The grand finals of Clash of the Hard Drives, a disc jock competition that is geared towards university and college students, took place last month.

The top three winners are Anthony “DJ Spectre” Parker (first place), Rajeed “DJ Plazmatik” Gooden (second place) and Cory “DJ Nasaal” Francis (third place). They are all students at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech).

Kyle Hutchinson and Lenworth Henry are the event’s organisers. Hutchinson explained how the competition came about.

“Clash of the Hard Drives began at UTech at the Donald Farquharson Hall as a way for resident students to socialise and enjoy a good old-fashion laptop clash. However, it was dormant for some time and in 2016, I was appointed entertainment coordinator and I decided to reimagine and rebranded this event, which has blossomed into the competition it is today. The revamped Clash of the Hard Drives is in its 4th year and it has been growing from strength to strength each year,” said Hutchinson.

Hutchinson added, “The competition took place from February 21 to March 5, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to put the semi-finals and the finals on hold. We resumed on June 27 and ended on July 4 at the Inzone UTech.”

Prior to the interruption of the competition, some seventeen participants had signed up for the competition. They represented the University of Technology, The University of the West Indies and the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts.

“Due to the pandemic, the numbers were reduced to seven contestants, including Oshane “DJ Contak” Heath, Mikano “DJ Kano” Reid, Adrian “DJ Fenix” Williams and Devon “DJ Devy” Laing,” said Hutchinson.

The competition targets university students between the ages of 18 and 30 years who have an appreciation for music and creativity.

“The support from the campus has been amazing. This event is one that students look forward to as it brings a unique feel outside of parties through the challenges that the DJs are given. This forces them to dig deep into their creative boxes and produce unique mixes for the audiences,” said Hutchinson who is a final-year student at UTech pursuing a degree in construction management.

The competition has received support from The Release and Jump Start Music, as well as endorsements from professional disc jocks, including DJ Nicco, Brush1 Chromatic, ZJ Fuse and Trippple X.

Hutchinson explained the judging criteria.

“The winner is decided through an elimination process. Competitors were eliminated as the rounds went along up until the final two were left, after which it was down to the clash segment to determine who would be the last man standing. They earn scores on creativity, technical ability, preparation, and mannerism.”

He continued, “This competition has brought to DJs, a platform for them to showcase what they have to offer while challenging themselves to be more creative with their craft. It has also given them exposure to the more professional side of being a DJ by allowing them to receive internships with local radio stations. Most recently it has given one contestant the opportunity to be granted the position of resident DJ for one local radio station programme and others to play live on radio.”