Exclusive KOAN Sound Interview
KOAN Sound first appeared on the scene in 2008 when their first tracks were released on a relatively unknown net label; now with a handful of hard releases under their belts and shows across the globe coming up this Bristol based quartet show no signs of relenting in their quest to make the darkest and at the same time most beautiful tunes around. With pristine production, an ever shifting yet consistently original, not to mention incredible style and backing by dubsteps big players, these boys are headed for big things and are definitely ones to watch this year; and we’ve got an exclusive interview to see what they’re about…
How did you first come to meet?
We all met fairly early on in secondary school and were in a band for a few years, playing all kinds of stuff from Pokémon Gym Leader Battle mash-ups to System of a Down covers. We all got into drum & bass at the same time and gradually got really into DJ-ing and production.
Obviously Bristol is noted as one of the major cities in the dubstep scene with a huge range of artists coming from the same place; how did you find yourself becoming involved in the town’s dubstep community?
Our introduction to dubstep is the same story as many others no doubt; coming from a drum & bass background. We used to spend our Saturdays in Rooted Records and we loved the vibe there so that definitely helped us get into the genre. The great thing about Bristol is that it’s the perfect size for a scene like dubstep, and why we love it so much is that there’s a close relationship between DJs, promoters and producers; it’s easy to get contacts through friends of a friend and so on. We were lucky enough to get support from some massive promoters who wanted to help push us early on, which definitely increased our exposure.
You’ve become part of a particular sect in dubstep that’s playing a particular breed of dark, heavy tunes; what pushed you towards this style and what are your influences?
As mentioned before we come from a drum & bass background. We first discovered the jump up that Andy C and DJ Hype were playing, but gradually got into darker/techier stuff by artists like Noisia and Spor. Their production really amazed us and it was their attention to detail that really stood apart from what other producers were doing. There isn’t really much dubstep which quite matches the same epic feel of that kind of drum & bass, so our heavier tunes are trying to bring what we love about the genre and mix it with what we love about dubstep. Through time we were led to other producers such as Amon Tobin, Eskmo and Reso who are all big influences too.
KOAN Sound – Coast to Coast
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How do you feel about the ever diversifying dubstep scene in the UK and its different subgenres?
The good thing about dubstep, as you mentioned, is that it’s such a diverse genre; mainly down to how loosely the word ‘dubstep’ is used. It’s managed to remain strong even with all the Britney Spears and Rihanna collaborations popping up so it’s clearly a robust music! Having said that, some of the jump-up stuff does take it a bit far with the mindlessness, but there will always be bad times and good times for a genre. We’re just as much into the more melodic, ambient side as the heavier side, if not more so. Producers like James Blake and Mount Kimbie are really pushing the sound into completely new directions. There’s also loads of interesting music being produced that has emerged from the ashes of 2005-esque dubstep (people like Brackles & Shortstuff), which is constantly inspiring.
Any forthcoming developments that we should know about?
In terms of releases we have our third release on Screwloose coming out sometime this month (hopefully!), including a collaboration with Asa on the flip. It’s a bit different from what people may expect but hopefully it will be well received! We’ve also just finished a remix for Wachs Lyrical, which should be coming out on a relatively new label called Holding Pattern in the next few months. Watch out for more collaborations with Asa and Statix in the future as well.
Asa & KOAN Sound – Hesitation
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How do you describe your style, and how did you come to find your niche in Dubstep?
Finding our niche happened naturally and was mainly down to the fact that a lot of the more “jump-up†tunes were starting to sound a bit bland. The most important thing, at least for us, is for tunes to always sound original in some way, and at the time when we first got noticed there was a lot of basic wobble in dubstep, so we just tried offering something different and techier. Basically, we’re nerdier than most DJs.
Your sound has progressed a lot since your first release; what kind of tunes are you looking to make now?
Recently it’s all been about improving production and expanding our sound and trying new things. Of course there’ll still be the heavier tunes but we’re looking to push things forward as much as possible.
Do you produce outside of dubstep?
We’ve always been making experimental stuff. It’s always fun making tunes with distorted reverbs that go on forever. Hip-hop’s something we’ve been doing a lot more of. There’s definitely still lots of room for new things in hip-hop so expect more of that in the future. For those who don’t know we’ve just given away a cheeky hip-hoppy number, so make sure you check it out!
KOAN Sound – Can Your Hear Us
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How’s your touring schedule looking for this year?
The majority of our gigs are still in and around Bristol, but we’ll be playing at Boomtown Fair this summer and also at Outlook Festival, Croatia in September!!! Screwloose Records are putting on a free night in Bristol during July so you’d be mad to miss it (details below). We’re also now taking unofficial bookings to mash-up your wedding/bar mitzvah/sorting-hat-ceremony under our garage/funky/grime/wot-do-u-call-it alter ego.
Are there any producers you want to collaborate with?
Many that will never happen, but hopefully with Culprate in the future.
What are your top 5 tunes at the moment?
Gravity – Eclipse (Culprate Remix)
Statix – Samurai
Space Dimension Controller – The Love Quadrant
James Blake – CMYK
Girl Unit – I.R.L
Wachs Lyrical – Butters (KOAN Sound remix)
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Are there any emerging artists you’ll be biggin’ up in 2010?
Firstly the other artists on the Screwloose label. Culprate, Asa and Statix are three names that people may or may not know, but they’re all going to blow up for sure. Culprate has a really unique, creative and original sound and his production is insane. Probably the most underrated producer ever! Closer to home, Kähn is doing big things right now. There’s also a lot of great artists and interesting music coming through in the 2-step/funky sound; far too many to list really!
You can find KOAN Sound at;
Look out for forthcoming releases on Screwloose and Holding Pattern; RAAAASPECT!
Greg
About the Author (Greg)
Since being converted to the ways of dubstep by his mates a few years back, Greg has rapidly become a pure dubfiend; always on the hunt for the most innovative new artists. Rest assured he'll always bring the sickest dubs to the table.
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