Turntablism, also known as scratching, started as an integral part of hip hop in the 80s and has expanded into numerous other genres. At its basic level, turntablism involves manipulating a record and crossfader to create quick chops, fades, cuts, and stutters in the music. True artists juggle beats back and forth, switching between numerous songs at lightning-fast speed. Not only does it sound amazing, it's also extremely badass to watch a DJ manipulate a record in his own fashion and create an entirely new piece of music on the fly. more ›

Shanghai DJ collective The Lab celebrates their second anniversary this weekend. As a sort of reverse birthday present, they've gifted us with turntablist wizard and mixologist DJ Kentaro. Kentaro is the 2002 DMC World Champion and a two-time DMC Japan Champion, so he knows a thing or two about scratching records. But don't just take our word for it. Kentaro's label Ninja Tune describes him thusly: more ›