Watch a Latvian DJ 'scratch' up a tape deck at 1991 Technics convention

“You can’t get Technics SL1200s that easily [in Latvia],” the host of this 1991 Technics convention explains. “If you do they’re on the black market and they cost an absolute fortune. Probably equivalent to buying a Rolls Royce over here. So these boys as you can see from their very basic equipment here – they’re not even sophisticated tape recorders – they’ve adapted two tape recorders. Can’t get records like we can get them in Latvia, so they record off radio stations and things like that. And because they are so keen, they epitomise the spirit of this convention: under any circumstances the music’s got to get through and the mixing’s got to be done.” That’s a message that echoes in any era, in any language: the music’s got to get through.