Kid Kenobi has been voted Australia’s number 1 DJ in the inthemix.com.au DJ poll for 3 years running. Part of the reason is the fact the poll is very Sydney-centric, but it’s mostly because the boy really can rock. Having recently caught him in Sydney for Park Life 7, I finally understood the talent of the Kid and his MC, Shureshock. And I have to say Kid Kenobi Sessions shows off his talents with a double CD packed with great tunes sublimely mixed.
I have to agree with the liner notes – the first CD does closely match the vibe of their live DJ performances. CD1 is a showcase of the Kid’s breakbeat set, and whilst solid, I found it a touch too soft for my liking. But then again I like my breaks sounding like slowed down dnb, whereas some of this is almost like sped-up house. For a prime example of what I mean, see the first track, Feel Nobody by Sharam Jey and tunes like Deep Dish’s Flashdance and I Got by Fast Crew, which are a little more commercial. However, there are some absolutely rocking tunes here, like Rico Tubbs’ Flashlighter and the Nick Thayer & Bass Kleph remix of Drumattic Twins’ Feelin’ Kinda Strange. MC Sureshock rhymes well over the music, knowing the breakdowns and most importantly for a MC, knowing when to stop busting rhymes!
The second CD took me by surprise, as it features a Dub set by the Kid. Dub is a music that isn’t appreciated as much as it should be here in Australia, being more ‘underground’ than most other forms of dance music, and it may be my biases coming through, but I never expected the Kid to be playing this kind of music, or it featuring on a MOS release.
Taking its inspiration from reggae, it’s more of an electronic form of dope, skanky and smelly but it makes you feel oh so good. The second side features the Richest Man in Babylon by Thievery Corporation, Wicked Beat Sound System with Do The Things, Salmonella Dub and remixes from Dreadzone and Groove Corporation. Towards the end it becomes a little dance hall / two-steppy, with Zinc and the Artful Dodger, and that’s not a bad thing. MC Sureshock’s voice works well, although it’s odd to hear a reggae MC talk about smoking in the sun in Queensland, as opposed to Jamaica.