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.
Temple of Gloom
Kid Koala Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
- Uh, mud was the sound of a gladiator falling. When a lion knocked him down.
You would just what... throw some mud?
- Throw some mud, and it made the sound. And various weights of gladiators would be just various size muds. Then I'd also stick mud in people's heads, and then punch them. That was a good soft sound, it sounded like a bag of grits falling off of a car.
The lyrics to Kid Koala's song Temple of Gloom, specifically the lines "What-what-what-what did you use mud for, in those days?" and the following conversation, speak to the use of sound in the gladiatorial games of ancient Rome. The use of mud to create sound effects for when gladiators fell or were struck is an interesting detail that sheds light on the immersive and theatrical nature of these events. The conversation about sticking mud in people's heads and punching them to create another sound effect is disturbing and emphasizes the violent and brutal nature of the games.
Overall, this song seems to be commenting on the spectacle and violence of gladiatorial games, which were a popular form of entertainment in ancient Rome. The use of sound effects and the immersive nature of the events are highlighted, but so too is the grisly violence and brutality of the games.
Line by Line Meaning
What-what-what-what did you use mud for, in those days?
Asking about the use of mud in gladiator fights in the past.
Uh, mud was the sound of a gladiator falling. When a lion knocked him down.
Explaining that the sound of a gladiator falling was created by mud when attacked by a lion.
You would just what... throw some mud?
Questioning the method of using mud to create sound effects in gladiator fights.
Throw some mud, and it made the sound. And various weights of gladiators would be just various size muds.
Detailing the process of throwing mud to create different sound effects based on the weight of the gladiator.
Then I'd also stick mud in people's heads, and then punch them. That was a good soft sound, it sounded like a bag of grits falling off of a car.
Describing the use of mud to make a soft sound like grits falling off a car when hitting people's heads with a punch.
Contributed by Penelope V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.