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THE VINYL WORD

PHOTO COURTESY OF E-TURN

Being the country's most commercially successful turntablist wasn't enough for E-Turn (楊立鈦). He wanted to prove he could do a lot more than play the ones and twos, and with his debut album We Are the Best he does just that. Not only did he produce the beats - he also wrote the lyrics and sang the songs.

"What I hate the most is being stagnant," he tells the Vinyl Word on the phone from his home. "I would like to show my love to the world by making music."

His new album combines the currently popular mash-up of hip-hop, electronica, rap and rock. It's aimed at the teenage market, a la Jay Chou (周杰倫). If you've been paying attention to MTV lately, you've probably seen the music video for Showtime (十?點妳就離開), in which a hot girl is seen getting down as E-Turn raps and spins a light-hearted dance number.

"I never thought I'd be a DJ," he says. But one day when he was 17, he and a friend visited a clothing shop in Ximending. "Instead of the T-shirts, it was the turntables that drew my attention," he says. "I became totally obsessed with them. So when I finally got a pair of decks of my own, I would spend eight hours practicing almost every day."

E-Turn - the name stands for "Exciting Turntablist" - started spinning seven years ago and by now is a seasoned veteran of DJ competitions. He won the 2002 Vestax turntable competition here - and a trip to Japan for his efforts - and the MTV Motorola DJ Mix in 2003, which took him to exhibition tournaments in Singapore and London.

Two years ago, E-Turn became Taiwan's first DMC, or disco mix club, champion, which saw him compete in London for the world title. He returned to Taiwan the most sought-after DJ on the pop music scene. He's since played in concerts for Jolin Tsai (蔡依林), taught girl band S.H.E. how to deejay and helped out Taiwanese rock hero Wu Bai (伍佰) and pop idol Wang Lee-hom (王力宏) on overseas tours. As glamorous and busy as his job might be, though, he still goes straight home after work. Unlike most DJs, the 24-year-old bachelor rarely hangs around and mingles with the girls in clubs.

When he visited the UK in 2003, E-Turn met the renowned breakbeat producer B.T. and visited his studio. "I was lucky to have B.T. as a mentor," he says. "He showed me the world of electronic music and I've been fascinated by it ever since."

During the same year, E-Turn joined the band XL. "Playing in the band was a whole new experience to me," he says. "My musical horizons were greatly broadened and I learned a lot about making music and working in the studio."

Despite being rather hyper on stage, E-Turn is mellow and polite in person. He's a bit shy when you call him "the champion" and says "thank you" a lot. What words does he have for his fans? "I'm thankful to those who have helped me," he says gratefully. "I'm proud to be Chinese. 'We are the best' is my message to all the Chinese people in the world."

You can watch E-Turn's music video for Showtime on his Web site, www.djeturn.com.tw.

On Feb. 3, E-Turn will perform in a mini-concert at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Doors open at 9pm and tickets are NT$350. Riverside is located at B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號B1).

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