In the '90s, Swift joined the now legendary X-Ecutioners, a turntablist crew who gained a reputation for their mind-boggling techniques. In 2005, he left the group to pursue solo work, later joining Mike Patton's brilliant Peeping Tom project.
On his new DVD, As the Tables Turn, Swift drops some serious knowledge. "The DVD isn't just about me and my talents. It's a road map for young DJs to follow," says Swift, whose film doesn't focus on scratch tricks like most DJ documentaries, but instead examines the nuts and bolts of Swift's career.
Of course, these days aspiring DJs have all kinds of digital technology at their disposal. This is something Swift embraces, but with one stipulation. "I'm not against DJs incorporating technology such as Serato Scratch Live when they perform -- as long as he or she can do the same with two pieces of vinyl."
