As the General Manager at the Beat Junkie Institute of Sound and vinyl curator, how has the Portablist scene impacted your community of students and customers?

The portablists scene is very important in our community since it gives our students easy access to practice and is very affordable compared to a complete Dj set up.

You have a deep history with record shops and labels (Fat Beats, Stacks Vinyl, Elements) so we're sure your familiar with the growth of independent 7" vinyl producers and companies. What labels / producers do you think have really contributed to the Portablist community?

As far as scratch 7's -"Cut & Paste Records" & "Practice Yo! Cuts" are labels that produce solid material and do very well at our school. Jesse Dean Designs & Open Format LA played a huge role in the success of the Portablists scene here in LA.

You've got a very cool looking PT01 Scratch - how have you modified it?

Jesse Dean & Underkut (OpenformatLA) blessed me with a personal modded PT. 01 Upgrades include: New tonearm, Shure 44-7 Stylus, Custom platter, start & stop arcade button, rechargeable battery, Jesse dean scratch fader & custom skin.

What's your favorite 7" vinyl to cut with?

I have several but standouts include: Cut-A-Lot Series, Any Cut N Paste 7" & DJ A1's - Skiratcha Series.

When did you first hear about / see portablism? What was your first impression compared to today?

The First person that I saw with a portable was DJ BABU, I fell in love with the freedom and portability it provided.

Where do you see the culture and community of portablism in the next 5 years?

I believe the scene will still be strong due to the community behind it, no stopping it anytime soon.

Where are some of the best spots in Southern California to have a Portablist session?

Open Format LA holds regular sessions at their warehouse with a great community to support it.

What’s on the horizon for yourself as a DJ and the Beat Junkies?

For myself & the Institute we take great pride in passing down our knowledge & preserving the artform of DJing we know best. Our goal is to breed the new crop of well rounded Djs boundless by genre. At BJIOS, we approach DJing as a discipline, a fine art & a passion that will be with you for life!