DJ Quest
Encyclopedia
DJ Quest was born in 1973 in El Salvador. While there are others using the name 'DJ Quest', Carlos Aguilar has most likely had the moniker the longest,. He is considered one of the most skilled and reputable DJ
and innovators in the field of Turntablism
. DJ Quest has contributed to the hip hop
DJ art form by bringing power scratching to the battle scene. Quest, a battle veteran of the internationally known DMC
, New Music Seminar and countless others has been crowned champ on several occasions.
Quest and his family moved to the San Francisco Bay
area in the early 1980s where he was introduced to Electro or Electro Funk artist Nucleus, Kraftwerk
and Afrika Bambaataa
. He soon bought his first mixer, a Pyramid 4700 and accidentally hooked up the Turntables in reverse.
In a strange coincidence, Quest coined the term “Hamster style
”, which refers to the reverse set up. While performing on the popular local hip hop show "Home Turf" in 1992 he demonstrated his skills. When DJ Kevy Kev attempted to use Quest set up and could not understand it, Quest blerted out that it was "Hamster style
". This is the actual origin of the term and the switch that is included in almost every scratch mixer sold today. Today the term remains popular and is recognized by DJs worldwide, and ultimately led to companies like the Rane Corp.
and Vestax
including him in their DJ roster and list of endorsees.
Quest, one of the founding members of Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters/Space Travelerz (DJ Quest, Eddie Def, DJ Cue, Eddie K,and DJ Mars) creators of “Hamster Breaks” (the first battle style record on the market), expanded his musical horizons in 1996 by forming the experimental jazz
/hip-hop group Livehuman in San Francisco, California. Since its formation, the trio has self produced recordings for the British label Fat Cat Records
, the Bay Area’s Hip-Hop Slam, Matador Records, and their own independent Cosmic Records. This new artistic outlet gave Quest the opportunity to display his abilities all over the US, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Highlighted performances include Roskilde Music Fest in Denmark; Montreux Jazz Festival
, Switzerland; Transmusicales Music Fest in Renn, France, and the DJs For Life conference in the UK. Aside of his Livehuman expeditions, Quest has accompanied Quannum artist, Latyrx, The Bomb Hip-Hop DJ’s, Future Primitive Sound Session, Space Travelerz, and has toured the world as a solo DJ. In the summer of 2007, Quest joined Mike Patton
’s Peeping Tom (band)
as tour DJ for Australia.
More recently, Quest has come off a west coast tour as part of a DJ/MC duo with Apostle of Heavyweight Dub Champion
. In his 20 plus years of DJ experience, Quest has also collaborated on recordings with artist such as Dan 'The Automator' Nakamura (Bear Witness II), Blackalicious
, Rob Swift
(X-ecutioners), Z Man, Sacred Hoop, Eddie K, Topper, DJ Zeph, DJ Q-Bert
(Do It Yourself
, vol. 2), Wide Hive Records
collective “Variable Unit” and The DJ Project.
In the documentary Questosahn, Quest mentions finishing his full length album “Questolous”, an assortment of collaborations with various DJs and producers highlighting scratch diversity, due February 2008. Quest is also featured in the Doug Pray
-directed documentary “Scratch”
(Palm Pictures), and is respected as one of today’s most talented and versatile DJ/turntablist.
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and innovators in the field of Turntablism
Turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
. DJ Quest has contributed to the hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
DJ art form by bringing power scratching to the battle scene. Quest, a battle veteran of the internationally known DMC
Disco Mix Club
Disco Mix Club is a DJ remix service founded by Tony Prince which began as a radio show in 1981 on Radio Luxembourg in the UK. Prince helped popularise a new style of DJ mixes using the turntable as an instrument. DMC started operating as a remix service in 1983. They started producing remix...
, New Music Seminar and countless others has been crowned champ on several occasions.
Quest and his family moved to the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
area in the early 1980s where he was introduced to Electro or Electro Funk artist Nucleus, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
and Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
. He soon bought his first mixer, a Pyramid 4700 and accidentally hooked up the Turntables in reverse.
In a strange coincidence, Quest coined the term “Hamster style
Hamster style
Hamster style is a method used by turntablists whereby the configuration of the crossfader is reversed, so that the right turntable is on the left end of the crossfader and vice versa.- Creation :...
”, which refers to the reverse set up. While performing on the popular local hip hop show "Home Turf" in 1992 he demonstrated his skills. When DJ Kevy Kev attempted to use Quest set up and could not understand it, Quest blerted out that it was "Hamster style
Hamster style
Hamster style is a method used by turntablists whereby the configuration of the crossfader is reversed, so that the right turntable is on the left end of the crossfader and vice versa.- Creation :...
