DJ Rupture: Blown Away.

DJ Rupture plays Fabrique at the Powerhouse Spark Bar on Saturday at 10pm.

DJ Rupture has been making some rather hefty waves recently after joining kid606’s now semi-legendary tigerbeat6 label. His performances take the current rules of DJing and throw them completely out the window, combining ragga, breaks, experimental, jungle, house and all sorts of crazy shit over four turntables at one time! Best let the man speak for himself, methinks.

Where did you get your DJ name from?

“It´s what I was interested in doing - playing danceable music that I loved, but also having the moments of rupture - of unusual noise or sudden changes or other more creative turntable elements that most dance DJs can’t do. I don’t play straight ragga or breakcore or hip-hop or experimental, but work with these edges where one style turns into another.”

What was your first memory of music?

“Hmmm. I didn’t like music for a while. I have fond memories of Motown stuff when I was a kid. Weird rock got me first, then Japanese noise - I was 15 - and I’ve been a broken sonic gypsy ever since.”

You’re heavily affiliated with Tigerbeat Records. How's this relationship for you?. does it give you much freedom and inspiration?

“It´s great being part of Tigerbeat - total creative freedom, I couldn’t ask for more! Kid606 is incredibly supportive and open-minded. Most electronica labels are actually quite conservative, only releasing music that sounds more or less the same, afraid to take risks.”

What's the biggest force in the world stopping music's creativity?

“Distribution companies. I know dozens of small labels making brilliant music who use the money from one release to fund the next - and then distributors will jack them over or delay payment, slowing down the whole creative process for months and months by withholding cash & doing shady business. It´s absurd-- in almost every other industry, companies will get paid before they give out their goods or services. But for some ridiculous reason, record labels give over their goods (CDs & vinyl), them must wait months and months before getting paid.”

“Distro’s are afraid to take chances, which means that truly creative individuals must prove that their music is financially-viable before any distro will touch it.”

I hear you use three to four turntables at once in your live acts. How does this work and what are you trying to achieve?

“I try and push myself technically every time I DJ, to try and achieve a very dynamic experience. I’m always doing something to make each sound my own, to make it as personal as possible while still communicating to the audience. Technically, this means I will sometime get three or four tracks playing at once - I love layers of sound - maybe I’ll have a dancehall riddim, and a hip hop a cappella on top of that, and then I’ll put a drum and bass beat on top of the whole thing. It ain’t easy, but when it works I’m making new songs right on the spot, exploring weird new paths around familiar materials, making music that doest exist.”

 “I don’t like slick performers who are just pantomiming and wiggling, or laptop folks who are just playing soundfiles or dubbing out their tracks. I’m only interested in live performances that are truly live, that have the possibility for sublime moments and disastrous ones. Anything else is playback, is lipsync, is muzak.”

Any advice for aspiring DJs out there?

“Earplugs. Also watch out for the ferocious Bush administration.”