About Thud Rumble
Thud Rumble LTD. is a diversified media management company committed to showcasing and expanding the world of the skratch DJ. Working with multi-talented artists in the music industry, Thud Rumble manages musical production, feature film, event architecture, global product manufacturing & distribution, investments, international licensing, Internet properties, and artist management. By creating synergy in these areas, Thud Rumble has been able to enhance and effectively drive the DJ culture internationally.
Founded in 1996 by Ritche "Yogafrog" Desuasido & Richard "DJ Qbert" Quitevis, Thud Rumble was built from a shared determination to push the envelope of skratching as a science, an art and an international culture. By creating their own wholesale distribution facility and global ecommerce network, Thud Rumble has pioneered the world's finest and most creative artists' labels.
Highly acclaimed by industry professionals, Thud Rumble is one of today's commanding innovators in independent music & film production. Ranked in the top 50 most influential media companies of the decade by "A Magazine", and one of the top 25 Most Creative Companies in the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine. Masterminding colossal music festivals, independent film releases, original videos, and interactive soundtracks, Thud Rumble noted by DJ TIMES was key in transforming the world of the Disc Jockey into a multibillion-dollar industry.
FOUNDERS
Thud Rumble LTD. The legendary [ San Francisco/Honolulu ] based team have been the most instrumental persons in the world of the Disc Jockey than any other. Founders, QBert and Yogafrog were once of the famed super crew called The Invisibl Skratch Piklz who stood as the "Greatest DJs on Earth," by URB Magazine. Their imersement into their art form created a lifestyle, a culture, a music, and inevitably the phonograph turntable into a worldwide phenomenon and as an accepted musical instrument.
The phonograph turntable became just that. The musical instrument of the 21st century. The instrument of a DJ. From Dr. Dre to DJ Premier, DJ Craze to MixMaster Mike, they are all DJs. A DJ named Kool Herc invented the culture of Hip-Hop. From that gave birth to a myriad styles of music, lifestyles and influences in everything today everywhere around the World. The DJ is the Creator. They create the music that you'll listen to , and they play the music on the radio that you're gonna dance to. DJs are the ignition that sets your life in motion.
This is Thud Rumble's World. The World behind the 2 turntables. The World behind the DJ, their culture, their way of thinking, and the future that lies in their hands. If Hip Hop has influenced greatly as it has. Then it is the DJ that is in control of the entire cultural dance floor of the world. Follow them on their journey...
Since 1996, the duo of QBert and Yogafrog has shaped every aspect of the dj industry from technological to musical wonders. Award winning designs for Vestax became the world standard dj mixers and turntable designs. As well as Sundance Film Festival award winning films like Wave Twisters. Imagine the DJ setup. Everything now on the dj console is now built by Thud Rumble, and is the product leader in each of those market sectors within their industry. The records used for skratching is Skratchy Seal, the slipmats used for glide is Butter Rugs, the needle used is their very own Ortofon, the turntable and the mixer is their own with Vestax, lastly the cables that attach everything are their Monster Rumble cables.
QBert and Yogafrog originally from the Bay Area now residing in Honolulu, very proud of where they're from the Excelsior and the Serramonte areas of San Francisco and Daly City. To them Daly City is magical, foggy all the time, perfect conditions for a DJ to stay home and practice. "There used to be dj battles here every week somewhere in someone's garage, or at a local school, or a rec center somewhere. Even at St. Augustine Church DJ battles were held all the time."
This era in the late 80s DJ renaissance gave birth to QBert's crew Livestyle, and Yogafrog's crew Second To None, along with hundreds of other dj groups and djs spawned all over the Bay Area. The DJ Showcase Era began and gave rise to DJ QBert's competition involvement in 1991 which led to claiming the USA Championship and World Championships 2 years after consecutively. DJ QBert has then been inducted into the DMC Hall of Fame.
By 1996 the idea of a DJ/turntablist was still regarded as a simple means to "play" music and not "manipulate" the music into totally NEW music. Thud Rumble was built that same year to unveil to the world the response for just that. "The World movement of deciphering the sounds and technologies beyond the DJ's capabilities," was since day one, the ONLY goal in mind. Skratching. With a K to show how determined the culture was to be turned upside down. Everything the company does starts with the fundamental thinking of skratching. Its complexity, way of thinking, and musical possibilities. In that first year they designed the 05, 06, and 07 series of skratch mixers and PDX-2000 turntables for Vestax. Their mixers till this day are the prototype standard design that ALL competing manufacturers are modeled after till this day. The revolutionary design of the PDX-2000 Turntable for Vestax has in the same way started the manual shift of a turntable to have such evolutionary controls. Their influence has been so dynamic and marking, that their impression can be seen in almost every facet of the skratch DJ market. From musical technological designs, corporate partnerships, and musical contributions, they've been boundless at it all.
Their music influence turned into visual influence, in 1998 upon the release of DJ QBert's first album Wave Twisters came the project that would ignite their animation, and indy filmmaking prowess. Wave Twisters the Movie premiered at the famed Sundance Film Festival, won the SXSW award for best use of music in film, and was selected at over 30 other International film festivals around the World. On the other end Turntable TV their very own series of the lifestyle of DJs around the world gave life to the skratch culture, enabling aspiring and talented DJs from all over to share and communicate the latest innovations and artistry within them.
In 2000, Thud Rumble built Skratchcon2000 and the Main Event, encompassing the most important DJ showcases of all time with almost every major DJ crew at hand presenting their unique style and influence. Source magazine hailed their event as the "Most important DJ event of all time."
Upon the retirement of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz team project, Yogafrog and DJ QBert set out on taking their art form to directions their creativity can explore. Later that year Yogafrog and QBert created the skratch studios of Hawaii, moving for the last 5 years to the most wondrous city on the Planet , Honolulu, Hawaii. There they mapped out the forthcoming quatrains to the skratch timeline and the world awaits.
