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Name: DJ QUEST
Trademark Saying: "You Sleep, You Slip!"
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
DJ Crews: Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters / Space Travelers
/ Live Human
What Music do you spin? I love playing things that have
breaks...really pumped hip hop shit...that's got a lot of energy.
I love playing electro.
QUESTOGRAPHY: featured on various albums including ones
by Sacred Hoop, Peanut Butter Wolf, Blackalicious, Handsome Boy
Modeling School, Mi Selecta compilation, Kubiq, the Future
Primitive Sound Collective's 12" (Black Hole)
& Urban Revolutions comp, and the recent Variable
Unit comp. Also Quest is on BPST's Hamster Breaks Volume
1, Space Travelers' Hamster Breaks 3 1/2, The Dark
Ages BPSH 1996 mix-tape, Hip Hop Slam w/ Billy Jam
mixtapes from 1995/96, Live Human Featuring DJ Quest 12"
from 1997, Improvisessions Live Human 12" 1997, Cue's
Hip Hop Shop Volume 1 (w/ Live Human & Space Travelers),
1998, Attack Of The Killer Cuts mix-tape, 1998 Space
Traveling 101 mix-tape, 1998, Etchings of the Upper Dynamic
Frequencies LP (w/ JWicked), 1999, Monostereosis: the new
victrola method Live Human, 1999, Orange Bush 12"
1999, Elefish Jellyphant Live Human, 2000 Elephant's
Bliss 12" Live Human, 2000, Cue's Hip Hop Shop Volume
2 (w/ DJ Cue), 2000, Turntables By The Bay Volume 1 (with
Eddie Def), 2001 Built To Last Bullet Proof Space Travelers,
2001, Questside DJ Quest, 2001, Live Human Live
(COD) 2002, Mutation Mann mix CD 2003.
QUEST DJ BATTLE HISTORY 1991-96: 1991: Sound & Sight,
1991: Manor Music, 1992: Club Inn, 1992: DJ Extravaganza, 1992:
DJ Trixx Off, 1992/93: Dynamic Sound & Lighting, 1992: West
Coast DMC, 1993: Communities in Harmony, 1993: West Coast DMC,
1994: New Music Seminar (Superman DJ Battle), 1994: West Coast
DMC, 1995: Club 181, 1995: Vestax (USA), 1996: Music Systems
The first record you ever bought? "La di Da di"
by Doug E. Fresh
The first record you ever owned? one by the Beatles
Most influential records in your life? "Push the
Button" by Newcleus is my favorite jam. That shit is just
so fucking dope. And just the fact that what he's talking about...computer
age...all that shit is what's happening now...and that shit is
twenty years old! It's got that electrofunk feel with some melodies.
It's sort of what inspired me to get into this type of music.
When did you first DJ? The first time I ever deejayed
was a nightmare. I deejayed this party at my middle school. It
was the last day of summer school. I had some borrowed equipment,
and busted-ass speakers. I remember I was so fucking nervous that
my hand was shaking. I couldn't even put the needle down on the
record! That's the kind of shit that just makes me want to improve.
What made you want to be a DJ? I just love music. I love
playing music. When I first got into collecting music, I didn't
even own records. I would just collect tapes of tracks I recorded
off KPOO. I started compiling different types of music for my
own listening pleasure. When I saw Beatstreet, and those
old movies, that shit just blew my mind! I was so fascinated by
that shit! Breaking came first, and then I tried rapping and failed
at it completely. It was mostly 'cause I started DJing around
the same time and it just took over. It was just fun. It wasn't
a sport. I didn't start battling till the Nineties. I didn't give
a shit. I just wanted to do it all!
What is most memorable performance of your DJ career? Definitely
the Live Human festivals in Europe. They were huge shows...almost
like a dream. The Montreux Jazz Festival stands out as a clean
show. In reality, a lot of these underground shows had moments
that have just blown my mind as much. I might be playing with
a group, and there's people dancing, there's all this energy happening,
and the crowd just elevates with you. When that shit happens,
it leaves you high for a couple days.
How do you transport your records and/or gear to gigs?
I use my son's skateboard. I put my records on the skateboard
and I drag it. I also transport stuff on my bike. I have a Huffy
2000.
Do you play CDs ever at gigs? Nah, I'm not saying that
I never will, but the type of DJing that I do is not about playing
CDs.
In your opinion who is best DJ of all time? DJ Quest.
To some point, I just got to give myself credit. Only I know what
I've gone through. I see DJs come up and go all the time. Although
I never really broke through, I'm still here. Besides me, there's
definitely Cash Money. The reason why I like Cash Money so much
is because he was out doing the DMCs in '86-'87. Now in 2003,
he's still got all his skills. He's still on top of his game.
He can produce. He's got titles. Not to mention the fact that
he's super funky and he's still doing it. The longevity of a person
being here doing something is worth more than having 3 DMC titles
for a couple years or whatever...
Best website or way for folks to find out more about you?
www.djquest.com
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