• Aaron Traylor Makes The Tokyo Cut

• All About Tribe XR

• The Video That Did It

• DMC 101

• DJ's Are Gonna Live Forever

Aaron Traylor Breaks Ground in DMC’s First Virtual Reality World Final

In 1985, the DMC World DJ Championships launched as a gritty, vinyl-slinging battle of beat jugglers and scratch assassins. DJs like Roc Raida, A-Trak, and Craze made names with raw skill, technical mastery, and a whole lot of flair. Now, fast forward nearly 40 years, and guess what?

The battle’s still on — but this time, it’s happening in the metaverse.

This year, our very own Aaron Traylor has been invited to compete in the DMC World VRDJ Championships in Tokyo — a mind-melting fusion of traditional DJ skills, immersive tech, and virtual stages where gravity is optional and creativity is limitless.

And yes, it’s very real. When asked about what this means for the community, Aaron told us:

“In VR, DJing stops being a performance, it becomes a portal. We’re not behind the decks anymore; we’re inside them. The crowd isn’t watching, they’re in the mix, living the drops, feeling the data, sharing the same pulse from across the planet".

Wait, What Is a VRDJ Championship?

The VRDJ division of DMC is the newest frontier in a series that’s always embraced innovation. Just like how DMC went digital with its Online Battles in 2011, the VRDJ category leverages virtual reality platforms (like Tribe XR) to allow DJs to perform live sets inside fully digital environments — no cargo fees, no booth sweat, no lost needles.

Instead of Technics 1200s on a festival stage, competitors gear up with Meta Quest headsets and spin in front of global audiences via livestream. The decks may be virtual, but the scratching, timing, and transitions? Still judged by DMC legends. Still ruthless. Still raw.

It’s not about pressing play in a fancy helmet — it’s about bringing real skill into a surreal stage.

Why It’s a Big Deal

Aaron Traylor’s invite isn’t just a personal milestone — it’s a sign that VR DJing is no longer a fringe experiment. This is DMC, the gold standard of DJ credibility. And they’re embracing virtual turntablism as part of the future.

For DJs around the world, this opens the floodgates:

• Global access without travel costs

• Increased diversity of competitors (geography and style)

• New visual storytelling via 3D worlds, avatars, FX

It’s not replacing traditional battles — it’s expanding the arena.

🌍 What Comes Next?

With DMC’s VRDJ division gaining traction, expect to see:

• More virtual competitions across other platforms (Twitch, Kick, YouTube VR)

• Hybrid performances with real-world + metaverse components

• Mentorship and training from legends inside VR DJ academies

• Monetization via NFTs, ticketed virtual shows, and branded experiences

Aaron’s performance in Tokyo could be the tipping point. Not just for his career, but for a generation of DJs who grew up gaming and discovered that their VR headset is now a portal to global stages.

Inside Tribe XR: The DJ School in Your Headset

Before there were Reels, routines, or Red Bull 3Style, there was the bedroom. Every legendary DJ had one — a sanctuary of crates, cables, and crusty slipmats. But now? That bedroom might be located in the cloud, rendered in neon, and filled with Pioneer CDJs that never need firmware updates.

Welcome to Tribe XR — the VR DJ school that’s quietly reshaping the art of learning to DJ.

🎓 What Is Tribe XR?

Imagine if your Serato setup and your favorite DJ mentor had a baby inside the Tron universe. That’s Tribe XR.

It’s a fully immersive virtual reality platform (available on Meta Quest and Steam) that replicates a pro DJ booth — right down to the jog wheel responsiveness, FX units, and mixer layout. You step into the app, and boom: you’re behind a full Pioneer setup, no flight case required.

But what sets Tribe apart isn’t just the visuals — it’s the community and curriculum.

You can:

• Learn DJing from scratch or level up with expert tutorials

• Book live lessons with real instructors

• Join jam sessions, practice battles, or cyphers

• Broadcast sets to Twitch or perform in VR clubs

In other words: it’s not a game. It’s DJ school meets Boiler Room meets The Matrix.

🧠 Who’s Using It?

Some users are total beginners who’ve never touched a real deck. Others are seasoned DJs testing new mixes, styles, or streaming setups. And then there are folks like Aaron Traylor — and others who’ve taken their VR chops all the way to the DMC World VRDJ Championships.

Yes, real DJs are using this tool to train for world-class battles.

And guess what? When the real-world gear malfunctions or a gig gets rained out, Tribe XR is still there — running smooth, latency-free, and always ready for one more rep.

💡 Why It Works

The magic of Tribe is threefold:

1. Accessibility

   Can’t afford CDJs? Don’t live near a DJ school? Just pop on your headset. Your gear’s already there.

2. Repetition + Feedback

   You can practice transitions, beatmatching, or scratching endlessly — without pissing off your neighbors. You’ll even get AI-powered visual cues and mentor feedback.

3. Presence + Play

   The immersive environment triggers a different level of focus. You’re not half-watching a YouTube tutorial while scrolling Instagram. You’re in the booth, locked in.

🌍 The Global Cypher

One of Tribe’s most powerful features is its live multiplayer mode. You can jump into a session with DJs from Tokyo, London, and Atlanta — all inside the same virtual club, scratching over each other’s sets, hyping each other up, and battling for bragging rights.

