DJ Swamp

Last updated
DJ Swamp
Djswamp.jpg
DJ Swamp
Background information
Birth nameRonald K. Keys Jr.
Born Cleveland, Ohio, US
Origin Cleveland, Ohio, US
Genres Hip hop, electronic
Occupation(s)Disc jockey,
Instrument(s)Turntables, vocals, Sampling
Years active1996–present
Labels Decadent
Guidance
Sesame Workshop Records
Warner Bros.
20th Records
Website djswamp.com

Ronald K. Keys Jr. aka DJ Swamp is an American hip hop DJ, turntablist, producer and vocalist. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. He currently resides in Los Angeles, United States. In 1996, he won the title of US DMC Champion, his first year entering the tournament. Swamp toured with Beck for four years and later broke away into a solo career with his release "Never is Now" in 2001. Alternative Press gave "Never is Now" an 8/10 rating. [1]

Contents

His follow-up, a drum 'n' bass EP, Instruments of Torture, was recorded with Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto. Vinyl Disciple produced several music videos, including four 3D music videos. The music video for "The Leaders will Follow" is the first music video to incorporate 3D video scratching. [2] [ failed verification ] His music video for "Rock Rollin'" features Dave England of Jackass fame.

DJ Swamp has produced several DJ tools that are considered standards, including "skip-proof" records, which have the same sample repeated over and over so that if the needle is bumped it will land in the same sample.

DJ Swamp's scratch at the beginning of The Crystal Method track "Name of the Game" is one of his most recognizable scratches. The song is featured in several films, including Tropic Thunder . [3]

DJ Swamp released a new single in 2021 "Wearin' My Mask"

1996 US DMC tournament

In 1996, as a first time entry, he won the DMC US DJ Championship. He ended his set using pitch manipulation to play Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water", followed by him smashing his records. [4]

Career with Beck

After winning the 1996 US DMC Championships, Swamp found himself still driving a street sweeper for a living in Ohio. He was making calls looking for gigs and a chance to break into the music scene full-time when he heard Beck was going to be in town. He formulated a plan to pose as a reporter and slip in a demo of him mixing and scratching Beck's tracks. He waited for Beck all day but never got to meet him. He did, however, give his demo tape to Beck's publicist. A few weeks later Beck called Swamp and he joined the tour as Beck's DJ. The two toured together for four years. [5]

Career with Ministry

From 2016–2018 DJ Swamp toured as a member of the band Ministry.

Solo career

After years of touring with Beck, DJ Swamp released his first album, "Never is Now", which was supported by the successful single "Worship the Robots." The song featured Simple Text voice Fred as the rapper. The text application vocals were chopped up and manipulated to make it more like rap than just spoken text. Also on the album was "Disintegrator" which was featured in the movie "Orgazmo" and appeared on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

As a solo artist DJ Swamp has opened for such artists as Daft Punk, The Prodigy, Bassnectar, Nero, The Crystal Method, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, Mix Master Mike, Datsik, Diesel Boy, Outkast, Fuel, Method Man and Redman.

Swamp has built a loyal following around the world appearing in festivals, rock shows, hip-hop shows and even raves. His stage performance consists of him Mixing, Scratching, Magic Tricks and even Emceeing. Crowds are often overwhelmed by his stage presence, heavy bass sound, crowd interaction and give-a-ways.

DJ Swamp's scratching can be heard throughout the movie Thirteen which won an Academy Award and was the first movie for director Catherine Hardwicke of Twilight fame. He was featured in the DJ documentary Scratch and the motion picture Clockstoppers .

In 1996 DJ Swamp formed Decadent Records, which allowed him to distribute his scratch tools vinyl and digital releases. Under this label he invented several DJ tools that are considered standards, including his infamous "skip-proof scratch tool" records which have the same sample repeated over and over in a straight line so that if the needle is bumped it will land on the same sample. A technique that has been copied by most battle breaks and scratch records and are a staple in many turntablist sets.

Professional appearances

DJ Swamp has become the go to man for studio scratching in Los Angeles and has appeared on songs by Beck, The Crystal Method, Vanilla Ice, Katy Perry, Supreme Beings of Leisure, Ben Folds, Belinda, Oblivion Dust, Kid Rock, Twiztid, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Hanson, The Bloodhound Gang, Morcheeba, The Dandy Warhols, R. L. Burnside, Faithless, OPM, Devo, Save Ferris, Say Anything, Dust Brothers, Kool Keith, Sticky Fingaz, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Death Grips and Better Than Ezra.

