Currently the leading authority of the DMC China scene, Wang Liang aka DJ Wordy quite literally scratched his way to the top of the home-game. Wordy is still the only DJ to have won the DMC Championship China 3 consecutive times, firmly clinching the title from ’05-’07 which is obviously no small feat. 

By Duncan Wan Music Editor 

A shining example of what can be achieved when hard work, discipline and focus are applied to a little inspiration, be it a randomly happening across a video on the internet or, indeed, a copy of a pirated VCD, our export-grade DJ has endeavoured to slake the expanding thirsts of an ever evolving culture. Together with his partner in crime, Soulspeak, Wordy is running a tight game and is responsible for the influential club night ‘Hotpot’ in the pumping heart of the Chinese capital.

Objectively,  Wang is the biggest fish in his rapidly growing pond but by no means the biggest fish in the sea that is the DMC World. It’s important to understand that this vein of culture wasn’t of the first things to seep through the iron curtain and actually has only been available to ‘the people’ in the last decade or so, leaving a gap of time for Chinese turntablists to scrabble and catch up to. This is in regards to the stylisation of dress as well the advancement of techniques that have progressed with the digital wave, allowing DJs to literally pack days of music into laptops and portable hard drives.

What I like most about DJ Wordy is his fearlessness of telling it how it is, learning his craft initially through imitation before slowly lapping his own subjective spin – the latter step being the one most commonly neglected in this digital age of media where mediocrity has a disturbing amount of foothold. It is exactly this reason that it’s incredibly refreshing to see a  genuine home-grown talent rocking the international stage armed with far more than just image and hype.

 

Nee Hao managed to catch up with the busy wax spinner and we didn’t hesitate to let fly a few questions.

DJ Wordy! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us here at Nee Hao, let’s get started!- so how old were you when you first started DJing?  

Hah! No sweat! I was 20 years old.

So some 7 years, do you think your taste in music changed from then? 

It has changed a lot, and changes all the time. For me, it’s all about progression. I was in a rock band playing guitar when I came across a VCD of the DMC World Championships. I had never seen anything like it before.

How did it feel to rock out like the people you were watching on that VCD and then win the DMC China Championships?

After watching that video literally 100s of times, I practised basically night and day for months. All my heart and soul went into DJing. By the time the China Championships came around and I won, I felt like it was the first step to open the door of music beyond China.

London, Paris, New York… I see what you mean! Do you feel technology has impacted your style especially since using Serato Scratch Live and DVS compared to the old school stuff? 

It has changed everything also. Everybody knows you can do so much more stuff technically with the new technology, but I also miss the old school feel and soul of using vinyl.

Snap. So for our aspiring readers, what do you think is the most important aspect of being a DJ? 

Technique first. Then feeling…how you control the music.

So where did you learn your scratching and mixing techiniques? 

Living in China at the time, there was not an established DJ scene. I actually learned so much from the internet and watching videos on youtube.

Hah! I get that. Out of curiosity, what did you make of the UK? Like it?

I’ve been  a few times actually. The first time was for the World DMC Championships, and it was also my first time outside of Asia. I loved it. So much culture and inspiration. As a DJ, it was a dream to go to the record stores and dig.

What else did you like about it? Playing any gigs here soon?

Obviously the underground scene in UK is world renown. No plans to go right now, but if you like my stuff bring me there!

Tell us what the current music scene is like in China? 

Overall it is still very commercial and pop. But there is definitely a great underground music scene, especially in Beijing, where everyone is doing it for their passion for music.

 What do you do to relax? 

Chilling with Bob Marley. And music and movies.

How do you usually  prepare for gigs/competitions? 

Chilling with Bob Marley. Haha. At this point, I just like to map it out in my head and think about the patterns of music and how it all fits together.

 What DJs or musicians do you admire/had an impact? 

James Brown, Herbie Hancock.  Kid Kaola (so creative). D-Styles and Q-Bert (technical genius/aliens). Jimi Hendrix, Soulspeak and Lomang.

Sweet. What is or are your favourite track/s in your record box at the moment? 

J Dilla, John Wayne, Flako, Lone

What are your future plans?

Make more music and videos with my production partner, Soulspeak, and keep taking our live show to the next levels. just be creative.

Can you come to play at a Nee Hao party soon? 

Sure, love to show my music to new people and friends,  last time I was in London was 2007.

Further Reading: DMC Champion DJ VAJRA