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Kid Koala - Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

by Kid Koala

$13.95 Free Shipping

Released
27/02/00
Music Genre
Dance

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Description

Unless you're a DJ or a student of electronic music-making, turntablism can be something of an esoteric art form -- everyone knows it's the foundation of hip-hop, but its techniques aren't as widely understood or appreciated as those of a traditional instrumentalist. The turntablist revival of the '90s produced some major talents (the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, the Beat Junkies, the X-Ecutioners), but the nuances of their skills were often lost on casual observers, and only sometimes translated to recordings. That's why Kid Koala's full-length debut, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, is so important: It's capable of making turntablism engaging to a wider audience. It isn't that Kid Koala is necessarily the greatest DJ spinning, although he's clearly in the top tier. It's that he's able to bring so much personality and entertainment value to his work, which makes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome arguably the most appealing turntablist album yet released. Unlike many of his peers, Koala makes heavy use of dialogue snippets from movies and TV shows, instructional records, and other obscure sources. They provide a running commentary on the action, and Koala also assembles them into mini-skits, or makes wry jokes about the lack of respect afforded DJs as musicians. Elsewhere, there are aural jokes wholly dependent on Koala's DJ skill -- "Drunk Trumpet," for example, is a cut-up jazz solo played on the crossfader. But all of this isn't to say that Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a novelty item. Koala makes it easy for listeners to follow the transformation of his source material into totally different creations, and builds some deceptively dense, layered tracks; plus, his explosive scratching (best heard on "A Night at the Nufonia") is the equivalent of a guitar shredder soloing. His infectious sense of fun is simply a gateway to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome's readily apparent musical sophistication. All in all, a superb and accessible introduction to a specialist art form. ~ Steve Huey, AMG

Product Details

Artist
Kid Koala
Media Content Format
Album
Recording Environment
Studio
Media Format
Audio CD
Original year of release
2000
Number of Discs
1
Year of release
2000
Cast & Crew
Kid Koala (Music Performer)

Press Reviews

4 out of 5 - "...The disc plays like an absurdist concept album painted in lean, precise strokes....[His] crates breed unconventional and distinct wax-building blocks - blueprints for a giant funhouse... Alternative Press (5/00, p.92)

...speaks as much to Koala's love of goofy sound effects and random dialogue samples as it does his affection for jazz- and hip-hop-swaying beats....If Jim Henson Productions ever needs an in-house DJ, Koala would be perfect... CMJ (2/21/00, pp.21-2)

...A Prince Paul-inspired, pop cultural 'musique concrete' goofathon - call them improvisational turntable compositions with irony... JazzTimes (8/00, p.142)

...[His] cheeky sense of humor and consuming obsession with the ephemeral flotsam of pop culture is littered all over...like the ground beneath your local outfield bleachers...[with] a court jester's comic sensibility... Magnet (4-5/00, pp.77-9)

3.5 stars out of 5 - "...[He] is a decknician who's found the near-perfect balance between peacock-display trickery and off-kilter, funky nursery rhyme hip-hop. [It] showcases a lifetime's worth of bizzare records discovered in dusty shops....Cute, but not too cute. Melody Maker (3/14/00, p.53)

3 out of 5 - "...CTS isn't music at all - thankfully. It's furiously cut, intricately spliced chips dug from a million old records...the most hilariously startling 'turntablist' album of the year... Mixmag (3/00, p.153)

7 out of 10 - "...some of the most savage and imaginative cut creations in memory....celebrating the stupidity of his [turntablist] calling....a labor of love that sounds like a quick one off the wrist. Skill. NME (2/19/00, p.34)

Included in Wire's "50 Records Of The Year". The Wire (1/01, p.34)

...Daily Thurberish life, scrapyard drums and the sounds of 'a bag of grits falling off a car'....Breaks find themselves in unusual places and dialogue is gerrymandered for Koala's absurdities... The Wire (3/00, p.64)

4 stars out of 5 - "...There's genuine comic wit behind the vinyl bricolage taking place, combined with a shrews ear for original breaks and infectious hooks... Uncut (3/00, p.77)

Tracklisting

Disc 1:

  1. Strut Hear
  2. Nerdball
  3. Fender Bender
  4. Drunk Trumpet
  5. Roboshuffle
  6. Barhopper 1
  7. Music for Morning People
  8. Naptime
  9. A Night at the Nufonia
  10. Temple of Gloom
  11. Scurvy
  12. Like Irregular Chickens
  13. Barhopper 2
  14. Roll Credits
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