Everything You Need to Know About Kid Koala

Biography

Kid Koala has established himself as a respected performer, film composer, theatre producer and visual artist. His career began as a scratch DJ in 1994, rapidly growing a cult fan base due to his virtuosic skills. Ever innovating, he quickly evolved into combining turntables with analog machines and visual storytelling devices to create his signature style. Kid Koala jumps effortlessly between genres as eclectic as hip hop, ambient, alternative, contemporary classical, blues, classic rock and traditional jazz. He has released 5 solo albums on Ninja Tune, and 3 albums on Arts & Crafts Records. He has also toured with Radiohead, Arcade Fire, the Beastie Boys, Money Mark, A Tribe Called Quest, Mike Patton, Jack Johnson, DJ Shadow and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He has collaborated with Deltron 3030, Gorillaz, Lovage, The Slew and the Afiara String Quartet. He has written and produced collaborative albums with vocalists Emilìana Torrini and Trixie Whitley and scored the multi platform video game Floor Kids.

Kid Koala’s unforgettable live shows range from touring turntable carnivals like Vinyl Vaudeville, to immersive multimedia shows like Nufonia Must Fall, The Storyville Mosquito, Satellite Turntable Orchestra and his Space Cadet Headphone Concert; each of which express his unique form of storytelling with music, animation, film and interactive entertainment.

He has contributed to scores for the films The Great Gatsby, Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Men Women and Children, Shaun of the Dead and Looper amongst others. He has composed music for The National Film Board of Canada, the Cartoon Network, Sesame Street and Adult Swim. He has also been commissioned to create music for runway shows for Belgian fashion designer Dries Van Noten. He has published the award-winning graphic novels Nufonia Must Fall and Space Cadet.

Kid Koala has toured 6 continents and lives with his wife and two daughters in Montreal, Canada.

Whether or not you’re aware of it, you are probably already a fan of Kid Koala.

One could argue Kid Koala is a postmodern Charlie Chaplin. More than just a performer, he becomes the architect of the experience, an auteur in the truest sense of the word.

Photo by Corinne Merrell

Kid Koala Through the Years

Photo by
1994
Early Years in Montreal
1994
1996
Scratchcratchratchatch
1996
1996
Signs to NinjaTune
1996
1998
Money Mark/Beastie Boys Tour
1998
1999
Handsome Boy Modeling School
1999
2000
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
2000
2000
Deltron 3030
2000
2001
Gorillaz
2001
2001
Radiohead Tour
2001
2003
Some of my Best Friends Are DJs
2003
2003
Nufonia Book Launch and Tour
2003
2003
Short Attention Span Theatre Tour
2003
2004
Shaun of the Dead
2004
2006
Your Mom's Favorite DJ
2006
2006
National Film Board - Jaime Lo
2006
2009
The Slew
2009
2009
The Slew Tour
2009
2009
Music To Draw To Sessions Begin
2009
2010
Space Cadet Book Launch and Headphone Concert Tour
Photo by Paolo Kapunan
2010
2010
Vancouver Olympics
2010
2010
Scott Pilgrim
2010
2012
12 Bit Blues
2012
2012
Vinyl Vaudeville
Photo by AJ Korkidakis
2012
2012
Looper
2012
2013
66 Wheels Bike Tour Show
2013
2013
Arcade Fire Reflektor Tour
Photo by AJ Korkidakis
2013
2014
Nufonia Must Fall Live
2014
2014
Men Women and Children
2014
2015
Satellite Turntable Orchestra Show
Photo by Barn Owl Photography
2015
2017
Music to Draw To: Satellite
2017
2017
Baby Driver
2017
2018
Floor Kids
2018
2019
Music to Draw To: Io
2019
2019
The Storyville Mosquito
2019