It’s a cypher with no borders, no visas, and no soundcheck drama.

And as DJs like Aaron take their skills from Tribe into global competitions, the pipeline from headset to headline becomes very, very real.

🎯 Bottom Line?

Tribe XR isn’t a gimmick. It’s a serious training ground for the next wave of DJs — and a lifeline for those who want to learn, experiment, or stay sharp without renting out a club or blowing $6K on gear.

In a world where content is king and attention spans are short, Tribe helps DJs focus, get feedback, and stay inspired. And for DJs in remote areas, neurodivergent learners, or just those tired of gatekeeping? This is the breakbeat of freedom.

Welcome to the next frontier of DJ culture — where decks meet the Metaverse. Step inside the DMC 40th Anniversary VR DJ Battle, the Olympics of turntablism reimagined inside Tribe XR, Meta Horizon, and VRChat. Watch as DJs scratch, mix, and battle it out for the Supreme VR DJ Champion crown — all in virtual reality.

Whether you’re rocking a Meta Quest or just your laptop, you can jump in and experience how VR decks respond to real hardware, how MIDI controllers connect, and how DJs are performing live in virtual clubs around the world.

This isn’t just a contest — it’s a glimpse into the future of the DJ booth.

DMC History 101: From Battle Records to Virtual Battles

Long before VR headsets, Twitch streams, or metaverse avatars, there were two Technics 1200s and a room full of DJs trying to out-flick each other’s crossfaders. That’s the world the DMC Championships built — a global arena for the best to flex skill, creativity, and swagger.

Today, that arena includes virtual stages and 3D avatars — and yes, it’s still DMC.

Let’s take it from the top and see how we got here.

1985: Where It All Started

DMC — short for Disco Mix Club — was launched by Tony Prince as a remix subscription service. But in 1985, it morphed into something historic: the DMC World DJ Championships, held in London.

This was the genesis of competitive DJing. Vinyl-only, no sync button, just raw turntablism. Early champs like Cash Money and Roger Johnson set the tone: technique mattered, and so did showmanship.

1990s–2000s: The Golden Era

The rise of VHS tapes and global hip-hop culture turned DMC battles into legendary must-watch events. Names like Craze, Qbert, and A-Trak redefined what was possible on decks.

This era birthed the term “turntablism”, introduced team battles, and elevated DJing from party service to performance art.

2011: The Internet Steps In

In 2011, DMC launched its Online DJ Championships, allowing global entries through video submissions. Some purists scoffed, but the online format democratized access — removing travel costs and geographic limits.

Eventually, online champs started getting invited to the in-person world finals, proving: the medium changed, not the talent.

Now: The VR Turn (With Real Rules, Real Stakes)

The latest evolution? The DMC World VRDJ Championship, powered by Tribe XR — the virtual reality platform recreating full Pioneer DJ setups in immersive 3D.

According to official competition rules, here’s how it works:

• Perform inside Tribe XR on Meta Quest 2 or 3

• Submit a set between 3–5 minutes, fully recorded in VR

• Judges evaluate on technical skill, transitions, creativity, and stage presence

• No prerecorded sets allowed — it’s all real-time performance

In other words: this isn’t “DJ Hero.” It’s turntablism in the metaverse — complete with choreography, avatar expression, and full mix control.

The Same, But Different

From vinyl to video to virtual — DMC has always evolved while keeping the core intact: skill, innovation, and pushing the boundaries of what DJing can be.

The medium may be digital now, but the mission hasn’t changed.

Why This Matters: The DJ Is Dead, Long Live the DJ

Let’s be real:

If you told a 1985 DMC champ that DJs would one day battle for world titles in VR, spinning virtual decks from their living room while wearing a headset… they’d probably laugh and go back to rewinding their battle record.

And yet — here we are.

The DJ didn’t die. The rules just changed.

This Isn’t About Gimmicks

VR DJing isn’t replacing the craft — it’s remixing the stage.

With tools like Tribe XR and a Meta Quest headset, a kid in Kansas can train like a champ, battle globally, and build a brand — all without ever playing a “real” club.

That’s not cheating. That’s evolution.

What We’re Gaining

• Limitless practice time

• Live battles without borders

• Real-time mentorship and feedback

• New visuals, new storytelling, new fans

And for DJs like Aaron Traylor, VR isn’t a fallback. It’s a second stage. One foot in the real world, one in the metaverse — and both are real.

Still Not for Everyone

Some DJs will always need vinyl. Some crowds need sweat, fog juice, and speaker stacks. No shade — that’s still sacred.

But let’s not pretend this isn’t legit just because it looks different. People said the same about CDJs, Serato, and sync buttons.

Gatekeeping doesn’t stop innovation. It just makes you late to the party.

Where It’s Headed

• Hybrid shows across continents

• Ticketed virtual club residencies

• AI-assisted remixes with human hands on the fader

• New income streams from teaching, collabs, and content

The next generation of DJs will be performers, producers, and platform builders. Don’t get left behind.

Bottom Line?

The DJ isn’t dead. The booth just got a software update.

Aaron’s on the world stage proving it.

Now it’s your turn to plug in — or peace out.