Your Moms Favorite Dj

 

 

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I first learned of the oddly-named Kid Koala (AKA Erin San) on a trip-hop site; the webmaster had put up two mp3s, with no other information. Needless to say, I was absolutely captivated by his music.

And now the renaissance DJ/turntablist returns in his third album, "Your Mom's Favorite DJ," which hits on all his strong points. Equal parts musician and DJ, he dabbles in driving rock'n'roll, distorted trad jazz, hip-hop, and a colourful splatter of samples. If my mom liked any DJs, she'd like this one.

It's hard to even describe the longish songs on here -- they don't even feel long, because they're crammed with as much sound as Koala can smush in there. Weird groaning noises, perky jazz, piano solos, distorted horns, electronic buildups, funny vocal samples, solid hip-hop beats, repetitive samples, and thunderous hard-rock riffs that explode from the belly of "Mosquito Vs. Water Buffalo." And, of course, turntabling.

In other words, it's totally unpredictable -- Koala's music will completely change from one moment to the next, and he can pull new tricks and sounds out of his pocket. And sometimes they are based on things that aren't musical at all, like a song referencing his book "Nufonia Must Fall."

As much fun as it is, much of this album's pleasure comes from how devastatingly creative it is. Koala can take virtually any sound, no matter how odd or obscure, and paste it into just the right spot. That, and he knows that hip-hop can be colourful and creative, and doesn't have to take itself seriously at all. (Look at that title!)

How does he do that? He weaves together elaborate melodies of hip-hop beats and breaks, hard-rock and buzzing electronic variations on both of them. Then he layers them with samples, scratches, electronic ripples, and a heavy dose of "everything else," which pop up to keep the sound from ever being the same. It's even harder to find flaws when the music itself is a nonstop tumble of sound.

And there's no real vocals -- just more samples, keeping this from ever becoming (heaven forbid!) monotonous. "These things need to become second nature to a good progressive disc jockey," a radio announcer says, right before the grimy beats kick in.

My mom doesn't listen to DJs, but I imagine Kid Koala would be able to win her over. A complete triumph, and a thorough delight for anyone lucky enough to find out about it.

This is a very strong mix, although somewhat short (just over 30 minutes). Kid Koala never takes himself seriously, and makes the most wonderful arrangements out of the weirdest and most ecclectic sounds of the past.

Left Side: A great mix of very upbeat tunes that sound wonderfully strange. There is nothing like Kid Koala in the sonic universe! Great old school rock, lots of pianos, very bright and charismatic.

Right Side: A dirtier and rougher sounding side, more blues-y (yes, that's right, turntablism meets grunge and the blues). An annoying fade out leads to a very silly (but well done end). You can tell Kid Koala's a visionary; after a fadeout, a tiny mosquito buzzes in your ear for a bit, then an orchestra tuned to the same note as the mosquito comes surging in as it warms up (wait a minute, isn't this the END of the mix???)

Bonus Cricket: It is exactly what it says it is!!!!

You really have to listen to this to appreciate it. No words can really describe it. Picture original blues, jazz, and rock from the 50s era mixed in with heavy turntable beats and samples. WONDERFUL stuff.

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