proms. Being the first DJ ever to play it. Royal Albert Hall, August 6th, live broadcast on Radio 3 and TV transmission a week later. Various viral videos on the go, all coming soon. Some festivals and countries which I’m keeping under wraps at the moment.
BD – All time top 3 favorite tunes?
DJS – Probably changes every day. I’d be one of those people that went on Desert Island Discs and would push for every track to be a compilation album. Which I had made. How about some of my utter favourite albums?
Thanks Tony! Catch DJ Switch live at Braindrop’s Right Royal Rinse Out this Saturday 31 April. And check the following videos of the man in action:
Posted by chris in Featured, Inspiration, Interviews, Videos.
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