Koan Sound

Broadcast on several releases by Skrillex’s OWSLA imprint, alongside the UK’s Inspected Records, the group’s output showcases the vast range of musical territories they inhabit. Be it the formative techy weight renovating established dance music structures on their first releases from hometown labels in Bristol, the mutated brutality of their mid-tempo constructions – or even the cinematic journeys through orchestral expanses, revealed on their 2013 Sanctuary EP – members Jim Bastow and Will Weeks distinguish themselves across genres with inspired creativity, meticulous production finesse, and emphatic mastership of groove. Their infamous funk-infused formulations (perhaps most prevalent on their Funk Blaster EP) thrill audiences and DJs the world over, frequently synthesizing live instrumentation: a residual quality of their earliest days as a live band, with their vital and emblematic production. These renowned characteristics have not only informed a number of acclaimed remix conquests for artists such as Ed Sheeran and Kasabian, but also serve to make us evermore mindful of this duo’s compelling evolution.