KOAN Sound have always been seen as electronic music pioneers and progressive visionaries throughout their seasoned career. Earlier this year and after a two year hiatus, the Bristol-based duo returned to announce their next album Led by Ancient Light. What we didn’t expect was that KOAN Sound would be redefining the sonic landscape by creating a conceptual visual, literary, and audio project like we’ve never seen before.
Led by Ancient Light transcends the realm of conventional albums, offering listeners an intricately woven tapestry of music and storytelling that takes them on a sci-fi themed journey. The narrative arc of the project focuses on the idea of chaos transitioning into purpose which can also be heard listening through the album. The opening track “Embers From The Chaos” represents the idea of chaos before ultimately ending on the beautifully composed finale “Solace of the Red Giant.”
KOAN Sound focus much more heavily on organic instruments and compositions, including piano, cello, organ, and double bass while still including their own interpretation of electronic sound design. The dynamic interplay between the cello and piano throughout the album aids in creating something more intimate and cohesive than anything we’ve heard from them.
The album has also been brought to life through a novella and immersive audiovisual capabilities, creating an innovative and interactive dimension. In KOAN Sound’s words,
“We want the album to feel like an immersive journey that transports the listener into the narrative and sonic world that we constructed. We hope that the heartfelt message of the story resonates with listeners. In a world with increasing uncertainty about the future, we wanted to write a story about how deep personal meaning can be found under any circumstance, as well as the importance of the connection between all of us and the environment that we inhabit.”
KOAN Sound have single handedly redefined expectations of contemporary electronic music, creatively pushing themselves in all facets of making a conceptual album. In addition to all this excitement, KOAN Sound have also announced a North American tour coming this fall. You can find tour dates here. You can stream Led by Ancient Light below. You also access the accompanying novel here. Enjoy!
KOAN Sound – Led by Ancient Light
