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DJ Tina T In The Mix

Posted by: Alex | Monday, November 19, 2007 | 4 comments

Tina Turnbull, aka DJ Tina T, has made a name for herself in the action sports scene through strong affiliations with companies like Red Bull, Vapors Magazine, LRG clothing, Nine Star Skate Shops, Active, etnies and the Mt Dew Action Sports Tour. During her two years on the Dew Action Sports Tour for Right Guard Extreme, she was also a DJ on site for the X games 2006 and spun for Shaun White’s Penthouse Party when he won the X Games in 2007. A regular DJ for Skate Demos at Nine Star in Los Angeles, she has also spun for Plan B and Matix Skate Teams.

Tina's resume reads like a dream come true... not bad for a someone who just does what she loves. etnies hooked up with Tina to find out more about the self-proclaimed "normal girl".

etnies: How did you get into Spinning/Dj-ing/Turntableism/Scratching?

Tina: I was 15 and had no drivers license and nothing to do basically. I tagged along with my big sis to her friend's house all the time and he had turntables in his room. My initial curiosity turned into a daily obsession at his house. He brought me to check out a DJ battle one day and from then on I got completely sucked into the culture of hip hop. I met other DJs and they invited me to come practice with them. Haven't stopped since!

e: It seems that people consider a DJ someone who just plays records, whereas a turntableist manipulates the tracks and makes something new. How important is that distinction to you?

T: I come from a Tabelist background, so I definitely like to manipulate as much as possible. It doesn’t always have to be with scratching... when I'm mixing two songs to make something new… then I still feel like I'm doing something different and creative. Now that I’m actually making people dance, I be careful how much I stray off into battle mode.

e: How would you take us from ELO to, let’s say 50 Cent? Or would you even consider that mix?

T: Wow, haha... well I have a saying: “just cuz you can doesn’t mean you should.” I mean, I could geek out on the BPM’s of each track and time stretch things to make it fit, but in all actuality, I prob wouldn’t mix the two if they don’t have a good flow.

e: You’re from Seattle where the music scene seems pretty cool but you moved to LA in 2005. Has that affected your music?

T: Moving to LA has opened me up musically more than I could have ever imagined. LA has a unique scene for DJs because we can play across all genres in the club. I can go from 80’s to hip hop to electro and rock all in one night without losing a beat. You can’t really get away with [that] as much in Seattle; it freaks people out, but in LA they are used to it.

e: Congratulations on winning LA Weekly's DJ Spin Off this year! What was that competition all about?

T: They chose 6 finalists from over 300 submissions and they had us battle live in Hollywood. We each had five minutes to just “do what we do.” I prepared the sickest 5 min set that I could think of and thank god it all came off the way I planned at the competition. They flew me to Miami for WMC to DJ and it was one of the best times of my life. I think it felt that much better knowing that I really earned the trip. I worked my ass off on that routine!

e: You also teach on university campuses and do workshops for girls. How'd you get involved in that?

T: I am really involved with Scratch DJ Academy in LA. I love to see up and coming DJs and people getting involved in the culture. I mostly do short demos and talk a little about my career so far and the things Ive been through. I like talking to girls specifically because I would like to see some of the male-dominated industries balance out... and the best way to do that is being a realistic role model. People don’t think I “look” like a DJ… I'm just a normal girl, but I fell in love with something and went for it.

e: Right on. Did you have sort of a mentor when you started? And who’s really big right now that you’d like to work with?

T: I am so pumped to say that I was able to DJ with my two favorites in the last month: DJ AM and DJ RIZ. It's amazing to be next to the ones you look up to and see them get into what you're doing. All you can do when your idols are there watching is try and show off as much as you can! I've had many mentors in diff cities, I'm lucky that I've been taught with so many different styles, it has made me a very well rounded DJ.

e: You've done parties for Shaun White, Red Bull, Nine Star Skate Shops, Active and etnies, so you're very much a part of that community. Do you skate/snowboard or surf at all?

T: I used to snowboard for 8 years and then when I started to DJ more and stay out late on weekends, I kinda fell off. But this season I'm ready to hit the slopes again! I skate a little bit, I recently dropped into a mini ramp and felt like I overcame my biggest fear. Been surfing a few times, last time I got knocked out by my own board, which was kinda lame. After being on the Dew Action Sports Tour, I've gotten hooked watching BMX, but I don’t think I'll ever have the balls to do it, [haha]. Totally want to ride dirt bikes more often! I love the community and I have so much respect for all the athletes.

e: Of all the rad parties you've worked, which ones were your faves?

T: Vegas is always over the top, which I love. By far the best party so far has been for Red Bull at the SIMA surf convention in Mexico. I played on the beach all night and people danced barefoot in the sand, while taking tequila shots outta the bottle! I'm so used to being confined to walls in a club, so to look out to ocean and stars while people partied was an amazing experience!

e: What’s your connection to etnies, and what stokes you out about the brand?

T: I met Don Brown [etnies VP of Marketing] when I was DJ-ing in Mexico for SIMA (he was one of the ones that lost his flip flops in the sand that night!). I looked through catalogs/website and got hooked! The girls line is amazing and it totally fits my style. The brand fits my lifestyle and personality.

e: That's awesome, Tina... consider etnies your mutual fan! Thanks for your time and we'll look for you on the slopes this season!

For more on Tina and a list of upcoming events, check out her MySpace page, complete with photos and sample tracks.