After the success of last year’s 100%, Kid Koala and Dynomite D are preparing a new album under their moniker, The Slew. Not only are they approaching the album in a more traditional way (using physical instruments rather than found samples), but they’re bringing a whole cast of big names to the studio to help them out, most excitingly Mike Patton and Jon Spencer.This time around they’ve decided to use a full band, including vocalists to the mix, a fairly radical departure from their solely turntable-created debut album.
Chris Ross and Myles Heskett (former bassist and drummer of Wolfmother) make up the album’s rhythm section (they had previously toured with the DJs during live shows for the Slew). Jon Spencer (of Blues Explosion) had intended on collaborating with Kid Koala at some point, but they only finally got together on this project. Kid Koala is excited because he feels the sounds of the Slew “is better suited to his voice” then other projects they might have done in the past. Mike Patton (of Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Faith No More) has joined the Slew onstage in the past and Kid Koala felt “it only seemed natural to have him on the record.”
Having hundreds of hours of instrumental and vocals tracks to pour over, the DJs will begin to chop up and mix and edit them, using them to create the soundscapes of the upcoming album. They plan on doing a lot of jamming with the turntables, using them not only to mix and mash, but to approach them as traditional instruments, where there is always an element of risk and spontaneity, like a more straight-forward rock band.