In 2017, the band Ministry announced him as a new member of the band.[ citation needed ]

Television appearances

ABC In Concert, The Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Jools Holland, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, MuchMusic, Farmclub.com, MTV Awards, TFI Friday, ESPN's Summer X Games 2000, ESPN /ABC Winter X Games 2001, and Top of the Pops.

He has been featured in Rolling Stone , Spin , Subculture , Ray Gun , Mean , DJ Times, Keyboard , Mix , Los Angeles Times , and URB .

Discography

As a professional DJ he has been featured in songs for major artists. [6]

Releases

Remixes

Production

Appears on

Other media appearances

Related Research Articles

Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to use drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and UK garage styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faithless</span> English band

Faithless are an English dance music band that formed in 1995, with its core members being Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. Their first album, Reverence, was released in 1996 and their most recent, All Blessed, in 2020. They have sold millions of physical records, and their catalogue has been uploaded to streaming sites in 2018. They average almost 3 million streams a month. Faithless' records have charted at #1 in numerous countries and they were voted the 4th greatest dance band of all time by Mixmag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxi Jazz</span> British musician, rapper, singer, songwriter and DJ (1957–2022)

Maxwell Fraser, better known by his stage name Maxi Jazz, was a British musician, rapper, singer, songwriter and DJ. He was the lead vocalist of British electronic band Faithless from 1995 to 2011 and 2015 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Limit (2 Unlimited song)</span> 1993 single by 2 Unlimited

"No Limit" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance group 2 Unlimited, released in January 1993 by Byte, ZYX and PWL. It was their fifth single in total and the first to be released from their second album, No Limits! (1993). Co-written by the group's Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels, the song became one of their most commercially successful singles, especially in Europe, reaching the number-one spot in 35 countries and the top 10 in several others. Like previous releases, the UK version of the single removed all of the raps from Slijngaard, leaving just Dels' vocals. One word from the rap was kept, the word 'Techno' which was looped and repeated during the middle of the song, turning the line into "Techno! Techno! Techno! Techno!" and giving the song an extra vocal hook. Its accompanying music video was directed by Nick Burgess-Jones and received heavy rotation on MTV Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sister Bliss</span> British DJ, musician and songwriter

Ayalah Deborah Bentovim, better known by her stage name Sister Bliss, is a British keyboardist, record producer, DJ and songwriter. In the studio, she is best known for her work with Rollo Armstrong as one half of the production duo Rollo & Sister Bliss, and particularly as part of Faithless.

DJ Micro is an American trance DJ and producer.

<i>Tweekend</i> 2001 studio album by The Crystal Method

Tweekend is the second studio album by American electronic music duo The Crystal Method, released on July 31, 2001, by Outpost Recordings and Geffen Records. The album title is derived from the demise of the West Coast rave scene in the late 1990s and 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Z-Trip</span> Musical artist

Zach Sciacca, better known as DJ Z-Trip, is an American DJ and producer. He is a pioneer of the mashup movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silence (Delerium song)</span> 1999 song by Delerium

"Silence" is a song by Canadian electronic music group Delerium featuring Canadian singer and co-writer Sarah McLachlan, first released in May 1999. Over the years, its remixes have been hailed as one of the greatest trance songs of all time, over two decades after its initial release. The Tiësto remix of the song was voted by Mixmag readers as the 12th-greatest dance record of all time.

A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. DJ mixes are usually performed using a DJ mixer and multiple sounds sources, such as turntables, CD players, digital audio players or computer sound cards, sometimes with the addition of samplers and effects units, although it is possible to create one using sound editing software.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Neverending Dream</span>

"A Neverending Dream" is a 1996 song by German group X-Perience, released as the second single from their debut album, Magic Fields (1996). It charted in Germany, Hungary and Switzerland and was the band's biggest hit. The song entered the German Singles Chart at number 91, went to number four in October/November 1996, and spent over 18 weeks in the charts. Over 350,000 copies of the singles were sold in Germany and the single was eventually certified Gold. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "A Neverending Dream" peaked at number 29 in December 1996. A music video was also produced to promote the single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">These Days (Bardot song)</span> 2000 single by Bardot

