April 29, 2022
ESSIE DE VALL Delivers ‘DJcity Podcast’ Mix
ESSIE DE VALL is an open-format DJ from Madrid, Spain. She was nominated for "Best Urban DJ in Spain" and has shared the stage with artists like Pitbull, W...
Wednesday 7 September 2016
Turntable Techniques: How to Perform the ‘Rockit’ Scratch
DJcity and Beat Refinery have released a new episode of the tutorial series, Turntable Techniques. In the video, DJ As-One explains how to do the “Rockit” scratch, which Grandmixer D.ST performed on Herbie Hancock’s 1983 hit of the same name.
The song was the lead single off Hancock’s landmark album, Future Shock, which saw him venture into the worlds of electro-funk and instrumental hip-hop. “Rockit” is recognized as the first popular single to feature scratching and has been cited by DJ QBert and Mix Master Mike as a pivotal influence on them.
“You can gauge a DJ’s skills by when they use [the ‘Rockit’ scratch],” QBert said in the documentary Scratch.
Watch As-One break it down below.
Related: How to Make Acapella Edits for Your DJ Sets Using Ableton Live
