6 December 2013 – As the dust settled on another titanic clash of champions, one grand winner stood tall above the rest. Defending his 2012 Champion title for the chance to compete in the 2014 Pioneer Digital DJ Battle Asian Championship, Ben Cracko spun his way to immortality by defeating five other finalists and emerging as the 2013 Pioneer Digital DJ Battle winner.
One of Malaysia’s biggest deejaying events and originating from Orlando, Florida, the Pioneer Digital DJ Battle started off as the brainchild of party-crazy, audio-savvy Pioneer ProDJ executives. First hitting local shores in 2003, the event has since grown into a prominent stage for unearthing new talents in the local DJ scene – famous past winners include names like DJ Fuzz, DJ Victor G, DJ Goldfish, DJ Blink and more. Today, the event continues to attract a large following of seasoned audiophiles, aspiring DJs, clubbers and party-goers.
The Pioneer Digital DJ Battle 2013 was organised by Pioneer and co-sponsored by official magazine JUICE, official apparel PUMA (who dressed all 6 finalists), official timepiece ICE-WATCH, official body care GATSBY, official TV station 8TV and Heineken, for beer served throughout the event.
Held at Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur, this year’s event saw a massive turnout of fans eager to show their support to their favourites. Long before the event started, the fans were already lining up to create a raucous party atmosphere. After much anticipation, the night kicked off with an exciting welcome address by the emcee, followed by a short opening speech by Mr. Kazutoshi Takahashi, Managing Director of Pioneer Malaysia.
Adding glitz to the event was a line-up of prominent celebrity judges comprising DJ Eugene, DJ Anowl, DJ E.T and Cyrix Leong, as well as Raymond Lee, General Manager of Pioneer Malaysia. All the judges were dressed by PUMA and wore timepieces from ICE-WATCH.
At last the finalists for the night were introduced – DJ Aims, DJ Kev Kenji, George Gan, A-Marq, Ben Cracko and DJ Alien a.k.a. BB. One by one, they stepped onstage and showcased their skills in front of a roaring crowd. Each contestant was allotted 20 minutes where they would be judged based on creative use of Pioneer equipment, song selection, skills, techniques, audience response and overall showmanship. All the DJ’s moves could be clearly seen by the judges and audience via a live screen, whipping up further intensity for the showdown.
After the finalists’ showcase, a short intermission was held where audience members participated in interactive games sessions. Lucky guests took home attractive gifts from ICE-WATCH and GATSBY, ensuring that excitement levels continued up till the results announcement.
Eventually, the results were delivered and Ben Cracko was champion once again. Judges praised his evolving style which had matured over the last year, lending him an extra edge over the other contestants. For his spectacular achievement, Ben Cracko walked away with 2 units of CDJ Player CDJ-2000NEXUS, DJM Mixer DJM-2000NEXUS and RM2,000 cash from Pioneer total worth over RM20,000. Along with PUMA vouchers worth RM1,500, ICE-WATCH Ice-Flashy Neon watch and GATSBY products.
Read more: Pioneer Digital DJ Battle 2013: The Ultimate Showdown Returns!
Coming in as 1st Runner Up was A-Marq, who received Pioneer DJM Mixer DJM-900SRT worth over RM6,000, PUMA voucher worth RM1,000, ICE-WATCH Ice-Flashy Neon watch and GATSBY products. Meanwhile, 2nd runner up George Gan took home Pioneer DJ Remix Station RMX-1000, a RM500 PUMA voucher, ICE-WATCH Ice-Flashy Neon Yellow watch and GATSBY products.
The other finalists DJ Aims, DJ Kev Kenji and DJ Alien a.k.a. BB received the consolation prizes from GATSBY, alongside invaluable exposure and experience.
Again, congratulations to the Champion, Ben Cracko who automatically earns himself direct entry to the Pioneer Digital DJ Battle Asian Championship 2014. Held once every two years, this international competition sees champions from participating Asian countries coming together for another rousing clash.
The Pioneer Digital DJ Battle 2013, organised by Pioneer, is all about discovering new talents that jive music-savvy skills alongside superb showmanship. Specials thanks indeed to all sponsors who made this year’s Digital DJ Battle a resounding success. Already, fans everywhere are gearing up for next year’s epic battle!
Official website: Pioneer.my