[Photo by SekondHandProjects]

By Max Willens

Remember when hip hop was heavy—when DJ Shadow built neck-snapping beats for Solesides; when the Dust Brothers made a B-boy out of Beck; and when Led Zeppelin, the Clash and Black Sabbath walked that-a-way in the span of one Beastie Boys song (“Rhymin’ and Stealin’”)?

We barely do, either; probably because rap metal ruined the whole turntables-and-guitars thing for a good five years. Enough to make 100%, the Slew’s debut album (available digitally here)—a scratch-heavy collaboration between Dynomite D and Kid Koala—seem like a left-field listen, what with all its booming basslines and devastating drum breaks. A very heavy affair indeed, especially the duo’s tower of power tour, a one-time-only trek featuring six turntables (with Koala’s longtime touring partner DJ P-Love stepping in for Dynomite D) and Wolfmother’s former rhythm section, bassist/keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Hesketh.

Kid Koala spoke to self-titled the night before the Slew’s first proper show in Vancouver.