On the morning that I spoke to Kid Koala, I was number five in his list of interviews so naturally, I thought I would have a tough job ahead to keep him engaged. What did the other journalists ask him? Was he going to be so fed up and bored that he would only give yes/no answers? The answer to all the above questions was: absolutely not. Kid Koala and I hit it off immediately. “Number five,” mused Eric cheekily. “Number five is significant to me. It was my jersey number when I used to play basketball in high school.” He never shot a hoop for his team, or so goes the story. But luckily he became a musical genius instead.
As we laugh together like old friends, I realise I don’t even have to ask him anything! As clichéd as it is, it’s hard to believe that someone as high profile as Kid Koala could be so humble and friendly. The rumours about him being down to earth are all true. On the phone from the Sonarwax record store, where Eric San (what he’s otherwise referred to as) is hunting through records to add to his collection, he is in the midst of a tour with Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow, no less. “It’s going well,” he beams down the phone. “It’s a dream come true. Those cat’s records, they’re the ones I listen to.” Though they’ve remained friends over many years, Eric says he barely sees them. “I did a tour with Cut Chemist in 1996. Other than that we’ve remained friends and stayed in touch. The only time I ever saw them since then was a music festival.” He has a gig that evening in Montreal, his home base. “It’s always nice to be home. I get the bratty little brother treatment. But the fans are also watching you closer.”
Not that he’d ever have a problem with scrutiny. Kid Koala has perfected scratching and turntablism to a T, time and time again and his gigs are often populated by a collection of fascinated fans, musicians and critics alike who are watching him very, very closely. “There’s a lot of people fixated on the technical side. Overall I try to balance it. My set is always its own little organism… It’s a mix of songs. I try to balance it all. A lot of it is an experience.”
Balance may be important while he’s playing, but elsewhere in his life, he says it’s a hard thing to do. “I don’t,” he laughs. “Which is a reason why everything goes on hiatus.” Then, after reconsidering, he changes his mind. “It balances… it is balanced. It’s just like the flow of it all. Last year I played in 120 cities. Most of it was spent on the road. This year’s starting on the road too….”
He’ll be on the road again over our way very shortly, so I give him the heads up on what to expect from the crowds at his upcoming festival gigs in Australia – Future Music Festival and Golden Plains. They certainly won’t be the same, I warn. He thanks me, and says changing his sets to suit the crowd is an imperative part of a gig. “Yeah for sure. At the end of it I try to do everything I want to do. It’s a communication thing. I size up the crowd and see what’s happening before. I go through the box of records and at the same time I read the crowd.”
Who has Eric been working with lately? “*Meghan Smith* – a singer songwriter from Halifax. No-one knows who she is but she’s an amazing talent. We’re still on the same page and we’re trying to fit in this generation. We’ve had a lot of fun. Right now she’s a feeding frenzy.” Sounds like a name to look out for. “Also, Danny Ottoman and live, The Flaming Lips – they’re an inspiration.”
Oh – and before we finish – has he found anything worthwhile while he’s been digging around in the record store? “I’ve got a nice little healthy pile,” he chuckles. There’s the genesis of a new album here.”
You can catch the affable and cuddly Kid Koala at the following shows…
Mar 8 – Future Music Festival, Sydney
Mar 9 – Future Music Festival, Melbourne
Mar 9 – Meredith Natural Ampitheatre, Meredith
Mar 10 – Future Music Festival, Adelaide
