by SCOTT C

There aren't too many people I know personally who tour more than Eric San. San (aka Kid Koala) is especially mobile right now, touring to support his new album Some of My Best Friends Are DJs out on Ninja Tune. This internationally known turntable joker is, in fact, no joke at all when it comes to skills and creativity, even if he does have a penchant for ritualistic silliness in his daily life. I had a quick and random conversation with the Kid over the phone from the road, which will lead back to Montreal sooner than you think.

Mirror: Dare I ask where you are?

Kid Koala: We're at a Flying J Travel Plaza! It's all about waffle houses (laughs). Nah, we're just getting some gas and then we're off to Ashville, North Carolina.

M: What makes you really, really angry? I kind of get the impression that most people who are familiar with you and your work think that the Kid could never get mad at anything.

KK: I haven't been really angry in a while. I try to keep things in perspective. I've had that muscle removed (laughs)! I get upset, but sooner or later you've got to start channelling that anger into something else.

M: You seem to have a fairly good outlet for that.

KK: Yeah. I have this cartoon character, Negatron, who I just torment the crap out of all the time. That's pretty much how I get it all out.

M: If you could do music for any cartoon, would it in fact be music for your own characters, or is there something else out there that would be more of a dream come true?

KK: I think it would be fun to do some music for The Tick. People need The Tick! I'm a big fan of any sort of delusional cartoon character.

M: On that same kind of note, what's the most ridiculous pop collaboration that you could see yourself doing?

KK: You mean apart from touring with Justin Timberlake? I think that scratching for Sarah McLachlan might be kinda cool. We were sitting around the other day trying to figure out how you get on the Lilith Fair Tour, for real. Not to say that we're pissed off because 98 per cent of our audience is male (laughs). I just wonder what you have to do. Does Jewel need a DJ? I'm thinking Vonda Sheppard might need some scratching. She sold out Madison Square Garden three nights in a row. We don't get secretaries and Ally McBeal fanatics at our shows.

M: So you're thinking you'll align your self with someone like Vonda, and then it's all gravy?

KK: I'm not saying that all her fans would immediately start listening to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but maybe some of them would.

M: How are you diversifying your portfolio, so to speak?

KK: You mean my stock interests (laughs)? I had to sell Friendster cheap. It reached a saturation point.

M: Friendster is ruining my life.

KK: Sometimes I'll be on stage starting a song, and P-Love is supposed to come in like eight bars later, but he's on Friendster (laughs). I gotta get a computer.

With Lederhosen Lucil, DJ Jester and DJ P-Love at Club Soda tonight, Thursday, 7pm and 10pm, $20

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