History
Eric San, known professionally as Kid Koala, transcends the traditional role of a DJ. While many focus on crowd energy and beat drops, San crafts intricate narratives, develops characters, and builds compelling storylines through his music. He describes his creative process as akin to storytelling, whether he's using a pencil or manipulating vinyl. "I try and make little stories. Whether it’s with a pencil or with bits of records, it’s really the same thing," he explains.
Nufonia Must Fall: A Multimedia Narrative
A prime example of his unique approach is Nufonia Must Fall. This project, which combines a comic book, a CD soundtrack, and a mini chess set, tells the story of a robot attempting to win over a love interest. San draws inspiration from his childhood, where 7-inch records often came with accompanying books and illustrations. "When I was a kid, all my 7-inchers had books and pictures to go with them. So I thought it’d be fun to keep that tradition going," he muses. He believes that an appreciation for visual humor translates directly to understanding his audio compositions: "If you can understand the humour in the drawing part you’ll probably get the humour in the audio part."
Innovative Turntablism and Sampling
Kid Koala's work is characterized by vivid imagination and meticulous dedication, coupled with exceptional skill on the turntables. His rendition of Louis Armstrong's "Basin Street Blues" from the album Some of my Best Friends are DJs exemplifies this. San likens the process to creating an animated film, meticulously scratching and manipulating individual instrument sounds from various records to reconstruct the classic track. "Making Basin Street Blues was like doing an animated film," he states. "Every note on each instrument was found on different bits of records that had to be scratched in and bent. In the end you get music which sounds like the original but moves differently. Like when you see an animated character walking and there’s something slightly distorted about it. I like that."
For his source material, San actively seeks out overlooked recordings. He describes his search as "digging in dime stores" for peculiar educational monologues or self-help recordings, which he refers to as "treasures." He finds particular interest in these often-embarrassing records, aiming to document their existence through his art. "I dig for those records that people are embarrassed to have, then make records documenting that they exist," he says with a grin. "Anthropologically speaking, it’s kind of interesting, like audio-voyeurism."
Collaborations and Future Aspirations
Kid Koala's distinctive sound has garnered attention from prominent artists, leading to invitations to open for bands like Radiohead and Björk. He reflects on these opportunities with amusement: "It’s funny how making odd noises can get you into strange situations sometimes." He recalls performing at Madison Square Garden for a crowd of 20,000 Radiohead fans.
Despite his success, San's creative drive remains undiminished. His imagination continues to fuel ambitious projects, with future plans including a puppet musical featuring turntables in the orchestra pit. As his career demonstrates, Eric San is far from an ordinary DJ.