Kavet The Catalyst, founder of of BeatRoot, takes viewers inside of LS Lab to talk learning production out of necessity and eventually founding Hawaii’s premier producer event.
Shout out to Upstairs Records, which used to advertise in all of the hip-hop magazines. This is where I too purchased my first belt driven Gemini turntables and later Technics 1200’s.
Back in the day I copped wax from em (break beats)from out the back of some “mag” it was aright,you had to be in a record pool . Man those where the days…
When I was like 12/13 I used to always bug my my moms to cop me them Gemini belt drive jawns from them upstairs records ads not knowing anything about dj equipment cuz that’s all they would ever advertise in the hip hop mags. She never was able to afford them so a couple years later my homie copped a linear tech table that resembled a technics 1200 (it was a P.O.S.) and a Gemini scratch master. I basically learned from borrowing his set for months at a time. My other homie who taught me the real science of djing had the whole Gemini scratch pack with the 19″ mixer with built in sampler. Those were the days! 92-94. Big up to Upstairs records and Beat Street records!
Nothing like the beat street/ upstairs records days bro…avenue x… I remember those linear joints! the stright arm I believe lol… used to use 2 records for better backspin with my BD-10s cause I didnt have good slipmats and the plate was way too wobbly to do anything pretty much lol…before belt drive turns were built like direct drives you had to improvise…you had to learn how to touch the record the right way to learn how to scratch on those things lol…very nice #salute
Glad to see crate kings back online! Keep the updates coming
This why you cannot front on Hip Hop, period!! The look on player’s face, Kavet, the entire interview was nothing but pure love for what he doing and done.
Good lookin’ out. When I make it Hawaii I’m definitely gonna check out the beat scene.
oNe….
Great post! Glad to see Crate Kings still at it! I always checked at least once a week for posts. Peeps haven’t given up on you yet!
Thanks for your loyalty!
LOL he brought it back! cant forget the Gemini sampler & BD-10 days! you had to put a coin on the cartridge to keep the needle from jumping when you scratched!! Or the gemini sampler with that big ass button and the pitch slider on the side! I used to loop EVERYTHING man lol!! I Had an EPS 16plus too but the metal in the back used to get waay too hot and sold mine on ebay around 04, still got the EPS ASR 10 and the ASR X Pro…love my Ensoniq gear…its so “grab n go” how could u ever get rid of it!?! Very ill interview…
Aloha,
Man didn’t even know this made it on CRATEKINGS! Crazy! Big ups to Alkotabeats.com for linking this up.
Much respect to all the heads who copped gear from Upstairs Records, all producers that started with that Gemini Sampler with the chunky buttons and dirty sample time. To belt drive turntables that taught be how to have control and manipulate the record with out a heavy hand, so when i copped Technics it was like a blessing from God!
Big ups to AKAI S-20, EPS-16+, ASR -10, MPC 2000, and the XL, and now my SP404 SX.
To all the heads that love keeping it dusty and analog! Big Shouts!
is this nigga the hawaiian version of DJ Premo?