Turntabilists the Beat Junkies, the Scratch Perverts, Vinroc and DJ Apollo are among the many underground hip-hop acts that will play in a rotating lineup on this year's Deeper Concentration Tour, a DJ-centric outing that will hit North America this winter

"This tour gives people a chance to come check out the experimental hip-hop movement," John Cornett, marketing director of OM Records, the label promoting the tour, said Thursday afternoon. "Putting these guys out on tour gives people a chance to see what they're like live on the decks. It's a completely different experience from listening to a mix tape or a DJ album." This will be the second year for the Deeper Concentration tour.

Last year, turntabilists Rob Swift and Cut Chemist played every date on the tour and shared the bill with a rotating lineup of DJs and rappers, including rapper/producer Prince Paul. This year, the only act playing all the tour's dates are hip-hop duo DJ Ming & FS.

A majority of dates, which begin at the end of the month and go through February, will feature two-time ITF Team World Champions the Beat Junkies (RealAudio excerpt of their 1997 ITF performance), turntablist Vinroc and former Invisibl Skratch Piklz member DJ Apollo with partner-in-rhyme J Boogie.

Among the artists joining the tour in just a handful of cities are U.K.-based turntabilist group the Scratch Perverts and rapper Eddie Def.

"Even though it was a successful tour last year, it was still hard to book artists for this year's tour because a lot of these guys have gotten so hot," Cornett said. "With people like Mix Master Mike being the DJ for the Beastie Boys and DJ Spooky blowing up like he has, getting these people to make the time commitment has been difficult. But we had such a good year last year, so a lot of the artists on this tour really wanted to do it."

Reached at their day jobs at Cue's Hip-Hop Shop in Daly City, Calif., DJ Apollo and Vinroc agreed that the success of last year's tour was part of the reason they agreed to participate this year. Mostly, however, they said they were anxious to get out on the road to see some new styles and make music with the other DJs.

"There's a lot of different styles that are going to be on this tour," DJ Apollo (born Apollo Novicio) said. "We're going to be playing a set that mixes jungle with hip-hop and scratching, and we're pretty sure that what we're doing is going to be very different from what a lot of the other people on the bill will be doing."

"I already have a lot of projects going with J-Boogie and Apollo, but I'm pretty excited to work with other people," Vinroc (born Vincent Punsalan), 21, said. "[The audience is] going to get rocked. It's going to be a cool show with a lot of energy."

According to Cornett, each show will feature six sets of turntables and encourage improvisations between the artists on the tour. Though nothing is set in stone, Cornett said that local promoters may help establish an underground hip-hop vibe by setting up graffiti demonstrations or break-dancing competitions.

Cornett, Vinroc and DJ Apollo all agreed that seeing a show like the Deeper Concentration Tour can give people a new appreciation for turntabilism, even for those who are already fans.

"Viewing the talent it takes to combine the sounds is always incredible," Cornett said. "For a lot of people, that's the best part of the show, even more than the music."

"I just can't wait to get out there and see all the different styles," Apollo said. "It's always interesting to see the latest tricks."

Deeper Concentration Tour Dates (all venues to be announced):

With Mass Influence, Apollo & J Boogie, and Ming & FS:

Jan. 28; Atlanta, Ga.

Jan. 29; Tampa, Fla.,

With Sole & JC, Siah & Yehua, and Ming & FS:

Feb. 3; Detroit, Mich.

Feb. 4; Minneapolis, Minn.

Feb. 5; Chicago, Ill.

Feb. 6; Milwaukee, Wis.

With the Beat Junkies, Scratch Pervertz, Apollo & J Boogie, Ming & FS and appearances by Vinrock Eddie Def, Mass Influence, Ill Media, Radar and Z. Tripp:

Feb. 10; Boulder, Colo.

Feb. 11; San Francisco, Calif.

Feb. 12; Los Angeles, Calif.

Feb. 13; San Diego, Calif.

With Ming & FS, Eddie Def, Apollo & J Boogie, Ill Media, Vinrock, and the Beat Junkies:

Feb. 17; Calgary, Albania

Feb. 18; Vancouver, B.C.

Feb. 19; Victoria, B.C.

Feb. 20; Portland, Ore.

Feb. 21; Seattle, Wash.

With Ming & FS, 5th Platoon, Siah & Yashua and, tentatively, the Beat Junkies:

Feb. 25; New York, N.Y.

Feb. 26; Philadelphia, Pa.

Feb. 27; Boston, Mass.