Quarter past midnight, and we’re late for the concert. Luckily, the Effenaar is too (true to form), so as we arrive, the doors are just swinging open. The crowd surges in, bubbling with enthusiasm and excitement. Once inside, I’m taken aback by the massive crowd already milling about the place. The size and high spirits of the audience are reminiscent of the Return of the B-Boy extravaganzas. The warm atmosphere slowly rolls over me. My limbs loosen, my head starts bobbing to the vibes DJ Deen is unleashing onto the dancefloor. A large number of people squat on a makeshift platform, resembling a stand. Anticipation builds up.
Suddenly, a second figure materialises behind the wheels of steel, a Japanese man with blonde hair. DJ Krush has taken to the stage. Over the dying strains of Deen’s records, Krush starts cutting in a ghostly sound backed up by a sharp clacking rhythm. The crowd freezes and turns to face the stage. Most expect Krush to commence a cut and scratch show, exhibiting his majestic turntable skills. But this is where Krush distinguishes himself from his colleagues. He doesn’t put himself in the spotlight, rendering attention to himself by rendering the music unlistenable. Instead, he respects the songs he’s spinning, pays homage to them even, by adopting a completely unselfish and un-selfcentred role. All that occupies Krush is keeping the discs jocking and providing the perfect party soundscapes. The crowd loves it and is even wrong-footed when Krush flips on an 80’s disco tune (who said Japanese don’t have a sense of humour?).
Towards the end of the set comes the biggest irony of the whole performance. The Great Adventures of Grandmaster Flash Behind the Wheels of Steel. More scratches in two minutes than we’d heard in the past two hours! I wonder what DJ Krush was saying with that; was he paying tribute to the pioneer, underlining the contrast between himself and conventional DJ’s, or was he ridiculing the Father of Hip Hop for his exuberant, macho style?
Whatever the reason, contrary to De La Soul’s teasing lyrics “My DJ gave a scratch, yours was flawless”, with hardly a scratch, Krush proved himself to be greater than many of his peers.
DJ Krush - Milight (1997)
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