Scratch battles have been a staple platform for Battle Avenue since the early 2010's. The Cut2Cut format came to life thanks to Thud Rumble's Dirtstyle Vinyl Challenge. Facing 4 DJs inward towards each other, while the rest of the crowd watched from behind, was all about "aesthetic" and is the primary model that Battle Avenue follows when creating any event (live or online). We want to make the viewers feel like they're participating in/watching something very niche' and the only way to really feel it is to be inside the circle.
Dirstyle Vinyl Challenge Promotional Video
Building the Traveling Octagon for the Dirtstyle Vinyl Challenge
History - "Taking a chance on being worthy."
The Cut2Cut format took form during the release of the At The Ave Breaks vinyl series. For Thud Rumble's battle, it was required to use Dirtstyle Vinyl Records only. The Cut2Cut was going to be its own brand and at the time, not many break-vinyl records were available. So we made the bold decision to make our own with DJs: Traps, Manwell, Jawa, Paul Skratch and DJ Flow.
Historically, most vinyl battle records were only pressed by past battle champions. DJs such as: Qbert, The Allies, Roc Raida, Bangerz, Supernatural Turntable Artists and more paved the way for future champions to monetize themselves. For a long time, this was our belief. Champions were the only ones worthy of producing a break record–– until, we considered other records released by non-competing DJs such as: D-Styles, Flare, and Rectangle.
Cut2Cut Invitationals Bay Area Trailer
Becoming a legitimate company meant understanding how to monetize your efforts. The Cut2Cut was a niche' battle idea so finding sustainability through products, advertising, and sponsorships had to be considered. It started out as a labor of love, but like most passion projects, understanding when and if to take things seriously was a question that needed to be answered. We chose to take it seriously and prove we were worthy.
At The Ave Breaks Indiegogo Campaign
Impact - "Physically shake hands with the entire community"
The Cut2Cut's mission was and to this day is to personally meet our community. In the past 8 years, we've brought the Cut2Cut around the world and in many different situations. We took the "Octagon Battle" format to Germany for the Sample Music Festival, to NAMM as the first scratch battle to ever happen at the convention, and to all parts of the USA as the most recent turntablist-driven road tour. Along the way, we've built real relationships with all of the DJs, brands, companies, and legends–– this is by far the most valuable aspect of running Battle Avenue as a company. Even though we're transitioning to a digital age in regards to communications, we want to make sure we know all 20,000 of our Instagram friends so that we can fully embrace what we do as "community driven".
1st Cut2Cut Worlds Turntable Music Champion Kypski (2019)
Cut2Cut Worlds + At The Ave Breaks Vinyl We're celebrating being "worthy" and making an "impact" with the new addition to the Cut2Cut Worlds Format. For the first time ever, we've constructed a format that celebrates true "turntable musicianship". The only requirement for this category is to use a turntable in the routine. DJs will only be judged on musicality, creativity and execution. The 2 Champions of this battle will be the featured artist on our At The Ave Breaks 5 vinyl release.
We want to continue our tradition of releasing this series by celebrating the community that engages with us. We've known some of our competitors for 10+ years while others, we've just met. Regardless, battling to be "cemented" in history as a vinyl record is something we dreamt when competing in battles like DMC and ITF. We'd like to carry the tradition by offering our Champions that reward immediately following their win.
For more info about the Cut2Cut Worlds:
www.thebattleave.com/cut2cutworlds
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