Yin: Scratch Champion DJ Wordy Scorches the Turntables

Yin (音, “music”) is a weekly Radii feature that looks at Chinese songs spanning classical to folk to modern experimental, and everything in between. Drop us a line if you have a suggestion.

This week’s Yin is a scratch routine from Beijing’s hometown hero, DJ Wordy.

Wordy’s been DJing for 13 years now, and is considered an OG in the scene over here. He’s won the DMC China Championships three times (DMC is the world’s biggest DJ competition), and last week he brought that veteran status through for a burning hot two-and-a-half minutes on the tables.

Wordy has performed everywhere from local Beijing venues, to Modern Sky in Helsinki, to EDC in Las Vegas. Aside from DJing, he’s also been releasing and performing his own original music through major labels, as well as throwing events for the community at home. He elaborated on his approach before in an interview with City Weekend:

I never stop working on new music. But the music that’s going on here right now, it feels too messy. People can hardly pay attention over two minutes to any kind of single track. So I want to really chill out and think about it before I make it, and then I really want to make it. I don’t want to follow the fashion to make what’s hot right now, to make trap—everybody’s making trap music—because for me, DJing and making music are two different things.

I like to DJ all kinds of stuff, like trap, like EDM—because DJing is more like a service to the people, to make people go crazy for the parties, to bring the good energy. But for making music, I like to make something really musical, with a melody. I don’t really like to make “turnt up” music. I make stuff for my soul, like jazz, like hip-hop or some interesting electronic music. So my next EP is going to be a little bit experimental with all kinds of stuff, like jazz music, like classical music even.

My first project that I’m focused on right now is with live performance, I’m going to team up with a drummer—one DJ, one drummer, some live mash-ups of party sets into original music sets, half party set and half original music. For me, music is all about showing people what you’re doing, not just falling back on the beats you already have.

Stay up to date with Wordy on Instagram