by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

On the eve of the big Zentertainment blowout at SAT, the Mirror got Ninja Tune's longstanding standouts Amon Tobin and Kid Koala together with hot-shit newcomer Sixtoo to muse about where Ninja's coming from, where it's going and why it's where it's at.

Mirror: When you first signed with Ninja, what was your perception of the label?

Amon Tobin: I wasn't into the early stuff. Since then, there's Cinematic Orchestra and Kid Koala and all these different things coming out, which seemed to be a lot more interesting than the funky breaks. Because it was really funky breaks when I first signed, and I wasn't really into that kind of stuff - I was more into jungle at the time. Now it's really diversified into all kinds of different styles.

Kid Koala: I had their first Ninja Cuts album, I got it at W.O.W., which is now a Carlos & Pepes or something. I didn't even know that Coldcut were part of it. I remember them from the late '80s. I had their Eric B & Rakim remix and the first album What's That Noise?. I used to battle with their records, because they had a bunch of spoken-word samples. For a long time, that was this secret weapon in my box.

Sixtoo: I've been playing shows peripherally with their artists at different times, but coming into it now, I'm sure my view is quite different from anybody else's. I think it's a super-diverse label, but with a coherent undertone. But my wanting to be a part of Ninja Tune has more to do with the way the record industry is set up than anything.

AT: They came from the commercial end to start with, so they saw all the shit that goes on at that level. They started up Ninja Tune as a response to that. It's got a really unusual balance between being passionate about their artists in the long term, and quality control, and also a good business infrastructure and an international reputation.

With Bonobo and Blockhead at the SAT
on Friday, March 19, 9pm, $22.50

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