In the evening of May 21st multi-talented French artist Yoann Lemoine, known by stage name Woodkid, will perform at Palladium Riga concert hall.
Following some hiatus what he has spent on other projects, next year Woodkid is returning back with brand new album and live performances all around the world, including Riga.

The first recognition Yoann has achieved as graphic designer and music video director. His most notable works include Pharrell Williams' “Happy”, Lana Del Rey's "Born to Die", Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream", Taylor Swift's "Back to December", Harry Styles' "Sign of the Times" and a few more. For instance, each of Pharrell Williams' “Happy” and Harry Styles' "Sign of the Times" has almost 600 million views on YouTube.

Collaboration with the artists of different styles led to a wish to expand the limits of expression. So he started to write own music what first resulted in EP “Iron” (2011) and then full lenght LP “The Golden Age” (2013), which reached Platinum in France and Gold in each Germany and Switzerland.

It's not easy task for the critics to find a “frame” for Woodkid's music style, as on one wing there is orchestral or even classic music, while on the other one – neofolk and ambient. The Sunday Times calls him: “Dark epic pop wunderkind”. While AllMusic describes his debut album: “[Woodkid's] music is lavish, often torchy songs that pair dramatic backdrops with his charmingly imperfect vocals. And, despite the fact that it is an "at times exhausting album, “The Golden Age” shows he is skilled at making music as well as music videos”.

Woodkid himself tells that the album is rather autobiographic: “I wanted to make a pop album. I wanted the form to be different than a normal pop album; I wanted it to be very cinematic and orchestral with continuity between the tracks. I found that all of these songs I had been writing, these fragments of lyrics that I wrote, these sounds, visions, and collages of images that I had, were creating a story, almost like psychoanalysis or an inner archaeological process. I was talking about my childhood—how I left home and all the things I had been going through as a young adult.”
Even title of the album comes by purpose, because the artist recalls his childhood as “golden age”.

The above sticks perfectly with creation of Woodkid name: “I created an environment in the songs and the production that was very organic, emotional, that would be childhood—it was very wooden, because I come from the countryside.”

Since long time experience in design and video directing it came natural that also visualisation of his songs was done by Yoann himself. As result there have been created footages on 3 singles - Iron, I Love You and Run Boy Run. The latter even received Grammy nomination in category “ Best Short Form Music Video”.
And how do you feel about your videos: “They are a nice frame around my music. I worked for other artists on videos for almost 10 years now. Somehow my videos got big and I really didn’t see that coming. It comes from my deep passion for connecting images with sound,” reveals Woodkid.

Since Woodkid's live performances are not happening so often, this is perfect chance to catch a great moment.