STARTING FROM SCRATCH

At 24, Rodi Kirkcaldy (aka Scratch22) has music covered, says Amanda Sachtleben.

Since he started DJing about a decade ago, Scratch22 has been part of hiphop group The Unscene, produced an album for and toured with local hiphop/folk rock artist Tourettes, composed his own material for a solo album and he now presents a weekly radio slot.

His rise through so many areas of the music industry is all the more impressive because he's a self-made artist with no formal training.

"I've always been a do-it-yourself person and I've taught myself everything I know. I haven't really had a mentor to teach me," he says. "But the benefits of that are your style is your own. I like originality."

Kirkcaldy's parents are fans of classical and jazz music. His musical path began with scratching vinyl on his father's turntable at 13 and making mix tapes from radio recordings.

"There was always music playing when I was growing up and my parents were very encouraging. I play a bit of everything, I just really love making noise and I'll do that with whatever I can."

While at Takapuna Grammar on Auckland's North Shore, he began competing in DJing competitions where he had 90 seconds to prove he was better than a competitor, rising through regional rounds to a national final in front of 2000 people at the Auckland Town Hall.

Now a full-time DJ/producer, he has supported a variety of artists and has diversified into other genres outside
hiphop. In fact, Kirkcaldy says he mostly listens to jazz and folk music now. He has produced rock bands and a Jamaican dance hall group, and has a strong interest in
world music.

Each week he does a set at Auckland's Fubar called "Don't worry", offering dance music from around the world, and he makes sure he attends the annual Womad festival in New Plymouth.

Kirkcaldy's Friday afternoon show on Base FM also reflects his interest in a wide variety of musical styles.

"DJs play their own selections. It's not like a typical commercial station that runs according to a playlist. That makes it really fun. I have total control over what I play, including a lot of demos that wouldn't otherwise get radio play."

Radio offers a completely different perspective on musical exploration, says Kirkcaldy. "There's not such a performance expectation and I get to play a lot wider variety of songs."

He admits it's tough to make a decent living as a musician in New Zealand but loves to rely on his own creativity.

"You're creating your own material so you're not selling anything but your own idea. I'm not exactly a rich man, but I'm doing what I've always wanted to do."Ultimately, Rodi reckons, it's more rewarding than working for someone else.