Eight of Peru’s best DJs got behind the decks to prove their skills as Darth Vaders of the crossfader. One lucky spin doctor would book themselves a trip to Vancouver for the Thre3style final in December. 

 

After the elimination rounds only DJ Carlos Su and DJ Thomas 'Tommy' Young were left standing. As they rained beats down on the dancefloor it was left to the judging panel of Felipe Salmon, DJ Pulpo and Israel Vich to decide who got the ticket to Canada. And when the music stopped, it was Tommy who was crowned the king of Thre3style Peru.

 

'This was my first ever DJ competition so it’s unbelievable that I managed to win. It’s a great feeling that I’m going to get the chance to participate in the final in Vancouver. I still remember my friends introducing me to the DJ scene, getting my first turntables and practicing in my bedroom. This is unreal.'

 

The win was even more of a surprise for Tommy due to the fact he specializes in underground music rather than the Peruvian pop.

 

'Here in Lima most of the people come out to dance to Latin music but my record bag is full of international hip-hop, drum 'n' bass, electro and dubstep. When I first started playing my Thre3style set I could see the crowd were confused, especially when I started scratching and mixing. Then I dropped in a little cumbia for some Latin flavour and that got the crowd jumping.'

 

It was Tommy’s skills on the turntables that won him top marks from the judges.

 

'In Peru we hear lots of salsa, merengue, cumbia and top 40-style pop music. It can get a bit repetitive to hear the same things all the time so I like to bring something fresh. I also like to work the turntables into my set with a few tricks, a bit of scratching here and there. I think the diversity was appreciated by the clubbers and the judges.'

 

Now Tommy must pack his record bag for his trip to Canada. Ahead of his journey north, the Peruvian DJ is remaining tight-lipped about his plan of attack for the final.

 

'I’m going to keep my set for Vancouver a secret but I can guarantee that there will be plenty of diversity. I’m not planning on getting too crazy with the scratching or the tricks; instead I'll focus on getting the people to party. I’m not even thinking about winning, I’m just excited to get the chance to meet other DJs and see what they do behind the decks.'

 

Before the Thre3style final in December there’s plenty to keep Tommy busy: his art exhibition Percepción opens in Lima this week at Galería Indigo. 'As well as DJing, I’m an artist who likes to paint and work on sculptures. My inspiration comes from graffiti and other urban art forms and I’m trying to push forward the idea of bringing this art from the street and into the gallery. I sculpt in wood, cardboard and fibreglass. What with Thre3style and putting together the exhibition, this has been one crazy month!'

   

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