Fresh off his tour opening for Radiohead, turntablist Kid Koala (aka Eric San) appears with Bullfrog on the Canadian group's full-length debut. The band previously issued two EPs, and much of the material on this Ropeadope release consists of new versions of songs from the EPs. The quintet, here supplemented by Koala as well as MC Blu Rum 13 (aka James Sobers), is basically a groove outfit, anchored by bassist Peter Santiago and drummer Massimo Sansalone. While it is Koala and Rum who separate the unit from the pack, the music itself isn't especially outstanding, nor -- for that matter -- is Koala's scratching. However, the two complement each other nicely, creating a nice textural bed. A highlight of the disc, if only for its potential energy, is the cut "Live, Somewhere Else," where Rum freestyles along with Koala as the DJ throws out a sample. Unlike his expansively melodic sets opening for Radiohead, Koala's work is limited almost exclusively to rhythmic scratching, which certainly diminishes his impact as a DJ. ~ Jesse Jarnow