Scratch DJ · Turntablist · Vinyl Performance
Scratch DJ, DJ Natural Nate® | Turntablist & Scratch Techniques
THE TURNTABLE IS THE INSTRUMENT
DJ Natural Nate® is a professional scratch DJ and turntablist with 30+ years of vinyl performance, Breakspoll Top 50 ranked, world record holder, and developer of four original scratch techniques.
27+ YEARS OF SCRATCH TECHNIQUE
FIRST PERFORMANCE 1996 · WORLD RECORD 2010 · BREAKSPOLL TOP 50
4 Original Scratch Techniques · Verified World Record Holder
DJ Natural Nate® (Nathaniel R. Lemieux) has been performing scratch techniques on vinyl since 1996, developing a mastery of turntablism that spans baby scratches, transformer scratches, and four entirely original techniques that he developed, named, and documented himself.
Over 27 years, that mastery has been recognized by the Breakspoll community with a Top 50 world ranking, verified by a world record set on April 29, 2010, and preserved in video documentation that remains publicly accessible.
Scratch technique is not a party trick. It is a discipline, one that DJ Natural Nate® has spent a career advancing.
SCRATCH TECHNIQUES
The vocabulary of scratch DJing spans from foundational moves to advanced techniques that take years to master. DJ Natural Nate® has developed fluency across the full spectrum, and contributed four original techniques to the vocabulary.
01
Baby Scratch
The foundational scratch technique, moving the record back and forth under the needle in a simple rhythmic pattern. Every scratch DJ starts here. Mastery of the baby scratch is the prerequisite for everything that follows.
02
Transformer Scratch
Using the crossfader to rapidly cut the audio on and off while moving the record, creating a stuttering, robotic sound that transforms the source audio into a rhythmic instrument. Named for the Transformers cartoon sound effect it resembles.
03
Chirp Scratch
A technique that combines a forward record movement with a crossfader cut to create a sharp, chirping sound. The timing of the crossfader cut relative to the record movement determines the character of the chirp.
04
Flare Scratch
An advanced technique developed by DJ Flare, using the crossfader to create clicks within a continuous record movement. The result is a complex, rhythmically dense sound that requires precise crossfader control.
05
Crab Scratch
The most technically demanding standard scratch technique, using four fingers to rapidly roll across the crossfader while moving the record, creating an extremely fast, machine-gun-like sound. Requires years of dedicated practice to execute cleanly.
THE TECHNICS STANDARD
Technics SL-1200 and SL-1210 turntables are the industry standard for scratch DJs and turntablists worldwide. Their direct-drive motor provides the torque and responsiveness that scratch technique demands: the record stops and starts instantly, responds to the lightest touch, and returns to speed without drift.
The tonearm geometry, the platter weight, the pitch control precision, every aspect of the Technics design is optimized for the kind of physical manipulation that scratch DJing requires. No other turntable has matched it for professional scratch performance in over 50 years of production.
DJ Natural Nate® has performed on Technics turntables since 1996. The world record was set on Technics. The original scratch techniques were developed on Technics. The standard is the standard.
TURNTABLISM VS. DJING
DJing
Playing and mixing recorded music for an audience, selecting tracks, reading the room, and creating a continuous musical experience. A DJ is a curator and a performer.
Turntablism
Using the turntable as a musical instrument, developing original techniques, manipulating vinyl in real time, and creating sounds that cannot be replicated by playback alone. A turntablist is a musician.
DJ Natural Nate® is both. He is a professional DJ with a Breakspoll Top 50 world ranking and a turntablist who developed four original scratch techniques and holds a verified world record. The distinction matters because it defines the level of skill and commitment involved, and because most people who call themselves DJs are neither.
THE WORLD RECORD
86 TRACKS · 133 BPM · ONE HOUR · NO SYNC
April 29, 2010: The Ultimate Test of Turntable Skill
The world record set on April 29, 2010 is not just a mixing record, it is the ultimate test of turntable skill. Mixing 86 tracks in one hour at 133 BPM, manually, on vinyl, in front of a live audience, with no sync and no digital assistance, requires every skill a turntablist possesses: ear training, hand coordination, pitch control mastery, and the ability to perform under pressure without error.
It is the proof that DJ Natural Nate® is not just a scratch DJ, he is a complete turntablist. The record stands. The documentation is archived. The standard is set.