It’s not very often that I’ll write and promote for the competition (I manage entertainment at Indigo), but I can’t go without giving props to DJ Scooter and Ikon of the Cell Block for bringing Scooter’s Crooklyn Clan cohort and fellow video DJ 2nd Nature to town.

The Details…
Where: The Cellblock, 420 E College Ave
When: April 8, 9PM (18 to Enter, 21 to Drink)
Who: DJ 2nd Nature, opening sets by Cellblock residents DJ Scooter & DJ Ikon

Video DJ’ing has been around for a long time – From Mr. C’s in the 80’s, to the G-Man in the 90’s State College and Penn State nightlife has never been lacking visual stimulation… the only problem with video DJ’ing of the past has been it’s approach. In the past it’s been a “ambient” or “background” style of video mixing with a DJ at the helm and an assistant playing laser discs (gasp!) or DVDs alongside music. It never quite “sync’d up” or went along with the music as perfectly as it should.

There’s more about video DJ’ing and 2nd Nature after the jump.

That all started to change in 2004 when Pioneer electronics introduced the DVJ-X1. The DVJ-X1 was a DVD player in the form of a turntable (record player), with the ability to scratch and mix DVDs as if they were actual vinyl records. Finally a DJ could mix and scratch music videos in a nightclub and party setting in a way that resonated with crowds. Even more recently, Serato Audio Research have released a video-plugin for their hugely popular Scratch Live software, this plugin allows DJ’s to mix video files on their computer using actual vinyl through a special timecoded record. The benefits of mixing video files allows DJ’s to play their own video edits without having to burn them to a DVD.

Alongside DJ’s Mike Relm, Jordan Laws and Rooney G, 2nd Nature took video DJ’ing to another level… mixing and scratching homemade video edits, remixes and movie clips at nightclubs and private parties for celebrities around the word. 2nd Nature, in particular made a name for himself by making his shows as much about the comedic element as he does the music and visuals.

Pioneer sponsored DJ 2nd Nature is also known across the DJ industry for his audio production and remixes. Chances are if you’ve been to a nightclub, you’ve heard a DJ 2nd Nature production and haven’t even realized it, as he is a featured artist at Crooklyn Clan’s website “The Vault”. His mixes and remixes can also be found on Ultimix/Funkymix records.

Make no mistake about it, video mixing will become more and more prevalent at nightclubs and bars across the country. Already you can find video mixing in State College at Cell Block, G-Man, Indigo and Inferno, but it’s leaders of the pack like DJ 2nd Nature who have helped bring video mixing to the forefront and his show is one that can’t be missed – whether you’re a fan of nightclubs or not.

DJ Kid A.V. is a full time DJ, a part time tech geek, and a lover of all things Blue and White. You can download his music for free at http://www.djkidavonitunes.com and follow him on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/djkidav.