KOAN Sound
| KOAN Sound | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Bristol |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2008 – present |
| Labels | |
| Website |
www |
| Members |
Will Weeks Jim Bastow |
KOAN Sound is an electronic music production duo from Bristol, United Kingdom. The duo consists of Will Weeks and Jim Bastow. The name is taken from the word kōan. A track from the Max Out EP is titled "One Hand Clap" - a reference to a well-known kōan with the implied answer of silence, an element used in their music to draw extreme contrast.
The duo cite bands such as Rage Against the Machine and Incubus as early influences.[1] In 2005 the duo began to explore electronic music through artists such as The Prodigy and Noisia.[2] They initially gained recognition as dubstep producers, with earlier popular tracks including "Akira". Some of their many types of music includes glitch hop, neuro hop, and moombahcore.
The duo have since released music on various labels including Inspected and OWSLA, and have worked with a number of other artists, including producer Asa and singer Ed Sheeran.
On 23 May 2011, KOAN Sound released the Max Out EP. The release was seen by many as a turning point in their production, gradually moving away from the dubstep template of their earlier music and displaying a wider range of styles.
On 1 November 2011, the duo released the Funk Blaster EP [3] on Skrillex’s label OWSLA.[4] The EP reached number 1 in the Beatport releases category.
During 2012, KOAN Sound performed across Europe and North America. They supported Skrillex alongside Diplo and others on the Full Flex Express Tour in 2012.[5]
On 4 September 2012, The Adventures of Mr. Fox EP was released. The release includes remixes from Reso, Neosignal and Opiuo.[6] A remix of "Introvert" by Vexisle, a duo of KOAN Sound's frequent collaborator Asa and Kursa, was released soon after as a free download.[7] The EP track "80s Fitness" featured on an advert for The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw and received airplay on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra.[8] Their songs have been played by Skream and Benga, MistaJam and Annie Nightingale among others,[9] and they completed a Daily Dose: OWSLA After Dark mix for MistaJam.[10]
On 22 October 2013, the duo's collaboration EP with Asa, Sanctuary, was released through OWSLA and Inspected.[11] Their fourth OWSLA release, the Dynasty EP, was released on 1 April 2014.[12] One of the four tracks, "7th Dimension", entered the UK Indie Breakers Chart at number 12.[13]
Discography
EPs
| Year | Release | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Free EP | Self-released |
| Max Out | Inspected Records | |
| Funk Blaster | OWSLA | |
| 2012 | The Adventures of Mr. Fox | OWSLA |
| 2013 | Sanctuary (with Asa)[14] | OWSLA / Inspected Records |
| 2014 | Dynasty | OWSLA |
| 2015 | Forgotten Myths | OWSLA |
Singles
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Clowny / Blessed" | Abducted Dub |
| 2009 | "Boo & Yarr (by TRiLLBASS) / Mafia (TRiLLBASS Remix) / Alchemy" | TRiLLBASS |
| 2010 | "Coast To Coast / Hesitation (featuring Asa)" | Screwloose Records |
| "Jumpsuit Adventures / Blueberry Pie" | ||
| 2011 | "Akira / Endorphin" | |
| "Garden of Buddha / Zappa Bomb Squad" | Dubsaw | |
| 2012 | "Risky Endeavours" | Unsigned |
Other appearances
| Year | Track | Release | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Mafia" | TRiLLDigi 002 | TRiLLBASS |
| 2011 | "Kaneda" (with Asa) | Sweeter Things EP | Screwloose Records |
| "Blue Stripes" | Dubstep Onslaught | EMI | |
| 2012 | "Look Who's Back" (featuring Foreign Beggars) | OWSLA Presents: Free Treats Vol. II | OWSLA |
| "Beyond the Shadows" (with Gemini, Culprate and Asa) | Beyond the Shadows | Inspected Records | |
| 2013 | "Cascade" (with Culprate, Asa and Reso) | Cascade | Inspected Records |
| 2014 | "Mosaic" (with Culprate, Asa and Sorrow) | Mosaic | Inspected Records |
Remixes
| Year | Track | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Catch You | Asa |
| 2010 | We Can Have It All | Danny Byrd |
| Butters (unreleased) | Wachs Lyrical | |
| 2011 | This City (with Asa) | Kito & Reija Lee |
| Raw Tones (with Asa) | Gatekeeper | |
| Promises | Andain | |
| The A Team | Ed Sheeran | |
| Keep Rising | LoKo | |
| Kill Everybody | Skrillex | |
| Deal With It | Kill The Noise | |
| 2012 | Days Are Forgotten | Kasabian |
| Green and Blue | Neil Davidge | |
| Vengeance Rhythm | Two Fingers | |
| 2013 | Axion | Reso |
| 2014 | Life (featuring Gift of Gab and Syreneiscreamy) | Opiuo |
References
- ↑ "Bristol to Bombay: an interview with Koan Sound".
- ↑ "Koan Sound interview on Low Life".
- ↑ http://www.beatport.com/release/funk-blaster/826947
- ↑ "Koan Sound". OWSLA.
- ↑ http://thefourohfive.com/news/article/grimes-diplo-and-skrillex-announce-the-full-flex-express
- ↑ http://www.koansound.com/releases/the-adventures-of-mr-fox/
- ↑ https://soundcloud.com/koan-sound/introvert-vexisle-remix
- ↑ "BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show - Nick Grimshaw". YouTube. 2012-09-14.
- ↑ "BBC - Music - KOAN Sound". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
- ↑ "MistaJam, Childish Gambino joins MistaJam, KOAN Sound deliver your Daily Dose". BBC Radio 1Xtra. 2013-11-11.
- ↑ "Timeline Photos". Facebook. 2013-09-24.
- ↑ "Dynasty: Koan Sound". OWSLA. 2014-04-01.
- ↑ "Independent Singles Breakers Top 20 Archive". Official Charts Company. 12 April 2014.
- ↑ "Timeline Photos". Facebook. 2012-12-31.