Derek Showard, better known by the stage name GrandMixer DXT, is an American musician, one of the earliest to use turntables as a musical instrument in the 1980s. Early in his career, he was known as Grand Mixer D.ST, a reference to Delancey Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. He was featured in the influential hip hop film Wild Style. Widely recognized as a pioneer, Grand Mixer DXT is credited as being the first turntablist. He was the first person to establish the turntable as a fully performable and improvisational musical instrument, especially important is his technique of altering the pitch of the note or sound on the record. He is also credited with helping to popularize DJing through his scratching on Herbie Hancock's single "Rockit", from the Bill Laswell and Material produced album Future Shock. He is featured in the 2001 documentary, Scratch.
Links to Peel
Peel played a few of Derek's singles under the DST name and nominated his single, Megamix II: Why Is It Fresh?, as one of his 1984 Top Three Singles.
Shows Played
- 09 September 1984 (BFBS): Megamix II: Why Is It Fresh? (12") Celluloid
- 16 September 1984 (BFBS): Megamix II: Why Is It Fresh? (12") Celluloid
- 27 November 1984: Mean Machine (7") Celluloid
- 1986
- 12 November 1986: Rock The House In Japan (12") Epic
- 01 December 1986: Rock The House In Japan (12") Epic