Some of My Best Friends Are DJs
As his alter-ego, "Kid Koala," might suggest, Eric San applies a joyous childlike vision to his music onSome of My Best Friends Are DJs. Following turns withMoney Mark,Deltron 3030, andLovage, Canada's cheekiest mixologist defied weighty expectations with his beguiling debut album,Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Three years later, and Kid Koala has retained his youthful verve. Packaged with a 52-page, self-penned comic and a travel chess kit,Some of My Best Friends Are DJsoffers less in the way of music, with the 35-minute running time meaning the restless sonic snippets wisely end before his humor has a chance to grate.   Mixing sleazy whisky-bar vibes with adolescent antics, his second album never allows the listener to settle. Moments of playful mixing magic are at times followed by baffling inanity as "Skanky Panky"--with its wonderfully shattered Ska rhythm and frantic scratches--runs into "Flu Season", ostensibly a series of beat-accompanied coughs, sneezes, and sniffs. Blending blues, jazz, and funk with a myriad of bizarre samples, moments of pure eccentric genius such as "Robochacha" and "More Dance Music" make this a flawed yet fascinating slice of beat-driven bravura.--Christopher Barrett