The Documentaries Scratch and Scratch: All the Way Live: The Grand Masters of Scratch

Could it be that the unfathomable techniques of today's scratch DJs are honing alien signals from distant galaxies? That may be a stretch, but if you've ever heard the sounds that emulate from the fingertips of some turntabalists, they can inspire an extra terrestrial presence. The advent of turntable as instrument is a musical monument of the 20th century and the documentary Scratch pays homage to the innovators of the craft.

The original documentary Scratch premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002 and made it's way across the country in theaters with guest appearances by the world's top turntablists. A follow up film premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2005 showcasing the Los Angeles stop on the tour. The Tour film drifts from the feel of tribute Scratch had, instead revealing the raw energy of the stage presence DJs have achieved outside the booth.

After DJ Jazzy Jay laid his foundation for the camera, he sets off the L.A tour with a taste of a Bronx block-party circa 1982. All these years and Jazzy Jay is probably one of the few DJs who can say, "keepin it real" without sounding phony. As he rightfully claims, his DJ sets reach back to the grooves of soulful bands, Zulu Nation style. He makes no pretension that the push-button rock of beat machines is a lesser art, just that he stays true to his preference of the live sound.

Electronics aside, this is a film about the men behind the machines, the sweat drenched performances of a life force that dominates the boxes and wires. The tour film follows the progression of the show putting DJ Z-Trip at the helm who's journey takes the audience from the likes of hard-hip hop beats to Led Zeppelin and Rage Against the Machine riffs. He tops it off with his trademark scratch duet to Edvard Grieg's In the Hall Of The Mountain King, somewhat of a theme for the Scratch tour as it appeared in the first film.