If you like techno, house music, hip-hop or even a little oldies, you can enjoy the music of DJs Jon Matkin and Carlos Roldan.
Matkin and Roldan are both 30-year-old Pima Community College students who spin to their own beat every Tuesday night at Sharks, 256 E. Congress St.
"My style is hip-hop, but I play every genre. I mix it all in and put my own style to it," Roldan said.
Matkin's styles include techno, house music and break beats, which is hip-hop without the lyrics.
"We got what every DJ wishes for, and that's our own way," Matkin said.
Roldan's inspiration for being a DJ goes back to his teenage years when he wanted to be a rapper. He thought in order to do that he needed turntables. And after playing around with turntables for a while, Roldan found he had a lot more fun as a DJ.
Matkin, who was a drummer for eight years, started jockeying while working in the kitchen at Curves Cabaret and watching the DJs spin. When one of them didn't show up, he took the reins and was offered a job shortly thereafter.
Roldan said his main attraction for being a DJ is scratching.
"Ultimately, I love the way it feels to have the record move on my hands," he said.
Roldan said there's a whole different capacity to being a DJ, and it's called "turntablism."
Turntablism is when you use the turntables as instruments. You can take the same record or two different records to create a completely different beat, he said.
Roldan said he could be playing "Get Low," a rap song by Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz, but then mix in "Run Around Sue," a '60s rock song by Dion and the Belmonts.
Matkin is attracted to the DJ life because it brings diverse people together.
"No matter if you're white, black, Mexican, Indian, there's one thing in the world; there's one play where nobody has any discrepancies or discrimination. Everyone is just dancing to one pace," he said.
Just like anything new, being a DJ was difficult in the beginning for Roldan.
"Spinning requires a lot of hand, eye, ear coordination. You learn tempos and beat and lots of creativity," he said.
Roldan said he plays a lot of stuff other people might consider to be "out there," but he just wants them to check it out and embrace it.