2005 DMC World DJ Championships

The DMC World DJ Championships have often been called the turntablist's Olympic Games, but it is more than a sports competition. The comp, wildly popular in Australia, provides DJs with a platform to exhibit an artform as much as a physical discipline.

Since the formative days of hip-hop, the postmodern art of turntablism has been recognised as a legitimate force in pop culture. But if turntablism has transcended the underground, then it's largely due to the international profile of the DMC World DJ Championships. The turntablist is a DJ who practises the hip-hop methodology of manipulating vinyl to create musical collages with two turntables and a mixer. Turntablism is a cornerstone of hip-hop along with MCing, breaking and graffiti. In fact, DJs like Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash were the original stars of hip-hop, not the MCs. The DMC World DJ Championships has promoted the DJ's resurgence. It stands as the most prestigious - and influential - of all the turntable assemblies.

The UK DJ company DMC, headed by Tony Prince, inaugurated the DMC World DJ Championships, then the DMC World Mixing Championships, for mix DJs back in 1986. Since its humble begins, the global competition has gone on to produce such turntable legends as Cash Money, DJ Craze, Cutmaster Swift, Roc Raida, DJ Noize and Australia's own DJ Dexter, who came second to Craze in 2000.

As with every year those candidates competing in the 2005 DMC World DJ Championships will again be allowed six minutes to impress the judges. The winners at a state level, will go on to compete against Australia's defending champ, Adelaide's Staen 1, as well as all of the other state champions. The winners prize pack includes amongst many other things; the Australian title and flights to London to compete at the world finals.

This year Championships will comprise of the solo category as well as the team section. Heats for solo section of the Australian DMC DMC Championships will be held in all the key states - including, for the first time, a Tasmanian heat in Hobart and a second NSW heat in Newcastle - throughout July, with the National Final for both the solo competition and the Team Battle to happen in Melbourne late August.

Last year Staen 1 placed seventh at his second World Final, while Melbourne's Dirty Duo (J Red and DJ Selekt ) came fourth in the team category. Who knows- In 2005 Australia, in the midst of a hip-hop explosion, could change history...

Regional events (July-August) - Melb, Hobart, Canberra, Syd, Bris, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle
National Finals (late August) - Melbourne
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