[Photo credit: Corinne Merrell]
Kid Koala, aka DJ, composer, and visual storyteller Eric San, continues to grow his immersive real-life cartoon musical universe an original double album soundtrack with built-in board game entitled Creatures Of The Late Afternoon. Centered around a “cast of creatures who band together through the power of music to save their habitat from destruction”, the album and the game together are built integrally into a vinyl gatefold jacket.
The board game itself is set at a communal hub of DIY recording studios where “various bands of creatures collaborate to explore different ways of expressing and enjoying music”.
Creatures Of The Late Afternoon is what San calls “a journey through some of my favorite musical universes through the turntables.” What started as a “testing ground for creating turntable tracks in different styles” took shape as the score to an action film-inspired love story. The resulting twenty-track two-disc set includes “instrumental jaunts” as well as featured guest vocalists.
Leading up to the vinyl’s full release, Kid Koala will reveal the album in four stages. The second single from the collection, “Once Upon A Time In The Northeast” is out now.
Kid Koala sets the scene:
Among several rows of vials filled with water samples, one of the creatures connects clues about the cause of strange goings-on in the city… eventually uncovering a nefarious plot originating from a monolithic technological structure that, although modern and iridescent, is not as innocuous as it seems. As the creatures traverse multiple terrains toward their destination, their journey is underscored by this Spaghetti Western Style music cue.
The set will release on April 14, 2023 via Envision Records, featuring 20 new Kid Koala tracks on double vinyl in gatefold jacket, plus 8 vinyl-only board game tracks, inserts with game pieces, dice, and 150 game cards.
Tour Dates
Feb 2 Toronto, ON @ Axis Club **
Feb 3 Guelph, ON @ Hillside Festival **
Feb 4 Oshawa, ON @ Biltmore Theatre **
Feb 7 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios **
Feb 8 Seattle, WA @ Substation **
Feb 9 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret **
Feb 10 Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room **
Feb 11 Calgary, AB @ Palace Theatre, Blockheater Festival **
Feb 22 Quebec City, QC @ Le Diamant *
Feb 23 Quebec City, QC @ Le Diamant *
Mar 23 Nashville, TN @ OZ Arts *
Mar 24 Nashville, TN @ OZ Arts *
Mar 25 Nashville, TN @ OZ Arts (2 shows) *
Apr 6 St. Catharines, ON @ FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (2 shows) *
Apr 7 St. Catharines, ON @ FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (2 shows) *
Apr 8 St. Catharines, ON @ FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (3 shows) *
* The Storyville Mosquito
** Kid Koala x Lealani
