Published in the January 2010 Issue of DJ Times Magazine
Volume 23 - Number 01
By Jim Tremayne

New York City—Since his teenage years, Sam Zornow has been well-entrenched in the relatively insular turntablist community. Known professionally as DJ Shiftee, the 23-year-old New Yorker has taken a slew of battle championships, including the recent 2009 DMC world title, so his crisp deck skills and flawless presentations have elicited deep respect.

But it’s his personality and humor that really make DJ Shiftee all the more notable and offer him a chance to transcend the scratch sandbox. Take a troll through YouTube or his MySpace page and you’ll find a handful of clips—from battle routines to instructional tutorials—that deliver more than a bellyful of yucks.

Wanna learn how to execute any number of turntable tricks, like, say, the ever-powerful swing flare? Check into the “Shiftee Salsa School of Scratch”—an online series he’s produced for New York DJ/production school Dubspot—and you’ll get dead-on instruction to go along with some not-so-deadpan shtick. Laugh and learn.

It’s much the same approach for his battle routines. The flurry of ripping scratches and precise cuts are offset with well-timed spoken-word snippets that could be pointed and challenging, aw-shucks cornball or gleefully profane, but always memorable. Like the best turntablists, he knows how to tell a story. Not bad for a math grad from that legendary laugh factory, Harvard University.

So just how does a self-described Ivy League math geek become a two-time world scratch champ? We caught up with Sam Zornow who offered some insight into the world of DJ Shiftee.

DJ Times: OK, Mr. Shiftee, what’s your full name and age?

Shiftee: Samuel Morris Zornow, 23-years old. Shout out to all the middle-name Morris DJs out there. Hmmm, that’s actually a good name for a DJ/producer: Middle Name Morris. I’m going to call a copyright on that right now.
DJ Times: Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live?

Shiftee: I grew up in New York City and then Scarsdale, N.Y. Thankfully, I’m currently back in NYC.
DJ Times: When and how did you get the DJ bug?

Shiftee: I caught the DJ bug roughly around the time I had a Bar Mitzvah and became a man. I used the funds from this holy occasion to cop my first set of turntables. I was just starting to get into underground hip hop full-force, and I was fascinated by the scratching sounds I heard on my favorite songs.

DJ Times: So, what was your first DJ setup?

Shiftee: My first DJ setup consisted of Technics 1200 turntables, an entry-level Numark mixer, Ortofon Pro needles, and big, blue, felt slipmats.

DJ Times: Which DJs inspired you? Did you see a live gig? Did you watch all the videos?

Shiftee: When I bought my first decks, I also purchased the first “DMC Champions” video. I knew nothing about DJ battles or really that whole style of DJing, so this was immediately a whole new world for me. It was a revelation, like, “Whoa! What is this? I must do this!” DJ David cutting up “Hey,” The Rocksteady DJs’ [QBert, Mixmaster Mike and Apollo] whole set, and Aladdin’s transformer scratch were my favorite parts. I also had The Beat Junkies on Soundbombing II and Revolution on Sway and King Tech’s This or That on heavy rotation in my Mini-Disc player. Once I started practicing a bit, A-Trak became a big source of inspiration because he was able to become a champion at such a young age.

DJ Times:How does a Harvard guy become a DMC champ?

Shiftee: When you graduate, the president of Harvard gives you a set of 12’s and says, “You’ve got the juice now.” I actually think I’m a Harvard guy largely because of doing battles. I was competing seriously all throughout high school, and my college application and interviews were all about DJing.

DJ Times: You studied math in college. Doesn’t DJing require at least some remedial math?

Shiftee: Yes. In particular, I believe it helps to be able to count to four.

DJ Times: Was there a DJ scene in Cambridge? Did you have a regular gig?

Shiftee: There was a big hip-hop scene in Cambridge/Boston, but a very small DJ scene. Most of my group practice sessions came when I was back home in New York during vacations. I stayed regular by spinning parties on campus and DJing for the Boston-based hip hop group, Awkward Landing.

DJ Times: How did you balance your school work and DJing?

