A five-day residential workshop in the epic French Pyrenees, led by DJ Craze
Workshop dates: 05/07/2023 – 2023-07-10
“Living legend” is a term we do not use lightly here at CAMP – but when it comes to turntablism, that’s definitely how we describe DJ Craze. Born in Nicaragua, Craze moved to the States at three years old and grew up in Miami (where he lives now). The Miami Bass movement formed the vibrant backdrop of his formative musical years, providing him with the key components he needed to develop his unique cross-genre style and awe-inspiring technique.
Craze won his first DJ competition aged 16, and then at 18 won the Zulu Nation battle in NYC. The next year, 1996, he won it again – a small hint of what was coming for this explosive performer. 1997 – East Coast DMC Champion. 1998 – USA DMC Champion, and World DMC Champion. 1999, World DMC Champion again. And then the record-breaker – 2000, World DMC Champion for the third year running – an unprecedented feat. Mainstream acknowledgement was inevitable – in 2001, Time Magazine named him USA’s best DJ. Craze’s style is diverse – building out his hip-hop/breaks foundations, he adds drum n bass, breaks, trap, dubstep and way more to his toolkit. His sets are explosions of perfectly curated dancefloor energy, executed with mind-blowing virtuosic technique; Craze was Kanye West’s DJ for the 2008 “Glow in the Dark” tour.
Outside the booth, Craze’s positive influence on music spreads into multiple spheres. He runs record labels – from his collaborative project Slow Roast Records (with Matsu) to his drum n bass label Cartel; meanwhile, his own productions have hit consistently high production levels – he released “Bully Breaks” in 2001, now widely acknowledged as one of the most famous battle records ever produced, and his production discography spans genres as widely as his DJ sets.
Over five days of exploration, discussion and hands-on practical learning, Craze will lead the group to hone their skills, build personalised development plans, fine-tune technical skills, build collaborations and grow a contextual awareness of the scene. We’ll watch/listen to important sets and tracks, analyse techniques and content, explore the historical context of hip-hop and DJ culture, demonstrate specific equipment and technical skills, and share work with Craze and the group. There’ll be time for individual tuition sessions, group discussions, and plenty of kicking back in the summer nights.
Info & booking: www.campfr.com/craze
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