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.
Scurvy
Kid Koala Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
...you feel good.
...Their fingers itched for their curious profession. They hungered to ply their wicked trade.
- ...you know, it's hard to -- we didn't have anything to record with, so I had to remember 'em all.
What were the main items that you used to make these sound effects?
Do you know what that was?
- I think that is a... uh, an insane man pulling the hair out of a baboon's back.
No, that was a blender. I know you didn't have blenders, either, back in those days.
- No, no, we didn't, but we did drink.
The lyrics of Kid Koala's "Scurvy" seem to speak to the joy and wonder of playing with records. The opening lines advise listeners to "play with records" as a way to alleviate stress and feel good. From there, the lyrics tell a story about a mysterious and malevolent group of people who are hungry to "ply their wicked trade." Despite their devious goals, the group also seems to be focused on creating sounds and music in unconventional ways. They use rocks, sticks, and even bald men's heads to create sound effects, all in the service of their curiosity and love for music.
The lyrics of "Scurvy" offer a glimpse into the world of record manipulation and scratching, which is the main focus of Kid Koala's music. The use of records as an instrument in their own right is a popular technique in hip hop and electronic music, and Kid Koala is known for his skill in this art form. The song's lyrics also hint at a DIY ethos, with the references to using whatever materials are on hand to make music.
Line by Line Meaning
...'s the one thing I do on the ... stress upon you, and that is: play with records. Get your favorite records, put 'em on the machine, and play with records.
I strongly advocate that you play with your favorite records on the turntable as it brings joy.
...you feel good.
Playing with records can elicit positive feelings.
...Their fingers itched for their curious profession. They hungered to ply their wicked trade.
The artists were passionate and eager to pursue their unique and unconventional profession.
...you know, it's hard to -- we didn't have anything to record with, so I had to remember 'em all.
It was challenging to record sounds back then, so I had to rely on memory.
What were the main items that you used to make these sound effects?
Can you share the primary objects you used to produce such sound effects?
We used a rock, a stick, I used to kick my foot in a river to make a sound of a... a flushing noise, and then I would, uh... uh, I would take, uh, skins, of course, and I would, uh, rap on bald guys' heads...
We utilized various objects such as rock, stick, river, and skins to generate custom sounds, even tapping on a bald person's head for uniqueness.
Do you know what that was?
Can you identify what sound that was?
I think that is a... uh, an insane man pulling the hair out of a baboon's back.
I speculated it was the noise of an insane individual yanking hair from a baboon's back.
No, that was a blender. I know you didn't have blenders, either, back in those days.
The sound was actually a blender, but I understand that blenders were not available in the olden days.
No, no, we didn't, but we did drink.
Although not having blenders, drinking was still a prevalent activity back then.
Contributed by Jason R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.