Shiftee: Lots and lots of energy drinks. Seriously.

DJ Times: What is your ideal DJ setup now? Why do you pick each component?

Shiftee: Turntables? Technics 1200/1210s—the industry standard, unparalleled feel, response and durability. For battle mixer, the Rane TTM56—my favorite faders and layout of any scratch mixer. For mixing mixer, the Pioneer DJM-909 or Pioneer DJM-800—the onboard effects are sexy. Needles: Ortofon QBerts for a battle or Ortofon Golds for mixing. I initially switched to Ortofon because DMC made it mandatory, but then I actually came to prefer their sound—very clever, Ortofon!
DJ Times: What about digital gear?

Shiftee: For MIDI controller, Native Instruments’ Maschine—great layout, excellent response, love the illuminated buttons. For laptop, Macbook Pro. Why? Because I want to be the cool guy in those commercials and not the nerdy one.

DJ Times: Have you checked out Native’s new controller [the Kontrol X1]?
Shiftee: I’ve seen the website and the Richie Hawtin video, but I haven’t used it myself yet. Looks great, especially for controlling effects in Traktor.

DJ Times: You’re a Traktor guy, right? Why is that your DVS choice?

Shiftee: I am indeed a Traktor guy, but I prefer to say, “Traktor man” because it has a better ring to it. Check it out: “I’m a Traktor man.” So classy. For me, Traktor Scratch Pro has the best touch, the best sound, the most features, and the most power for creativity of any DVS I have encountered.

DJ Times: In your mind, do the DVS solutions in any way dilute the notion of “true turntablism”? Why or why not?

Shiftee: They can. A lot of creativity in turntablism comes from trying to solve a problem presented by a record. On a DVS, all you have to do is hit a cue point or edit your file in these cases, so some new ideas can be lost. Of course on the other hand, true turntablism has also been expanded by DVS solutions since you now have so many more tools at your disposal. Turntablism is really about changing sounds to make them your own, so manipulating an effect or tapping out a pattern with cue points, especially in conjunction with more traditional techniques, fits nicely with the spirit of turntablism. Plus the turntablist can really become more of an artist by arranging his own sound sequences or cutting up previously unattainable samples. For instance, I almost exclusively scratch my own voice now.

DJ Times: The turntablist world doesn’t seem as crazy as it was 10 years ago—when you were all of 13. Am I crazy for thinking that? How would you describe the current scene?

Shiftee: You are an extremely sane individual. The scene is definitely less exciting. It seems like a lot of the new talent is jumping right into production or spinning rather than turntablism. Additionally on a global level, the routines have gotten so advanced and technical that performances can be less accessible for an audience. The US scene appears to be on the rise, though, and the scratching side of things is truly crazy internationally. The battle scene really just follows the state of the US economy. The Clinton years marked an era of prosperity for Turntablism, while Battle DJing during the Great Depression was horrendous. I’m confident President Obama can lead us to a new golden age of scratching and beat juggling.

DJ Times: How did you win your way to the world title? What was your journey?

Shiftee: I have really been working towards this ever since I saw that first “DMC Champions” tape 10 years ago. However, I think I truly started on the path towards champion when I met the other members of my crew, the Lo-Livez—Precision, Cutfucious, Boogie Blind and Tragik—and they invited me to practice with them. I cannot overemphasize the importance of having a strong and reliable support system around you.

DJ Times: How’s that?

Shiftee: Every routine I’ve made over the years has been helped and approved of by my crew—shouts also to the homie I-Dee. When I lived in Scarsdale, I used to commute 90 minutes by public transportation each way to practice at Cutfucious’ house every Sunday. For this most recent title, Precision was over at least three nights a week to help me develop my set during the months leading up to worlds. I also took a series of hard losses in 2008, so I approached 2009 with a vengeance. I toured with DJ Switch in a mock USA-vs.-UK battle over the summer, which allowed me to hone my material. Then, when it came down to the real battles, I was in peak form and took home the DMC East Coast and DMC USA Finals before worlds.

