Kid Koala
Some Of My Best Friends Are DJs
(Ninja Tune)
Kid Koala was one of those artists that I had such high hopes for after hearing a copy of his very rare but also very duplicated and traded ScratchCratchRatchAtch release. Although it wasn't one of the turntablist releases that dazzled me with its technical achievements, it was one of those releases that put things together in just the right ways and not only made me laugh but put a little bit of swizzle in my hips. His debut release Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was a largely successful release that was mainly frustrating in the fact that it took almost 2 years for Mr. San to create just over 30 minutes of music.
If that was my main beef with his first album, then I guess the same thing could also be said about Some Of My Best Friends Are DJs, a 15-track release that again clocks in at just over 30 minutes. Once again, it comes elaborately packaged with a cute little comic book that the Kid himself inked (as well as a chess game that requires you cut up the packaging to actually use), but it's all sort of peripheral to the music itself.
The music is pretty much what you'd expect if you've heard him before. "Basin Street Blues" is the first real track on the album and works a slinky groove over which a trumpet solo is messed-with, working somewhat the same stylistic ground that "Drunk Trumpet" did off his last disc. "Stompin' At Le Savoi" bumps things up another level with a super thick beat and multiple layers of squealing harmonica. "Skanky Panky" is basically just what it says, as a old-school dub-ska backbeat gets scratched horns and all kinds of other wackiness thrown down over the top of it.
"Annie's Parlor" mixes an almost electro beat with more lazy horns while "More Dance Music" is a pastiche of silly samples and a repeating piano melody over choppity beats that works similarly to "Bar Hopper" from his last release. Although there are some new avenues that are explored, unfortunately too much of the album just sounds like things that he's already done (probably because he already has). The release has a great sense of humor, and the entire thing is scattered with those weird little samples that he's so good at finding, but if you're looking for much more than that, you may find yourself disappointed. If you like what you've heard from his other work, though, you'll find that this one fits like a well-worn pair of shoes.
Rating: 6.75
