DJ Culture
Red Bull Thre3style World Finals: Day 4 Recap

DJ You-Ki wins the third round of the Red Bull Thre3style World Finals in Santiago, Chile, on Dec. 15, 2016. (Maria Jose Govea / Red Bull)
Forth day and third round
Japan’s DJ You-Ki moved on to the final round of the 2016 Red Bull Thre3style World Finals on Thursday night by winning the third qualifier.
Competing in the round were Austria’s Busy Fingaz, Azerbaijan’s N.E.Z, Mexico’s Jimmix, Thailand’s Bomber Selecta, and Taiwan’s DinPei.
The event also featured a headliner set from Mix Master Mike.
During the day, the judges and competitors participated in a jam session using only songs from the classic compilation series, Ultimate Beats and Breaks. DJs flexed their juggling and scratching skills, and Skratch Bastid gave insight into each of the records and their importance in shaping the culture.
A detailed written account of the day can be found on Serato’s website.
Watch You-Ki’s set and DJcity’s recap below.
Third round
Tune in to the live stream of the forth round on Friday night at approximately 6:30 PST DJcity’s Facebook page. DJcity’s Styles Davis will also be live-tweeting.
Competing in the round will be Australia’s Beast Mode, Germany’s Pro-Zeiko, New Zealand’s Ruse, Poland’s 69Beats, and the United States’ Trayze.
Red Bull Thre3style World Finals: Day 3 Recap

DJ Puffy wins the second round of the Red Bull Thre3style World Finals in Santiago, Chile on De. 14, 2016. (photo: Alfred Jürgen Westermeyer / Red Bull)
Third day and second round
Barbados’ DJ Puffy moved on to the final round of the 2016 Red Bull Thre3style World Finals on Wednesday night by winning the second qualifier.
Competing in the round were Brazil’s A, France’s Stresh, Italy’s Delta, Spain’s Ches, and Belgium’s Cross.
Earlier that day, Serato hosted a “Rip n Flip” contest, which challenged DJs to create on-the-fly edits and remixes using the Serato Flip expansion pack. VaZee, this year’s IDA Online Scratch Champion, was chosen as the winner by judges Jazzy Jeff, Skratch Bastid, Hedspin, and Nedu Lopes.
A detailed written account of the day can be found on Serato’s website.
Watch Puffy’s set and DJcity’s recap below.
Third round
Tune in to the live stream of the third round on Thursday night at 6:30 PST DJcity’s Facebook page. DJcity’s Styles Davis will also be live-tweeting.
Competing in the round will be Austria’s Busy Fingaz, Azerbaijan’s N.E.Z, Japan’s YOU-KI, Mexico’s Jimmix, Thailand’s Bomber Selecta, and Taiwan’s DinPei.
Red Bull Thre3style World Finals: Day 2 Recap

JFB at the first round of the Red Bull Thre3style World Finals in Santiago, Chile on Dec. 13, 2016. (photo: Julian Melanson / DJcity)
The United Kingdom’s JFB advanced to the final round of the 2016 Red Bull Thre3style World Finals on Tuesday night by winning the first qualifier.
The round included Chile’s Diego Zapata, Argentina’s Lautaro Palenque, the Netherlands’ Abstract, South Korea’s J.fitz, and Canada’s Trapment.
A detailed written account of the qualifier can be found on Serato’s website.
Earlier in the day, the Thre3style judges and all 24 contestants formed into teams and got started on a week-long remix contest with Pioneer DJ’s TORAIZ SP-16 sampler.
Watch JFB’s winning set and a recap of the day below and tune in to the live stream of the second round on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. PST on DJcity’s Facebook page. DJcity’s Styles Davis will also be live-tweeting.
Competing in the second round will be Brazil’s DJ A, France’s Stresh, Barbados’ Puffy, Italy’s Delta, Spain’s Ches, and Belgium’s Cross.
2016 Red Bull Thre3style World Finals: Day 1 Recap

DJ Flipout and VaZee at Castillo Forestal in Santiago, Chile on Dec. 12, 2016. (credit: Julian Melanson / DJcity)
After months of preparation and anticipation, the 2016 Red Bull Thre3style World Finals kicked off in Santiago, Chile on Monday.
To begin the multi-day event, all 24 contestants partook in some good ole fashioned record digging at a local swap meet.
After picking up some heat and touring the city, the DJs made their way to a restaurant called Castillo Forestal, where they determined the order in which they would compete.
The day ended with a party, which featured a live set from Thre3style host, DJ Flipout.
Check out the recap video below and watch the live stream of the first round tonight at 7 p.m. PST on DJcity’s Facebook page. DJcity’s Styles Davis will also be live-tweeting the battle.
Tips for Your First DJ Gig
It’s one thing to know how to DJ at home and house parties, but performing at clubs and festivals requires additional skills and preparation.
On this episode of Share the Knowledge, DJ TLM provides some tips on how to prepare for your first gig to make sure it goes smoothly.
Robot Performs DJ Set Alongside DJ Yoda

“YuMi” and DJ Yoda
Robots are making their way into just about every industry — including the DJ world.
An example of this is a robot named “YuMi,” which recently performed alongside DJ Yoda at the unveiling of Ford Motor Company’s next-generation Fiesta.
YuMi was specifically programmed to perform the one-off set and was mentored by Yoda, who spent two weeks on the project.
“I’ve collaborated before with a classical orchestra a beatboxer and a brass band but teaching a robot to DJ has been crazy. There were times when I didn’t know if it was going to work or not,” Yoda said. “The biggest challenge was trying to teach rhythm to robot coders. There were a lot of calculators.”
YuMi is a collaborative robot, also known as a co-bot, and works closely with workers on the assembly line.
Watch Ford’s behind-the-scenes video below.
J. Espinosa: Must-Have Items in My Bag

J. Espinosa at Fluxx Nightclub in San Diego on Sept. 24, 2016 (via Facebook)
From holding down the airwaves at Los Angeles’ Power 106 and San Francisco’s 99.7 NOW! to rocking clubs and Oakland Raiders games, J. Espinosa is one California’s busiest DJs. The Bay Area native is also an accomplished battle DJ, having won the Red Bull Thre3style US Championship in 2015. Check out his five must-have travel items below.

