Tribe Verified· 2014 War of the DJs Runner-Up

Behind the Scenes: My Turntablism Practice Lab

byKarthik SivaramPerforms across Bengaluru and KarnatakaStarts from₹12,000 per performanceView full gallery

Welcome to my crib. This is where I push the limits of my decks, drill new scratching techniques, and sharpen my beat juggling. It is not polished, but it is real.

This is what learning looks like. Making a shit load of mistakes while practicing beat juggling, but that's how you get on the right path.

Slow and steady wins the race. Here's a late-night practice session where I'm learning some new beat juggles.

Wanted to try the Tupac scratch on the turntables. This is me figuring it out during a practice session.

Learning some juggles with some classic Michael Jackson tracks. You have to know the classics to rock a party.

Part one of a beat juggling practice session. This is the foundation of turntablism, deconstructing and rebuilding a beat in real time.

Part two of the beat juggling session. Getting the timing and hand speed right takes hours of repetition.

A fun session with some random Tamil kuthu tracks. I hit the wrong bar, but when the camera is off, I'm dancing away.

I know it's not perfect, but it's a start. Still learning and will keep practicing until I master it.

More beat juggling practice. You have to be willing to make mistakes to improve. One life, full power.

A practice session focused on beat juggling. Setting goals for the future and putting in the work now.

About The Craft: At The Crib Practice Sessions

People think DJing is just about showing up and playing hits, but the real work happens when the crowd is gone. In these sessions, I am not just listening to music, I am deconstructing it. I am currently obsessing over faderless scratches and beat juggling routines, practicing for hours to get the timing right so when I am on stage, the mayhem is controlled.

2014 War of the DJs Runner-Up — Approved by the tribe

Karthik Sivaram

Performs across Bengaluru and KarnatakaStarts from ₹12,000 per performance

Yo, I am Karthik, better known as DJ Wicked Blaze. When I am not out there bringing the mayhem to a dancefloor, you will find me here, tinkering with my decks and sweating over new scratch drills. It is all about the energy for me, and that starts with putting in the hours in my own studio.