Short, but very sweet, this hopeful sounding EP from Koan Sound is sure to tickle you inside and leave you feeling all kinds of fuzzy afterwards.
Release date: June 5, 2026 | Shosin | Bandcamp | Website | Instagram
Koan Sound are back to delight the senses with Moments of Opening, four tracks of pioneering electronic sound engineering that showcase the duo’s ever-evolving take on the wider genre. Last year, after the experimental foray with Led By Ancient Light and Evocation, Koan Sound took things up a notch with two EPs and one single, which brought back their mid-tempo, drum and bass roots. You could hear this specifically in Spirals Unfold, where the duo unleash a fine collection of dancefloor bangers to mix it up to.
Moments of Opening dials it right back from the colossal basslines found in the tracks from last year to more of the loftier, glitchier sound found in Polychrome. Whilst Koan have some of the most incredibly engineered bass in the electronic space, at the other end of the spectrum, they also excel at creating synthesised hooks that capture you for days, out of simple bleeps and wibbles. The first track is one of the most hopeful and relaxing I’ve heard all year. “Shimmer”, with a very apt name, builds brilliantly over the first few minutes with delicate glitch, culminating in a gradual ascent to a full-blown waterfall of noise, almost like an electronic post-rock track, like something from Secret Gardens.
“Colour Dance” sticks at a pretty steady pace, but constantly introduces lovely new layers that collide, divide, and become part of the fabric of the track. It feels a lot like the Sanctuary EP, one of their most revered, with its orchestral, yet deeply complex electronic foundation. Following after is “Allure”, a track unlike any I can recall from them. Here, traditional instruments are left untouched more than ever before with Koan Sound, a farcry from tracks like “Voices of Dissent”, where they took a cello and turned it into one of the nastiest basslines I’ve ever heard. I wouldn’t mind hearing more of this kind of music, be it in movie or game soundtracks from the duo, as this short but sweet track really carries a lot of emotion and intrigue in its three minute runtime.
Closing out the EP is a return of the bassline, but it is more of Koan’s signature broken-beat dubstep, which almost grumbles along. Running always alongside these emphatic rumbles are layers of droplets and tinkles, mixed in perfectly so as not to overwhelm the senses, but rather expand the soundscape of the track. This more upbeat track doesn’t ever get too crazy through, so it doesn’t contrast too heavily against the theme of the EP, but rather leaves you wanting more. Luckily, the genres got a lot of good releases pumping out through Tipper, Mr Bill, Opiuo, and of course Koan Sound‘s extensive back catalogue to sate your ears.
