KCRW Exclusive: Jokers of the Scene Guest DJ Set

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BLURRY but great. A non-bearded Mario Cotto and a very bearded Linus
BLURRY but great. A non-bearded Mario Cotto and a very bearded Linus Booth (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

There’s something in the air in Toronto.

David Cronenberg’s undeniably, singular brand of body horror was born there. Denis Villeneuve’s latest, absolutely dreadful nightmare logic exploration of anxiety and identity (and possibly the best film I’ve seen all year Enemy) was shot there. And uniquely unclassifiable but wholly radical dance music dudes, Jokers of the Scene, have been crafting their own brand of cinema, for your ears.

On their debut LP, “END SCENE”, (even co-released like a film by NY’s Throne of Blood and New Kanada labels) the Jokers (aka Linus Booth and Chris Macintyre) take their combined obsessions with New Wave, Techno, House and filter them through late night sci-fi and unreturned VHS video rental music.

Or possibly the filtering is the other way around.

Regardless, the result is a triumph. Music that nostalgically figures as the perfect club music for the Tech Noir club in The Terminator or a real life Techno club in Downtown Los Angeles.

It’s called “END SCENE“, but *turns directly to the camera* “This is just beginning.”

*Editor’s Note: Linus of Jokers of the Scene recently visited KCRW DJ Mario Cotto’s show and did a guest DJ set which included unreleased album cuts…stream below.