Three DJs flipping discs, ninja style
What: Ninja Tune label showcase
Who: Kid Koala, Amon Tobin and Bonobo
Where: DKNY Jeans Free Outdoor Concert Series
When: Saturday, April 19, 7 p.m.
Three of Ninja Tune’s poster boys plan on making loads of noise and nonsense while the big men, and women, fly above for the Big Air this Saturday night. But the funny thing is scratch dynamite, Kid Koala; dark and deep drum ’n’ bass Brazilian-Brit, Amon Tobin; and funky dance monkey Bonobo, all think nobody will want to watch them. Sure it’s tough to compete with death-defying tricks and aerial acrobatics for face time but these DJs are three of the best in the business and I assure them they’ll have no trouble tapping into an appreciative audience.
The Kid Koala (a.k.a Eric San) packs ’em in where ever he performs, thanks to some sick sample slinging that defies decent description. His groovy, cute yet schizophrenic debut album, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome , is one sonic adventure that must have taken piles and piles of vinyl to get right, but by crikey, he’s done it. The Vancouverite who moved to Montreal has been scratching for almost 15 years and just keeps getting better and better, reeling in the catatonic kiddies with not only cut-up clutter classics, but a formidable cartoon series as well. Pick up his disc at record stores and check out the cover. You’ll see what we mean.
Also on the agenda is Amon Tobin who was born in Brazil but is now based in Brighton, England. The mild-mannered master of rhythms filled with reckless D ’n’ B abandon, has a love for trippy jazz, blues and all things futuristic, creating noises that result in nothing short of spectacular, if a little disturbing for the uninitiated. His music is not for the faint-hearted. It’s intense, exhausting and considered intelligent dance music. But if you ask him, it’s just what he loves doing.
"I don’t do this out of some pioneering quest. I’m just really intrigued with how melodies and rhythms work and it completely fills me with enthusiasm and a love for experimenting," said Tobin.
He doesn’t want to be called an innovator (although he is) and he doesn’t like to define what he does. At the end of the day, he just wishes for what most blokes want – more chicks at his gigs.
"I guess because my stuff is real drum and bassy and futuristic sounding rather than dancey, the girls aren’t really into it. I need more girls."
Such a simple request for such a God of the genre.
All his albums from the debut, Adventures In Foam , through to his latest and fifth offering, Out from Out Where , have become international success stories. His tracks range from the dark to the rhythmically stunning and Tobin plays sold-out shows around the world cementing a reputation as one of the most important names in music today, whether he likes it or not. He said he’s really just a guy who likes making music and despite working the decks like a madman, he just as much enjoys a good clean jam with the band every now and then.
"I’ve played bits of guitar and piano, even harmonica. I’m not very accomplished but I have a lot of fun doing it," he chuckled.
Always looking to the future, Tobin is heading to Montreal this summer.
"I’m going to sift through record stores and find different kinds of sounds and just experiment as always," he said.
Experiment? More like warp, filter and fornicate sounds until they freak everyone out.
On the funky flip side though is another Brighton DJ hangin’ in the Ninja Tune neighbourhood, Bonobo, otherwise known as Simon Green. He’s a down-tempo delight who garners stacks of great reviews, collaborations with the likes of Mr. Scruff and recommendations like this one from U.K. newspaper, The Observer: "Anyone in search of the ultimate summer chill-out album should buy this debut."
That debut was Animal Kingdom , which Ninja liked so much they signed him up and took it to the world last year. Now in 2003, Green has just completed work on his follow-up, Dial M For Monkey , which will no doubt be featured on the WSSF main stage.
Green loves the samples, sure, but it’s the healthy doses of live instrumentation that have people craving more. He’s a proficient player of many different instruments – all of them self-taught – which he combines with computer technology.
"I sometimes DJ with a laptop so I can play new tracks that haven't been cut onto vinyl yet but it also means I can make edits with a track to extend it or mess around with it during the show," Green revealed.
It all sounds rather technical to us but basically when you boil it down, he’ll bring lots of good-time tunes to the turntable during the Big Air comp.
"I’m coming to watch the skiers too so I’ll bring some long records," he joked, before adding: "expect a lot of up-tempo stuff to go with the vibe of the place."
That means a jazz and breaks-laced set from DJ Bonobo. His mix means more than chill-out – it’s ultra-musical, accessible and relaxed beat scapes to bop to.