". This is the actual origin of the term and the switch that is included in almost every scratch mixer sold today. Today the term remains popular and is recognized by DJs worldwide, and ultimately led to companies like the Rane Corp.
Rane Corp.
Rane Corporation is a pro audio equipment manufacturer. Located in Mukilteo, Washington, it was made up of former employees of Phase Linear Corporation, and started out with products aimed at small live bands...
and Vestax
Vestax
The Vestax Corporation of Japan began in 1977 as a designer and manufacturer of electronic guitars. In the 1980s Vestax introduced a series of cassette based multitracks to challenge established products from Fostex, Yamaha and Tascam's portastudios...
including him in their DJ roster and list of endorsees.
Quest, one of the founding members of Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters/Space Travelerz (DJ Quest, Eddie Def, DJ Cue, Eddie K,and DJ Mars) creators of “Hamster Breaks” (the first battle style record on the market), expanded his musical horizons in 1996 by forming the experimental jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
/hip-hop group Livehuman in San Francisco, California. Since its formation, the trio has self produced recordings for the British label Fat Cat Records
Fat Cat Records
Fat Cat Records is an independent label based in Brighton on England’s South Coast. Their output includes electronica, post rock, indie, downtempo, minimal techno, noise and punk-pop...
, the Bay Area’s Hip-Hop Slam, Matador Records, and their own independent Cosmic Records. This new artistic outlet gave Quest the opportunity to display his abilities all over the US, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Highlighted performances include Roskilde Music Fest in Denmark; Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
, Switzerland; Transmusicales Music Fest in Renn, France, and the DJs For Life conference in the UK. Aside of his Livehuman expeditions, Quest has accompanied Quannum artist, Latyrx, The Bomb Hip-Hop DJ’s, Future Primitive Sound Session, Space Travelerz, and has toured the world as a solo DJ. In the summer of 2007, Quest joined Mike Patton
Mike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
’s Peeping Tom (band)
Peeping Tom (band)
Peeping Tom is a rock band led by Mike Patton. To date, they have released one eponymous album and two singles. Patton has enough material written for the project to possibly record two more albums.-Artists who have played with Peeping Tom:*Rahzel...
as tour DJ for Australia.
More recently, Quest has come off a west coast tour as part of a DJ/MC duo with Apostle of Heavyweight Dub Champion
Heavyweight Dub Champion
Heavyweight Dub Champion is a music and art collective founded in Gold Hill, Colorado in 1997 by Resurrector & Patch. Heavyweight Dub Champion, also known as HDC, is rooted in electronic music, but they create their unique style by using real and acoustic instruments fused with synthetic and...
. In his 20 plus years of DJ experience, Quest has also collaborated on recordings with artist such as Dan 'The Automator' Nakamura (Bear Witness II), Blackalicious
Blackalicious
Blackalicious is an American hip hop duo from Sacramento, California made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel . They are noted for Gift of Gab's often "tongue-twisting", multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's "classic" beats...
, Rob Swift
Rob Swift
Rob Swift is an American hip hop DJ and turntablist. Swift is a former member of the turntablist group The X-Ecutioners as of late 2005 and as of 2006; with Mike Patton’s project Peeping Tom.-Early life:...
(X-ecutioners), Z Man, Sacred Hoop, Eddie K, Topper, DJ Zeph, DJ Q-Bert
DJ Q-bert
Richard Quitevis, born October 7, 1969, in San Francisco, California, known by his stage name DJ Qbert or Qbert , is a Filipino-American Turntablist and composer.- Early life :...
(Do It Yourself
Do it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
, vol. 2), Wide Hive Records
Wide Hive Records
Wide Hive Records is an independent record label based in Berkeley, California. It was originally founded by Gregory Howe in 1999 in San Francisco’s Mission District as a record label, live music venue, recording studio and café....
collective “Variable Unit” and The DJ Project.
In the documentary Questosahn, Quest mentions finishing his full length album “Questolous”, an assortment of collaborations with various DJs and producers highlighting scratch diversity, due February 2008. Quest is also featured in the Doug Pray
Doug Pray
Doug Pray is an American documentary film director, cinematographer, and editor who often explores unique subcultures in his films. His work includes Surfwise a portrait of the nomadic, 11-member Doc Paskowitz family ; Big Rig , a documentary about truck drivers; Infamy , a documentary about...
-directed documentary “Scratch”
Scratch (film)
Scratch is a documentary film, directed and edited by Doug Pray. The film explores the world of the hip-hop DJ. From the birth of hip-hop, when pioneering DJ's began extending breaks on their party records , to the invention of scratching and beat-juggling vinyl, to its more recent explosion as a...
(Palm Pictures), and is respected as one of today’s most talented and versatile DJ/turntablist.