Serato Control Vinyl, Red Bull Thre3style Edition
“I got a pair of really dope white control vinyl when I was in Japan last year for the Red Bull Thre3style World Finals. I barely ever use them, but just having them in my bag reminds me of my accomplishment.”
Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets
“What can I say? Sometimes I be greasy. I can’t be in pictures looking like I just jumped out a french fry basket!”
iPhone Charger
“I have a phone charger that never leaves my bag.”
Fingernail Clippers
“I can’t focus if my fingernails get too long. I get self-conscious about them, so I always keep some nail trimmers with me!”
Jason Markk Quick Wipes
“I gotta keep my kicks fresh when I’m on the road, and we all know that your shoes are gonna to get stepped on at least 89 times when you run to the restroom during your set. These wipes work great for on-the-go touch-ups if you’re a neat freak like me.”
***
Follow J. Espinosa on Facebook, Instagram, Mixcloud, SoundCloud, and Twitter.
Related: DJ Zo: Must-Have Items in My DJ Bag
Watch Rafik’s MikiDz Show Set
Rafik, the 2007 DMC World Champion, performed on the season finale of DJcity’s MikiDz Show on Monday. The German DJ and producer served up an hour of trap, future bass, and hip-hop laced together with impressive turntablism and finger drumming. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to close out the season.
Watch Rafik’s set and interview below.
Rafik with hosts DJ Dainjazone and MikiWAR
man @DJRAFIK is going innnnnnnnnnn #mikidzshow @DJcity
— trayze trayze trayze (@djtrayze) November 8, 2016
The champ @djrafik absolutely demolishing the season finale of the mikidzshow @djcity ✍???? https://t.co/oJ67x6Oani
— DJ Dynamix (@dynamixif2) November 8, 2016
Watch more #turntable madness from @DJRAFIK, from #MikiDZShow >> https://t.co/hXrrcGJger pic.twitter.com/dfPydbAZDY
— Traktor (@Traktor) November 8, 2016
Related: Watch Z-Trip’s MikiDz Show Set
DJ Zo: Must-Have Items in My DJ Bag

DJ Zo performs at Spam N Eggs in Los Angeles on Sept. 16, 2016. (source: Facebook)
From exclusive events at SoHo House to underground parties at The Line Hotel and Spam N Eggs, DJ Zo covers a lot of ground with his residencies. It seems like the Los Angeles party rocker and turntablist is always performing somewhere, including quarterly gigs in Asia. Zo is also a guest mixer on DJcityTV, where he hosts a monthly mix series. Below are his five must-have items that he always carries in his DJ bag.

“Thank you to my boy Kutcorners for putting me on to these. I can’t use any other records now because these are way slippy! You can really throw the record for those New York-style spinback mix-outs when you combine these with Thud Rumble’s Butter Rugs or D-Styles’ Table Cloth slipmats.”
STOKYO Black Box cartridge case
“Big ups to Chuck from STOKYO for hooking this up. I also have Shure’s blue cartridge case (the old school version with all four needles on the bottom). I prefer the Black Box because it has a secret compartment for extra styluses, screws, needle brushes, and other things.”
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry enrollment
“These programs are a must if you fly often. With PreCheck, you don’t have to wait in the unbearable security line, take off your shoes, and take your laptop out of your bag. With Global Entry, you can skip the long customs line when returning to the US from abroad. Go straight to the computer, scan your card, and you’ll pass through customs in less than 20 minutes. You can apply online for both, but you’ll need to do in-person interviews at an airport (the interviews are more of a formality; the TSA doesn’t ask you anything substantial).”
Auxiliary cord
“I bring one so I can play requests from girls who come up to me and say, ‘can’t you just play it off my iPhone?’ I also love it when someone comes up and asks, ‘can you charge my phone?’ [jokes] With an AUX cord, you’re always prepared. You never know who’s going to come through the club with some heat straight from the studio.”
“I get funky on the stage: both on the decks and under my arms. Deodorant is necessary, especially if I’m doing back-to-back gigs or after hours events. I use Mitchum’s mountain air scent.”
***
Follow DJ Zo on Facebook, Instagram, Mixcloud, and Twitter.
Related: Trayze: Must-Have Items in My DJ Bag
Watch Z-Trip’s MikiDz Show Set

On Monday, the one and only Z-Trip returned to DJcity’s MikiDz Show for his second performance on the program. As expected, his set was packed from beginning to end with creative blends and unexpected tracks. There was a little bit of something for everyone, from party rockers to turntablists.
It was also one of the rare occasions in which the interview section was just as dope as the performance. Z’s conversation with hosts MikiWAR and DJ Dainjazone was full of valuable knowledge and wisdom on the art of DJing.
Watch below and download the audio on iTunes.

Z-Trip with hosts MikiWAR and DJ Dainjazone

The audience
Related: Watch DJ Woody’s MikiDz Show Set
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