Consumer Guide Album

Kid Koala: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome [Ninja Tune, 2000]
Although Public Enemy and De La Soul saved Eric San from 10 years of piano lessons, by now he's about as hip hop as Christian Marclay, or at best the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Unlike Shadow, the only other DJ who's constructed a cut-and-scratch album of so much general interest, he has no groove to undercut--his grooves are ancillary to his jokes like everything else. Grant his complex little pieces the concentration they demand and you're sure to chuckle. Sometimes you may even marvel at how tenderly he mixes ingenuity and humility. But don't expect your ass to follow. B+