Music

Meet the contestants for the fourth-annual Pitch Ultra Music DJ Contest

By Chris Milbourn 

At last year's Pitch Ultra Music DJ Contest, Spinstyles pretty much sealed the deal when he dropped Rockaton's remix of Outfield's "Use Your Love." Spinstyles may have been the first DJ to play that record anywhere in KC, and it has since become an anthem in various area dance venues. If there's anything that this year's five finalists could learn from Spinstyles, it's that it wouldn't hurt to do some last-minute digging before this year's showdown.

The contest began back in January, when area DJs were invited to submit their original, recorded mixes to The Pitch. We received a modest load of about two dozen entries, from which we picked our five favorites, who are facing off with 30-minute sets Friday at NV. Looking at key DJ abilities such as technical skills and crowd control, a team of judges will choose the winner, who will be flown to play a set at the Ultra Music Festival at Miami's Winter Music Conference. Here are the finalists, in random order.

Shaun Flo: Considering that he's the resident DJ and event director at this year's contest battleground, NV, some may believe that Shaun has some kind of home-field advantage. But that didn't disqualify his fantastic mix submission, which is available for download at Pitch.com (along with the other contestants' mixes). In a year of receiving more electro-house mixes than you could shake a dismantled tone arm at, Flo's stood out. Myspace.com/DJShaunFlo

Nomathmatics: Since bursting onto the scene just a couple of years ago, the DJ-video-graphic-design troupe Nomathmatics has built a cult following of club kids into a support system unlike that of any DJ in Kansas City. Nomath member Sheppa, who represents the duo on the wheels of steel at NV this weekend, specializes in indie-rock dance remixes. Should Nomathmatics win, it's a fair bet that Sheppa and his partner, Johnny D., will bring their fans with them all the way to Miami. Myspace.com/Nomathmatics

Clockwerk: Friday marks Clockwerk's second time competing in the contest. Known for presiding over one of the longest-running dance nights in KC (Saturday nights at Jilly's), Clockwerk has been the go-to guy for '80s music for years. But now that he's draped up with Serato, his playlist has expanded, and his shot at Miami has increased. Myspace.com/Cwerk

Tactic: A respected local drum-'n'-bass DJ once said of this eclectic dance duo, "Tactic has changed the way people DJ in Kansas City." It wasn't easy at first, but after four years of defying conventional track selection, Tactic is finally starting to win over the traditional dance-music community. If there's anyone who's sure to be digging for that perfect club anthem until the last minute, it's DJ Candlewax, representing Tactic at this year's event. Myspace.com/TacticKC

DJ Sku: Last year, we caught a little bit of flack for picking a bunch of hip-hop DJs for an electronic-dance-music event. But Sku, along with nearly every other hip-hop DJ in Kansas City in recent years, has found himself playing less hip-hop and more eccentric, dancey stuff. In fact, DJ Sku recently told us that he wished he could play music at 100 BPM or higher at every gig. Friday, he'll get his chance, and detractors will see just how well-rounded a DJ he is. Myspace.com/DJSku