Much of the time, turntablism is the musical equivalent of juggling: clever but, really, who cares? You’re entering the domain of the fat-laced trainspotter scratching faster and faster, a world where technique is prized above talent.
But today’s exception to the rule is [a]Kid Koala[/a], 25, from Montreal, whose debut album comes with a self-drawn comic book, a PC game (you shoot down attacking records, Asteroids-style), and some of the most savage and imaginative cut creations in memory.
The Kid‘s genius is to celebrate the stupidity of his calling. Out of all his blasted, warped, scrambled samples, the most memorable is the voice that claims, “We’re nothing but the nerds they say we are!” ‘Carpal Tunnel Syndrome’, a kind of RSI brought on by excessive scratching, is the work of a man with too much time on his hands and too much rubbish vinyl in his flat.
It’s also very funny, especially when he lets the chickens loose or chops out chat-up lines on the Beasties-style lounge funk of ‘Barhopper’. And, at its most abstract, [a]Kid Koala[/a] proves his old-skool pro tools are a keen match for the Powerbook-patented glitch electronica so prevalent right now. Restless, hyperactive, flawlessly ridiculous, ‘Carpal Tunnel Syndrome’ is a labour of love that sounds like a quick one off the wrist. Skill.