DJ Tivo hard at work.

Damian McCarney

Hip-hop and trad may sound like unusual bedfellows, but they spoon together surprisingly easily when musical match-maker Dj Tivo has the vinyls in hand.

It may sound like a contrived combination, a gimmick maybe for a young buck to make a mark, but Dj Tivo's choice from apparently distant genres sometimes see the tunes romance eachother in an easy-complimenatary fashion, and other times it's a much more passionate affair. It seems there's no genres this scratch-artist can't meld - and all with a light, humourous touch. That Dj Tivo made a mark along the way - this year's National Student Dj Spinoff trophy resides on his turntable - is just reward.

A single set sees the Athlone man, cram in an impossibly wide range of styles with trad, rock, pop and blues all cut up with dancehall, reggae, hip-hop and dub-step records. On top of that you'll get the occasional burst of something so leftfield you can't begin to wonder how on earth he came up with it - when's the last time you heard Inspector Gadget or Convoy (yes! from the 1975 trucker film) on the dancefloor?

His press bumpfh puts it best: "These are old tunes cut with new beats."

It's worth checking out, and fortunately he's coming to play the Widow's Bar, Belturbet this Friday - yes dancing in The Widows!

Dj Tivo plus special guests plays Origins at The Widow's Bar, Belturbet on Friday, July 6 from 10pm-late. Oh, and it's free.

Although it makes for much more interesting listening than it does viewing (unless you've a scratching fascination), you can catch his winning set at Twisted Pepper below.

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