One of his latest projects, Nufonia Must Fall, is a perfect example. A story about a robot trying to impress a girl, it’s a comic book with a CD soundtrack and a mini chess set all in one. “When I was a kid, all my 7-inchers had books and pictures to go with them. So I thought it’d be fun to keep that tradition going,” ponders Eric. “If you can understand the humour in the drawing part you’ll probably get the humour in the audio part.”
His approach takes vivid imagination and geek-like dedication, not to mention a talent with the cross-fader. “Making Basin Street Blues was like doing an animated film,” he explains, referring to his turntable cut-up of Louis Armstrong’s classic number from his Some of my Best Friends are DJs album. “Every note on each instrument was found on different bits of records that had to be scratched in and bent. In the end you get music which sounds like the original but moves differently. Like when you see an animated character walking and there’s something slightly distorted about it. I like that.”
For source material Eric goes “digging in dime stores”, picking out bizarre educational and self-help monologues or “treasures” as he calls them. “I dig for those records that people are embarrassed to have, then make records documenting that they exist,” he grins. “Anthropologically speaking, it’s kind of interesting, like audio-voyeurism.”
His charms haven’t gone unnoticed either. Both Radiohead and Björk have asked him to prime their crowds. “It’s funny how making odd noises can get you into strange situations sometimes,” he says, remembering his slot at Madison Square Garden in front of 20,000 Radiohead fans.
Still, it’s obvious from his manner that success isn’t dulling his senses, and his imagination is as potent as ever. “Eventually we want to do a puppet musical with turntables in the orchestra pit.” As I said, he’s no ordinary DJ.
Nerdball
Kid Koala Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you got your stacks of wax, man, but you don't expect to get h...
- Sorry, I don't understand.
- We're nothin' but the nerds they say we are.
...we are.
...we are.
...we are.
Everything is put together.
...put together.
The lyrics of Kid Koala's song Nerdball are an ode to the life of a nerd, a person who is stereotyped as being uncool and socially awkward. The lyrics begin by acknowledging the passion that nerds have for their hobbies, in this case collecting vinyl records (or wax) and creating stacks of them. The lines "expect to get your wax, you know, you got your-- you got your stacks of wax, man, but you don't expect to get h..." suggest that the nerds take their hobbies seriously and invest a lot of time and money into them, but they do not necessarily expect others to understand their passion.
The chorus of the song, in which the repetition of "we are" emphasizes the point, is a statement of ownership and pride in being a nerd. The phrase "we're nothin' but the nerds they say we are" asserts that despite negative stereotypes and societal pressures, the nerds are unapologetic about who they are and what they love. The final line "everything is put together" can be interpreted as a celebration of the nerds' ability to take various interests and passions and create a cohesive and fulfilling lifestyle out of them.
Overall, the lyrics of Nerdball celebrate the joy and community that can be found in embracing one's nerdy passions, while also acknowledging the challenges and misunderstandings that come with being a part of this subculture.
Line by Line Meaning
expect to get your wax, you know, you got your--
You may have your collection of records, but don't expect to receive recognition.
you got your stacks of wax, man, but you don't expect to get h...
Despite having a vast collection of records, recognition and fame are not a guarantee.
We're nothin' but the nerds they say we are.
We are constantly labelled as nerds, and it has become part of our identity.
...we are.
The label of being a nerd still applies to us.
...we are.
Our identity is tied to the label of being a nerd.
...we are.
The perception of us as nerds is deeply ingrained within our community.
Everything is put together.
Despite our nerdy status, we have the ability to create something cohesive and impressive.
Contributed by Austin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JTNugget
Listening to this makes me feel like I'm about to sperg out.
Shamalama Dingdong
Omfg Ive found it, my 8 year long arduous search has come to an end. Quest complete. 1000xp awarded in a skill of your choice. Listen to Kid Koala to claim rewards.
owitburns
We're nothing but the nerds they say we are.
MrNekromania
what is sperg?
Lyle Bernstein
aspergers syndrome
basically listening to this makes him feel like he's on The Spectrum ™