Wednesday September 4, 2002 at 08:06 pm

Well the move is complete, and with it so is my 24/7 high speed internet connection. Okay well at least for a week or so. We should be receiving our DSL modem by the end of the week. So for all those that holla via IM, you now know why I haven’t been on and won’t be on for prolly the next week. I’m hoping there are no issues with the lines that well cause in snafus with getting connected, I’ve heard of some many people who have had issues connecting with QWEST and MSN. Especially the fact QWEST is slow to provision lines as well as the fact that even if the issues is on their end or at LEC or central office, they will still charge your account, and will offer to credit future billing instead of simply canceling billing for the service until it is complete. Apparently it’s almost as if QWEST simply, doesn’t check for anything before they install the service, and simply add it to your bill and wait to see if any issues arise. Can we say not very proactive! This is one of the reason why I like cable over DSL, simply because if you can get TV channels that solves 80% of any issues that may arise, and out of the 20% left, only about 5% of the issues requires someone to come to your home and this is usually due to wiring/switches at the box on the street or the relay outside the residence.

On to my next gripe so to speak. I hate the Phoenix airport. Okay not necessarily the airport, but definitely the manner in which one as to get pickup area. Who ever laid out these plans never took into consideration that phoenix drivers think that every time they get behind the wheel they are role playing Luke of Bo Duke of the Dukes of Hazard. Then again it may have been the fact that I was very tired when I went to pick up my friend from his trip to Washington. Nonetheless, some serious traffic direction and non make shift signs are required to navigate the labyrinth of entrance, exits, pull in and loading zones.

Okay other than the fact that almost every single power outlet in the new apt is broken and allows the plugs to simply fall out with the light breeze the place is slowly coming together. Granted with the addition of my new computer desk my room is way too small for everything I need, but life goes on. The desk is almost the exact same model I built for my mom with the exception it’s 5 times heavier with a black desktop, as well as there is a side pc holder, which is where the gripe comes in. Apparently whoever designed the desk failed to factor in the common depth of a standard pc and not just some POS HP with a baby atx case, which is what is displayed on its brochure. So when it comes to sliding my Tower in it sticking out about a good 7 inches, which well makes it useless. The other issues, is that because it has a glossed black desktop, the optical mouse is now non functional requiring me to use a piece of paper or something none reflective in order to control it.

Now the only issues, is where to put my tables, as the only other available wall is right next to a sliding glass door, which granted is nice to have. It is also allow high visibility to some expensive equipment. It looks as though I may be forced to have the tables reside in the 3^rd room for the 1^st time in many years. I don’t know how I will sleep at night without my baby’s in the same room. Yet I suppose with the main system in my room I can always run the tables through the 450 and actually put it to work again. All of this of course is only in theory, as I’m too tired and sore to make all these changes and rearrangement.

Probably the best part of the whole moving and unpacking part was that I found some old mix tapes that I recorded back when I 1^st started Dj’ing. One has Dj Richie Rich, whom took over as my mentor when Tom and Robbie moved to Phoenix and I was stuck in Sierra Vista still, Dj Nasty, who was a local Dj in the next town over and at the time the best scratch Dj around after Robbie left, Dj Vince, who was a Dj at one of the last few clubs that actually used live Dj’s with turntables, and of course me, the rookie of the whole crew. As I listened to it, I could remember the whole day, and how everything had come together.

I had stopped by Rich’s shop, Strictly Singles, because well just because that’s where I hung out at. Anyway I had dropped by extremely early because Rich had promised to play “Add On’s” that day as well as show me some new cuts. For those that don’t know Add On’s is a kind of Dj game/training exercise, yeah as dorky as it may seem. Any the basics of it is simple, One Dj starts out and begins playing a song, and then the 2^nd Dj must mix into whatever song the 1^st began playing. The trick is in the selection, who ever fails to get their song mix end by the end of the 1^st loses. At 1^st I simply saw it as a game, but then realized it actually hones your ability to know your music, and if you don’t it forces one to become quite creative in mixing songs that don’t fall within the clean mixing range. Any 2 songs can be mixed together; it’s simply a matter of matching the beats, however it to mix cleanly both songs have to be listenable, in other words you can’t have one songs mixed in with another that sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks on crank. Why you may ask? Because you’d get you ass kicked out of any club/party for doing it. There is however, the rare exception, and that is when mixing from hip hop or rap to dance, techno, or house music.

Back to the story, Nasty had rolled up from Benson to grab some new wax on his way to a gig in Tucson, and Vince just happened to see everyone else there, while he was out cruising around. Rich and I had already been playing for some time, and when was in the process of slowing me out. Basically he kept dropping jams with a much slower beat forcing me to keep away from my traditional faster songs. For some reason or another I was away from the tables with my back turned when out of no where the music stopped and was replaced with a barrage of lighting fast cuts. Originally I thinking someone wondered in and just started messing around, until I heard the pattern that I would later use as the basis for expanding my own scratches. So now it time for a show, to which he was more than happy to oblige, and proceeded to demonstrate his skills. Vince then popped in and being the rookie I wanted to see just how good everyone was. Actually I just wanted to see, who could even fathom hanging in the same class Robbie and Tom were in. After about 9 rounds Rich noticed that all the customers that had come in to get CD’s were still in the store after about 2hrs, watching us and asking where the CD of what was being played over the speakers, was at. We played for about 4hrs, but I only recorded and hr of it. The rest of the time between short sessions, Nasty was teaching me how to do faster cuts, and aggressively advised me to start scratching with my left hand on the records instead of the fader, since it was the dominant hand, thus giving better control and would make it much easier to come up with new patterns with. After that day the tables were always at the store and as long as I was there and had something new I could spin for as long as I wanted

The other tape is of Tom, Robbie, Divine, and a very small portion of me. Mainly the tape is of Robbie playing the new sample record we had order. That session will live on in infamy, as he was the 1^st to perfect the “Fader-Level Juggle”, granted 5 yrs later he had forgotten how to do it. The other great part was learning that you can’t just throw a sample on and cut it, without at least getting it close to the correct tempo at which it should be played at. Although at the end, whilst Tom and I sped up and slowed the beat record randomly, Robbie flawlessly adjusted, and yes even at 44 RPMS. That was also the night that I learned to perfect at least one scratch in which to build and modify upon, thus allowing the young grasshopper the ability to always have a scratch ready no matter what the speed or the tempo.

I think since I won’t have a net connection for at least a week, I’ll take the time to burn the tapes to CD, even though time a has taken its toll on some, especially my 1^st few masters from the 4 track recorder, nonetheless, I’d rather have the little I still have, than nothing at all.

Well the work day is almost over, and it’s still quite busy so until I post again

L8trz