AN INTERVIEW WITH PART 1 BY JONNY DESTEFANO & KRYSTI JOMÉI DESIGN BY JULIANNA BECKERT ART BY KID KOALA "Keep it weird, they’ll get it later." — Kid Koala Montreal-based Kid Koala (Eric San) is a polyartist who isn’t afraid to try new things and take left turns. A world-renowned scratch DJ, music producer and member of Deltron 3030, he’s collaborated and toured with Gorillaz, Beastie Boys, Radiohead, A Tribe Called Quest, Dan the Automator, just to name a few. A film, TV and theater producer and composer, he’s scored everything from featured films to shows on Cartoon Network to video games, and has globally toured his own wildly interactive turntable carnivals and productions — Nufonia Must Fall, The Storyville Mosquito, Space Cadet Headphone Concert and more. He creates graphic novels, paints, draws, scratchboards, sculpts, the list goes on. His latest endeavor, Creatures of the Late Afternoon, is nothing short of magic. A 20 track, 2-LP record with the album’s gatefold cover doubling as a board game, it comes complete with 150 cut-outable cards, four tour van pieces and a pair of dice, all painted by Kid Koala himself. The goal is to create your own band by hunting through flea markets to find instruments and recording equipment, and to write and record heartfelt songs in multiple genres. As you climb the charts you just might gain enough clout to save the Natural History Museum. Currently on tour with musical prodigy and “alien from a fantastic planet” Lealani, this MPC/turntable duo is bringing Creatures to life, which includes some stops in Colorado. In this two-part interview, we had the honor to chat with Kid Koala about the creation of Creatures of the Late Afternoon through the pandemic, his ability to balance his ever-expanding projects, and some guidance for a lifelong journey in staying true to yourself as an artist. PHOTO BY CORINNE MERRELL
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