Yesterday, we took a trip down memory lane to revisit our first-ever dubstep upload. Today, it’s all about the origins of our Music YouTube channel – and it begins with a bang: KOAN Sound’s remix of Skrillex’s ‘Kill Everybody’
As we count down to the grand finale of our UKF15 celebrations – a sold-out extravaganza at the mighty Drumsheds on December 13 – we’re having a quick catch up with KOAN Sound.
Your remix of Skrillex’s ‘Kill Everybody’ was the first upload on our UK Music Channel 12 years ago, what have been some of the highlights of your musical journey since then?
Since 2011 we’ve toured all over the world and have been able to travel to places we never thought we’d see. We’ve also released a lot of music, including our latest album which is a sprawling cinematic project based on a science fiction story that we wrote. One of the things we’re proudest of is maintaining our creative vision and integrity whilst continuing to experiment musically with every release. We’re fortunate that we’ve always had a really loyal fanbase that has supported our experimentation from the beginning.
How has the dance music scene changed in the last 15 years?
The origins of UKF were at a time when UK-driven electronic music was on the cusp of blowing up globally and commercially. Probably the biggest change we’ve seen over the past 15 years is the explosion of electronic music in America. Back in early 2012, when we did our first major tour of the US alongside Gemini, club culture and electronic music in general was not nearly as established compared to the UK. Contrast that to 2024, and venue infrastructure and production around the US has seen huge investments. Sound and sound-systems in particular are now prioritized much higher than they used to be.
15 years ago platforms like Facebook and YouTube were becoming ubiquitous, which resulted in music being able to spread much faster. Back then the blueprints of dubstep and drum & bass were already fairly well established, and I think some artists – ourselves included – were seeking to break out of those molds and experiment with less entrenched formulas. This is where we really started to see genre lines blurring and a lot more cross pollination taking place between different dance music styles and tempos. In general it feels like audiences are more musically open-minded nowadays because of that. The internet has exposed people to such a huge array of different types of music which feels really healthy.
What does UKF represent to you?
UKF represents a hub for discovering new music as well as providing a platform to promote artists that work within the lineage of UK electronic music. On a more personal note, UKF supported us from early on in our careers, and gave us a platform to promote our music. Big thanks to Luke and the whole team for all of their hard work over the years.
Please choose your favourite upload from the UKF Music YouTube channel
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