"These Days" is the third single of Australian pop group Bardot, released in August 2000 on the back of their first national tour. It debuted and peaked at No. 19 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and was certified gold. It was the 100th-highest-selling single in Australia of 2000. The single was available in two unique formats. CD 1 contains live tracks from their Sydney shows as well as an enhanced component featuring the "These Days" music clip, a screensaver and gallery. CD 2 is a remix disc. Bardot performed "These Days" at the 2000 ARIA Awards where the group was nominated for three awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mixed Bizness</span> 2000 single by Beck

"Mixed Bizness" is a song by American musician Beck. It was released as the second single from his 1999 album Midnite Vultures. Released in 2000, the CD single included five non-album tracks/remixes. It peaked at number 34 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was featured in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle and American Dad. The primary drum beat heard throughout the track is a sample from “Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mope</span> 2000 single by Bloodhound Gang

"Mope" is a song by American comedy rock band Bloodhound Gang, released in September 2000 as the fourth single from their third studio album Hooray for Boobies. The song contains numerous samples such as "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco, "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Metallica, the Pac-Man theme song, and Homer Simpson shouting "holy macaroni" from the "Treehouse of Horror VI" episode of The Simpsons. A music video for the single was released in June 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Name of the Game (The Crystal Method song)</span> 2001 single by The Crystal Method featuring Tom Morello, Ryan Maginn and DJ Swamp

"Name of the Game" is the first single from The Crystal Method's second studio album, Tweekend. Despite the popularity of the song, The Crystal Method almost never play it live. The track features guitars by Tom Morello, vocals by Ryan "Ryu" Maginn, and scratching by DJ Swamp; it also contains samples from "Calling All Freaks" (1974) by Tina Dixon. The song enjoyed mainstream success as well as remixes by popular artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insomnia (Faithless song)</span> 1995 single by Faithless

"Insomnia" is a song by British musical group Faithless. Released as the band's second single, it became one of their most successful. It was originally released in 1995 and reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart, topping the UK Dance Chart in the process. When re-released in October 1996, the song achieved a new peak of number three in the United Kingdom and topped the charts of Finland, Norway, and Switzerland, as well as the American and Canadian dance charts. It also featured on Faithless's 1996 debut album, Reverence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want More (Faithless song)</span> 2004 single by Faithless

"I Want More" is a song recorded by UK dance group Faithless, released as a single on 23 August 2004. It features a vocal sample from the singer and pianist Nina Simone. Also sampled in the intro and outro is an excerpt from Pink Floyd’s "On the Run", from the 1970s album The Dark Side of the Moon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of Nowhere (Gloria Estefan song)</span> 2001 single by Gloria Estefan

"Out of Nowhere" is a song by Gloria Estefan. The single was the only commercial release of the compilation Greatest Hits Vol. II. The song is written by Emilio Estefan, Jr., Randall Barlow and Liza Quintana, and produced by Estefan Jr. and Barlow. It was released as the album's second single on April 24, 2001 by Epic Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adagio for Strings (Tiësto song)</span> 2005 single by Tiësto

"Adagio for Strings" is a track by Dutch DJ Tiësto. It was first released in January 2005 as the fourth single from the album Just Be. A Trance remake of the classical music composition by Samuel Barber, the track takes the melody of the afformentioned piece and adapts it into 4/4 time. In 2013, it was voted by Mixmag readers as the second greatest dance record of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galbi (song)</span> 1984 single by Ofra Haza

"Galbi" is an Arabic musical poem by Yemenite Aharon Amram that was sung by Israeli Yemenite singer Ofra Haza and others. The 1988 remix of the song, taken from the album Shaday, was issued as the follow-up to Haza's worldwide chart hit "Im Nin'Alu ".

References

  1. "DJ Swamp – Never Is Now CD Album". www.cduniverse.com. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  2. "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  3. "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  4. "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  5. "An interview with DJ Swamp". www.freewilliamsburg.com. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  6. "DJ Swamp on Discogs". discogs.com. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  7. "Death Grips on Instagram: "The majority of "Year of the Snitch" features DJ SWAMP"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 15 January 2019.