DJ Times: So much has already been done at these competitions, so how does a DJ impress judges anymore?

Shiftee: As the saying goes, dress to impress. Each judge has his own preferences, so it’s almost impossible to please everyone. I try to think of material that advances beyond what I’ve previously done. In general, I think originality in technique and style can be more impressive than difficulty. Since so much has already been done, innovations these days are often of a more subtle, esoteric nature.

DJ Times: What, do you think, are your strengths?

Shiftee: My discipline in practice, my deep understanding of the sandwich, my ability to handle pressure situations, also answering interview questions about my strengths, taking my time with routines, and taco eating. I currently hold the record at my local all-you-can-eat taco spot with 14.

DJ Times: What are three records that are always in your box—either to play in a club or for a routine?

Shiftee: My Traktor records! I always carry: a skipless scratch record with an “Ahhhh” sound, in case people step to me; Ghostface Killah’s “The Champ,” because of superstition; and Onyx’s “Shifftee,” because this song is about me.

DJ Times: For our DJ readers, what would you tell them about playing a room, as opposed to winning a competition?

Shiftee: Winning a competition is based on developing your skills and understanding how to construct an impactful composition, whereas playing a room is more about developing your knowledge of songs and understanding how their energy affects people.

DJ Times: Do you have a regular job? Do you use your math degree?

Shiftee: I teach at Dubspot, a stellar DJ and production school here in New York City. Otherwise, I’m DJing 16/7—I try to get eight hours of sleep a night. I tend only to use my degree in MySpace bios and when my friends ask me to calculate the tip at restaurants.
DJ Times: What do you teach at Dubspot?

Shiftee: Normal DJing (i.e., mixing), Turntablism, Traktor, and the Foxtrot.

DJ Times: Outside the hip-hop world, what genres do you like to play?

Shiftee: Electro house, indie dance, new wave & old school disco, and dubstep.

DJ Times: Which non-hip-hop jocks do you dig and why?

Shiftee: My favorites are the former DMC Champs who now do dance music: Craze, Klever, A-Trak, Jack Beats (Plus One & Beni G). Naturally, the way they interact with tunes resonates heavily with me. Jack Beats, in particular, has crazy productions that remind me a lot of futuristic, extended turntablist routines. Beat Torrent and the Vand Vand guys in France are killing it as well. Other than that: Diplo, Boys Noize, LA Riots, Fake Blood, Crookers, Bloody Beetroots, Treasure Fingers, Rusko, Skream, other peeps on like Fools Gold, Mad Decent, and Trouble & Bass. I haven’t actually seen a lot them spin live, but the line between DJ and producer has gotten so small and their music is where it’s at these days.

DJ Times: Where are you playing these days?

Shiftee: The majority of my gigs over the past year or so have been overseas. I’ve hit the U.K. a bunch of times, China, all over Europe. I’m playing locally every now and then, but being a DMC champ can be both a blessing and a curse. Promoters think you might just scratch for three hours.

DJ Times: From any genre, what is your favorite listening music? Artists? Desert-island CDs?
Shiftee: Lots of Indie Rock on the more experimental tip: Animal Collective, TV on the Radio, The Books, Karen O. Also: The Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, De La Soul, MF Doom, Flying Lotus type stuff, mbira music, and “Chaka Khan radio” on Pandora/Groove Shark. I wouldn’t bring CDs to a desert island. Where would I play them? That’s just poor packing.

DJ Times: In your mind, what makes a corny DJ, in competition or in a club?

Shiftee: Biting is corny, all style and no substance is corny, pretending to be something you’re not is corny. However, corny jokes are not corny.

DJ Times: What advice would you have for any DJs who want to succeed?

Shiftee: Listen to your fortune cookies.  

DJ Times: What’s next for you?

Shiftee: Hopefully a transition into the world of party-rocking and dance music. Expect shows, mixtapes, silly YouTubes, perhaps a title defense or a run at the DMC team championship, and maybe even some original Shiftee/Middle Name Morris productions. I also plan to break my taco-eating record on Tuesday. n