February 23rd, 2007
Kid Koala gets my sore wrist*
Above is one of the unique jazzy detours of turnabilist/scratch DJs, Kid Koala, and recently I rediscovered his 2000 Ninja Tune album Carpel Tunnel Syndrome* lurking on my heaving shelves of vinyl. Born Eric San, Kid Koala has been been cutting and splicing tunes for over a decade. He tends to use samples from TV, old comedy shows and random people talking - as on the bad chat-up routines on ‘Barhopper’ and ‘Emperor’s Main Course in Cantonese’, featuring the soundtrack to film The Last Emperor and a restaurant conversation in Cantonese between a waiter and customer. In terms of turntablistm, he tends to use the decks like an instrument, focusing on one instrument in a song and messing with pitch and/or crossfader to warp the notes. The clip above, a track called ‘Drunk Trumpet’, shows this at work - watch what he does with the trumpet stuff about a minute in.
Koala frequently tours with DJ Jester and here’s their amazing doubling up on ‘Skanky Panky’:
More:
Kid Koala on myspace
Ninja Tune
*My RSI (as opposed to Carpel Tunnel Syndrome) is kicking off big time today, so a forced break from the computer this weekend is on the cards.
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:53 am
KID KOALA!
God, it’s been years, Mr. Koala. How are you?
I was so sure I was going to be a DJ once, and this fucker totally discouraged me. I hate the uber-talented.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:05 am
You’re a fan? Excellent.
I used to DJ a bit, but nothing the like of this fancy stuff. Not with my dodgy wrist anyway.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:30 am
First the telly, now DJing?
I’m jealous.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:35 am
Honestly, I was pretty shabby at the technical end of things (no change there with blogging). My beat-matching depended on what I was playing, it was better at hip hop or house than random 80s cheese.
I was all about the tunes, man.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:40 am
He was amazing supporting Four Tet a year and a half ago.
He played a weird version of Molly Malone and an amazing cover of Moon River.
See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScwI7c5iiRo
Gorgeous
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:56 am
[…] 09:25 RTE afternoon show on Irish blogging. Sinead Gleeson, Simon McGarr and Una Mullally joined Grainne Seoige and Joe O’Shea in the national broadcaster’s studios to discuss current themes related to blogging. […]
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Love that album, I’d say he’d be fairly decent live. Wonder would the Marquee bring him to Cork… Probably not old enough though!
As an aside, just bought my Flaming Lips tickets and the evil ticketmaster whoors charged me €6.15 per ticket. Not impressed.
February 28th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Niall -> I was at that gig too and he was truly incredible, probably my favourite first half of a gig from ‘05!
sadly mr. hebden decided to spoil things with a hugely self indulgent and at times almost unlistenable set afterwards