That’s because the competition will be fierce and there’s a lot at stake.
The event is one of more than a dozen regional qualifiers for the DMC World DJ Championships, the longest-running and most recognized turntablist battle on the planet, occurring in cities across the globe.
The winner of Sunday’s battle in Phoenix will advance to the DMC U.S. finals later this summer with a chance to earn a berth to the world championships in October in Paris.
Jonathan Valdez, a veteran Arizona turntablist who performs as DJ Akshen, says the DMC competition is more esteemed and intense than other DJ battles.
“Because it's the world's most prestigious and longest-running DJ competition, the DMCs have always been a pinnacle for turntablists,” Valdez says. “It's bigger than the Red Bull 3Style.”
What are the DMC World DJ Championships?
The DMC World DJ Championships are a global competition that has taken place annually for almost four decades. Launched in 1985 by the UK's Disco Mix Club, a one-time radio show hosted by renowned DJ Tony Prince that evolved into a remix service, it has crowned many legendary DJs.Previous DMC winners include icons such as the late Roc Raida of The X-Ecutioners, Mix Master Mike and Q-Bert of the Rocksteady DJs and Fool's Gold founder A-Trak (who won the competition at age 15 in 1997).
The DMC championships emphasize turntablism, the subgenre of DJing and hip-hop where performers manipulate vinyl records, decks, and mixers to create a dizzying array of scratching and sounds.
The current champ is DJ K-Swizz, a New Zealand-born scratch fiend who practically lit the record decks on fire with his moves while winning back-to-back DMC world titles in 2022 and 2023.
Les Sias, the Phoenix turntablist who performs as Les 735, told Phoenix New Times in 2017 that the DMC world championships rank as the top battle in the DJ world.
“The DMC is, I feel, the purest of the DJ battles,” Sias told New Times. “It’s the most respected competition out there because it’s so raw, pure and has been around for a long time.”
Phoenix turntablist LES 735 will be one of the judges of the 2024 DMC Phoenix regional DJ battle on Sunday.
Les Sias
How do the DMC World DJ Championships work?
Regional qualifiers are held in dozens of cities worldwide, including Phoenix. Depending on the country, winners will either face off in the national finals or earn a berth to the DMC world finals in the fall.At each level of the competition, DJs have six minutes to impress a panel of judges with their musicality, technique and overall performance behind the decks.
Valdez, who is hosting Phoenix’s regional qualifier on Sunday, says that judges for the competition will be evaluating a mix of creative abilities, technical skills, confidence and showmanship.
“They’re looking at everything from your originality, song selection, skill level and stage presence to how the crowd’s reacting,” Valdez says. “The tricks are pretty much the technical foundations. You've got do beat-juggling and certain scratch techniques while using showmanship to prove you're comfortable and having fun. There’s a lot to keep in mind.”
Judges for Phoenix’s regional qualifier will include Sias, DJ Daddy Rich and DJ D-Styles, each of whom has previously been a contestant in DMC battles.
“They’ve all been in DMC competitions in different years, so they know their stuff,” Valdez says.
Competitors stepping behind the decks at Trill on Sunday will include DJs from across the Southwest, ranging from local talents to turntablists from California and Texas.
"There are DJs each year who go to different cities to qualify for the DMCs, so it won't just be locals competing," Valdez says. "It's going to include the best of the best and not just people from Phoenix."
The experience of competing in a DMC DJ battle
Valdez says that DMC DJ battles can be an intense experience for competitors."DJs lock themselves in their bedrooms and give up, school and a social life to practice for hours, days, weeks and months just for a six-minute set," Valdez says. "Sometimes their whole DJ career is riding on a needle that is smaller than a tip of a ballpoint pen. The pressure is so intense sometimes that you can actually feel it when you walk into the green room where the DJs are before they get on stage. Very little conversation, very little smiles and mostly silence."
Even if you don't win the regional qualifier, Valdez says competing in a DMC battle can be a valuable learning experience for aspiring DJs and turntablists.
"Someone who's starting out and has enough guts to get on and perform is admirable. We've seen it happen before and tip our hats to them," Valdez says. "At the same time, you get your feet wet in the DMCs and try to be better than everyone else and learn something from the experience. At the end of the day, it's really about getting on stage and doing the best you can."
2024 DMC Phoenix Regional DJ Battle. 3 to 8 p.m., Sunday, July 21. Trill, 1817 E. Indian School Road. Tickets are $15 via eventbrite.com. Complete details about participating in the competition are available here.
