KID KOALA
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Ninja Tune)
Reviewed by Jason Thornberry

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If 3030 wasn't quite enough for you, this will give you some insight as to how he learned to do the "camel walking in the sunset" scratch, and other tricks that seem to come so easy to him. Ever tried to scratch? Seems easy doesn't it? Well, it's not at all. I tried scratching years ago in my bedroom with Another One Bites the Dust. Just using the first bass thump. Waka-waka-waka. Your cat could do that passably? Think again. 3030 is the a-mazing concept cd Kid Koala appears on with Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, and The Automator. Without a doubt 3030 is one of my absolute top cds of last year, so naturally I just had to hear the prologue to it all.

Kid Koala is one the few true turntable scientists out there. I think (duh!) the turntables have become an instrument the same way the saxophone is. Or the drum-set, the upright bass, a clarinet, that thing Kenny G plays… In a few years it will have the support and recognition that people like DJ's Q-Bert, Premier, Disk, Revolution, Marz, Sushi, Shadow, Babu, Krush, UB, Finger Bangerz, and Kid Koala are trying to bring to it.

Named after the condition Kid Koala acquired from dealing with the records. Koala now claims he can only spin very slowly, and no longer participates in battles.

Carpal is an Enhanced cd that allows you also to play a video game where (remember Asteroids?) the player is a turntable-needle spaceship, and floating "toxic" vinyl records are cruising on by, waiting to get blasted. A very entertaining cd, whether you're listening to it for the wacky scratching, the weird movie samples and found sound dialogue liberally sprinkled throughout the album, or just wasting your evening blowing up "the scourge of bad music"! Highly recommended for all three.

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© 2001 - Jason Thornberry