Kid Koala – 12 Bit Blues

Kid Koala

CD – Ninja Tune
Thanks to the ability and versatility of Kid Koala, it is possible that an album in an oblique blues style with abstract hip-hop contaminations may also assume more experimental connotations, attractive to a certain niche audience used to dissonances, manipulations and other extreme exercises in style. The Canadian dj and turntablist is well known for his radical and speculative approach, being among the first to experiment with new scratching techniques that allow him to play the record player as a melodic instrument. This album works on the evolution of the blues, (especially the raw elements of the first wave) which was a precursor of jazz, rap and graffiti street culture. Here “bit” – the unit of measurement and unavoidable landmark of any contemporary digital production – supplants “bar” – 12-bar blues being the standard form of the genre. The release has a playful tone to it and there is a small cardboard hand-powered turntable kit and flexi-disc included with each limited edition CD. The “vintage” charm of the record is maintained by the exclusive use of an old E-mu SP-1200, a classic drum machine from the late eighties, which has been operated without recourse to software. The crowds of b-boyz will rejoice in the old skool vibe and the troops of “experimental” fans will wink satisfied.