It's 2005, and the release of several key innovations have turned the movement upside down once again. Starting off with the revolutionary QFO turntable, embodying the combination of mixer and turntable ALL IN ONE. Simple standards like the Butter Rug and Flying Carpets slipmats used for skratch dj's turntables. Innovative learning tools like the interactive Do It Yourself DVDs. Vital interconnect technology designs with Monster Cable, and countless other projects in the works.
Through 20 years and countless awards, world championships, and becoming the ambassador's of the skratch culture they created. Thud Rumble has spanned the globe year after year building a legacy in the world today of an unparalleled masters of their skratch future.
HISTORY
(Starting from Skratch)
DJs invented Hip Hop, and with the control and skill involved with rhythm and turntable techniques, DJs have transformed the music, technology, and the style behind it. Though many DJs posses this musical talent, a sub-culture of DJs called “Turntablists” has pushed the talent into an art by manipulating, and orchestrating beats and vocals to create completely new sounds and songs. By venturing into uncharted musical and digital realms, Thud Rumble has effectively and successfully escalated industry standards in the DJ Skratch culture.
Established in 1996, Richard Quitevis and Ritche Desuasido created Thud Rumble, Ltd. and cemented a partnership to span the DJ skratch culture to new audiences and media.
They began by developing their concept DJ crew. A group who's members could only comprise of the most skilled DJs in the World. The rules were simple, traditions passed down by the GrandMasters of Hip-Hop. "A Djs skill is based on his scratchin cuts," was the saying. It's DJs would include a lineup of San Francisco based innovators such as MixMaster Mike, DJ Shortkut, DJ D-Styles, and the only member outside of the USA, DJ A-Trak. As a collective, the group was named the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, later acknowledged as the pioneers of the Turntablist DJ movement.
In March of 1997, Thud Rumble created, produced, and distributed Turntable TV. With the skepticism questioning the phonograph turntable as being considered a musical instrument, Thud Rumble developed a humorous approach in introducing a turntablist’s lifestyle. By creating Turntable TV, viewers could watch them practice and hang out with other DJs from different regions around the world show off their talents, skills, while providing helpful tips. Amazed by a large reaction from Turntable TV, Thud Rumble saw the need for new products and events to help Turntablists progress their skills.
In comes 1998, and the music of DJ QBert's first solo album was released and the film production of the same name went underway. Wave Twisters, a Yellow Submarine type musical journey where all the music became synched to an animated interpretation. A reverse engineered movie. The music came first, then the movie came second.
To QBert and Yogafrog's surprise, Wave Twisters the movie would debut at the Sundance Film Festival and winning the Audience Award at SXSW. Thud Rumble's first motion picture release would go on to win dozens of more awards in music, animation, and film.
That summer, July of 2000, San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts held Skratchcon2000, the first DJ conference that provided “the education and development of skratch music literacy”. By bringing the globe’s important DJs together in one arena, professional and amateur DJs were given the chance to learn and utilize various skills, techniques, and styles. In the past, Thud Rumble was involved in contribution to producing important historical DJ events like ITF (International Turntablist Federation) and the Vestax World DJ Championships. After being praised by Source Magazine as the “Greatest DJ event of all time”, Thud Rumble had successfully added Skratchcon2000 to the list.
In 2001, Thud Rumble streamlined production and distribution of their own products. By working directly with almost every DJ store in the globe Thud Rumble was able to provide a wider range of performances tools for DJs. The Butter Rugs, was soon launched immediately gaining innovative praise, and almost 10 years later, still the most widely used turntable accessory bought alongside the turntable. Another industry standard was born.
Early 2002, Scratch the Movie and its’ follow up tour gave recognition to the entire DJ scene. With influential figures such as the X-Ecutioners, ZTrip, Shepard Fairy, and many others, the movie focused on the birth and the future of the DJ arts. The movie's finale showcased DJ QBert being knighted by GrandMixer DXT. With the passing of dear friend GM Roc Raida, DJ QBert is the only living DJ, "knighted" by the Grand Masters of Hip Hop.
In 2004, Thud Rumble set off to redesign the entire landscape of DJ equipment with the unbelievable success as the co-head designers for the Vestax Corporation in Japan. They set standards with their designs with the 05PRO, 06PRO, 07PRO mixers and PDX-2000 turntables selling more than 1 million units and creating the blueprint that all DJ battle mixers must have in their technology. Ortofon, one of the founding companies of the turntable needle stylus and innovators of the concorde cartridge shape, asked Thud Rumble to personally create a needle to Thud Rumble standards and reliability with precision to match. The DJ QBert Concordes and OM were released, ranking till today the No#1 needle used in DJ battles and performances worldwide. Then, Bay Area electronic giant Monster Cable brought in Thud Rumble to reshape their interconnects and create cables for DJs.
2005, the dvd, 100 Secret Skratches The Skratchlopedia Breaktannica was released. Following the best selling instructional DJ series DIY-1 and DIY-2, Skratchlopedia became the first compendium of all the skratches from the last 30+ years in one DVD. The encyclopedia of a real djs skills.
In 2009, QBert Skratch University was launched online. With partners Artistworks, they've created innovative teaching styles with online video technology. Hundreds of students and only one year old, who knows what the future holds for this great learning atmosphere for DJs in the age of the internet.
The opening of Thud Rumble Gallery in San Mateo, California in 2010, showcased the special relationships Thud Rumble has with the Bay Area's finest graffiti and urban artists of our generation, from Dream to DUG-1, from Mars-1 to Damon Soule, their works together helped shape and drive the music and arts culture in the Bay Area to new heights.
