The performance of Strictly Kev from DJ Food and Kid Koala added something new to the turntablist extravaganza : personality. Kev, in command of a row of four turntables began his “spinning time” dramatically with fellow Ninja Tune artist, Cinematic Orchestra before mixing the obscure with the very familiar. The beats were tight and imaginative keeping the attention of the quiet hands-in-their-pocket Toronto crowd. Kev weaved classic rap songs like Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message” superbly with Kid Loco’s DJ Kicks remix of Scotland’s Boards Of Canada. Also featured in the mix was material from Q-Tip, DJ Shadow, as well as a spoken diatribe from former Dead Kennedy singer Jello Biafra on mandatory drug testing.

When Eric San a.k.a. Kid Koala, took the stage, he was received with a thunderous cheer. He stepped to the mic to thank Kev for his set and announced a delay because DJs don’t share needles! He then thanked the 17 Torontonians who sent email condolences after the loss of his rare (if not beaten-up) record collection while on vacation in the south of France.

In true Kid Koala self-effacing fashion, San downplayed the tragedy of the loss saying that they were only a box of records…“not like somebody died.” There was a happy ending to the story when he finally reported the theft of the records to the French authorities, the station he made the report in turned around and said…Is this it?…and then produced his beat-up old record case filled with used albums all marked up and worn!

Koala kept the party rolling, by displaying his world-famous scratching techniques while replicating selections from his debut full-length, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. To add some more personality to his set, Koala invited the rest of the members of the acid-jazz group, Bullfrog (the band for which he is a sometime member!) on stage to play a couple of songs. Bullfrog including “Music For Morning People,” a song Koala dedicated to all those folks who had to get up early the next day for work.

The highlight of the night was the live replication of Koala’s famed and highly illegal Scratchhappyland cassette with the help of DJ P-Love. As Koala announced, “It’s a four-track recording and I need four arms to do it!” My faith in live electronic performances has been restored… if only temporarily!

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• 29 Aug :: yagis
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