Kasey and I recently continued our experimentation with slow roasted salmon, this time adding crème fraîche and capers. The result was a warm, playful dish that featured light, upbeat flavors. The slow roasted salmon is tender and moist, and the the crème fraîche and capers add additional levels of complexity to the overall taste. The recipe calls for a fun, steady pairing, something you might hear in an off-beat bistro. For example, Kid Koala‘s 2003 full-length, Some of My Best Friends are DJ’s is a great pairing for this recipe. It’s a similarly light, upbeat record — and it’s also a lot of fun!
Kid Koala is the alias of Vancouver turntablist Eric San. San is known for having nearly perfected the use of a turntable as an instrument, in addition to his work with the bands Gorrilaz and Deltron 3030, as well as opening for Radiohead during portions of the Amnesiac tour. His albums are frequently described as both whimsical and wacky for good reason: Kid Koala has used samples collected from a host of unusual sources including “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “Star Wars,” and even scratch-and-win lottery commercials. On Some of My Best Friends are DJ’s, he eases off some of the more absurd samples, and instead uses (to great effect) bits appropriated from blues records on the phenomenal “Basin Street Blues,” a collection of ska-like horn samples on the album’s standout “Skanky Panky,” and piano samples on tracks like “More Dance Music” and “Elevator Hopper.” Nonetheless, San’s sense of humor is still front and center on this record, especially on “Space Cadet 2” and “Flu Season.” The latter track is composed of beat-box snippets and a recording of someone sneezing. Check it out. Some of My Best Friends Are DJs is an album you’ll definitely want to check out if you haven’t already.
Kid Koala – Basin Street Blues
Kid Koala – Live on the Breezeblock (edit)
Don’t forget to return to eating/sf to check out Kasey’s post!
