When it comes to today’s thriving hip hop scene, it’s difficult not to think back to where it all started in the late 70s/early 80s, when a few key players had a thirst for something new, so went about exploring sound to create something unique. What they came up with were the beginnings of the hip hop movement, a sound they battled to take to the international platform, as they fought to take it beyond the depths of their New York basements. Word was quick to spread as they hit the scene with explosive force, bringing back a swing to the hips and adding another name to the lips of a worldwide audience, who, at the time, were overloaded with the glam rock of the 70s and plush pop of the 80s.
One of the first names to come to mind when thinking about those breakthrough years, is of course that of Joseph Saddler, better known under his now legendary moniker as Grandmaster Flash. His insatiable passion for the craft of hip hop DJing kept him striving to come up with new and exciting techniques to take beat mixing and party DJing to a whole new level, something he credits to his early interest in technology and his intrigue about how things work. “As a kid I always wanted to know how things worked and often pulled them apart to find out how they did what they did,” he explains humbly from his home studio. His early sonic expeditions of course, spawned techniques such as cutting and juggling, which back then had never been attempted before. Flash can also be credited for developing the first manual edit with a mixer, which resulted in the first breaks to hit the scene, adding another major noteworthy advancement to the art of DJing as we knew it.
For a lot of artists, they’d be more than happy to sit back and take it easy after a few years of reigning on the scene, confidently content with the knowledge that they’d changed the scene for the better, but for Flash this wasn’t so. Not that he wasn’t happy with the contributions he’d made, but because there was still much more work to be done, and further techniques to be discovered. “For me, I’m happy with what I’ve done over the years and the contributions I’ve made. But whenever there’s technology concerned, there’s always more to be discovered, especially at the rapid rate technology is advancing these days. An artist’s journey is never over,” states Flash, whose busily working away on another top-secret project as we speak. “I feel blessed to still be doing what I love after all these years and that people still come and see me. I know I’m lucky to have had such a long life as an artist, I take pride in still being able to tour around the world and playing to people. Educating people about hip hop, taking them through the late 70s, past the 80s and beyond today with what I play, because it’s a scene that could have well stayed underground, if it wasn’t for those early days.”
Educating the audience through his historical sets isn’t the only way he exposes the crowd to a rich history that they may have, until now, only heard about in second and third-hand accounts. Over the last few years, Flash has taken to storytelling during his shows. “It’s been pretty liberating to do that, cause there have been so many incorrect stories printed about it over the years. So it’s good to be able to share those stories accurately with the audience.” Correcting previously published accounts of those times, isn’t just something Flash is savoring for his live shows either. As he recently agreed to pen his memoirs, in a tell-all book. “I’m still in the early stages yet, I’ve been working on it for the last four months now. It’s been a difficult process, especially when you’ve got so many secrets you’ve kept to yourself for so many years. The key is in unlocking them and telling them in order to give history a name. If it’s going to be told, it has to be told properly.”
The project has already stirred about notable interest for movie rights upon it’s completion. But Flash prefers to keep it simple, thinking of one thing at a time. Right now he’s thinking about finishing the book, working on his top secret new project, and of course his upcoming Australian shows. “I’m looking forward to coming over and escaping for a little while and sharing music and a few stories with you all.” You’d think that by now an artist of his stature would be confident about rocking a room, but as far as Flash is concerned, that’s just a fallacy. “Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t really get easier with time and experience. I still get stumped on occasion when I walk out onstage, but that’s part of the fun in the experience!” he laughs. Adding to his constantly growing record collection is another priority for the mixmaster when he hits our shores. “One of the first things I do when I get to a new city or country, is get down to the local record stores to see what’s rockin’. New music is what keeps me going, if it’s got a beat, then I’m eager to test it,” he explains of his undying thirst for fresh material.
As for how many records his collection has acquired after all these years, “I stopped counting a long time ago now. I now have a shed that’s half the size of my house, which is filled with records, with heaters and coolers installed to protect them from the elements.”
Grandmaster Flash touches down in Australia this May and June, playing shows across the country:
Thu Jun 1 - Brisbane, Arena
Sat Jun 3 – Melbourne, The Forum
Sun Jun 4 – Perth, Ministry of Sound Sessions (BUY TICKETS)
Tue Jun 6 - Gold Coast
Thu Jun 8 – Sydney, An Intimate Night With… (BUY TICKETS)
Fri Jun 9 – Coffs Harbour, Plantation Hotel
Sun Jun 11 – Adelaide, We Love Sounds (BUY TICKETS)
Sun Jun 11 - Sydney, We Love Sounds (ITM SOLD OUT)
