Another essential ingredient of the eighties was vinyl, without it there could be no scratching and half the hip hop records of the time and even now would not exist without it.  you can't beat the feeling of going into a second hand record shop and finding that rare gem you have been after.Vinyl is a medium I really miss, you really thought you had invested in something worthwhile with its extensive sleevenotes and gatefold covers it was something to treasure, I feel really cheated when I have to buy CD's because it just feels so clinical and cold. Very sad.

alternative culture had this to say:

"Scratch-prone, dust-attracting recording medium that refuses to die. CD sales outpaced vinyl in 1988, and CDs' higher profit margins sealed the older medium's fate; by 1990 most labels had stopped producing it. Vinyl's adherents, however, insist that digital recording can't capture musical warmth the way analogue can."

I think that sums it up quite well but before we start shedding tears let us relive those carefree days with the legend known as scratchin'!

below is a quick crash course on how to be a scratch maniac, I recommend using 7" records to begin with as they have more flexibility and can be spun back and forth easier or feel free to use 12" records, even better if you have the old skool weapon of choice the technics sl1210!!

Technics turntable

the basic scratch

place the needle on the record and listen out for a good vocal phrase without a drum beat, failing that,a good stab or snare sound will do. place your hand firmly on the record and go back and forwards in a steady motion and as you get confident try to put some sort of rhythm into it.   When you feel ready to progress try this rhythm again but this time turn your volume knob up and down with the beat or against it to "transform" the sound.   There you have it-I told you it was basic, I also recommend that you take the slipmat off of your deck as the record will slip around better, but I can't be held responsible for the other side getting scratched!!!  For a more in-depth look at the art of scratching try the skratchpikls site on my links page.

below are some samples of scratching

you need this plugin to hear the oldskool scratch

oldskool scratch lesson

wheels of steel

cut this beat