Bringing their scene-shaping talents together for an epic collaboration, cinematic bass duo Koven and Australian drum & bass authority ShockOne today released their new single, “Collecting Thoughts” on Monstercat. The pairing comes as no surprise following Koven’s support on ShockOne’s Dark Machine Warehouse Tour over the last month, hitting venues across New Zealand and Australia. “Collecting Thoughts” opens with synth-driven nostalgia as Katie’s vocals build emotional intensity toward an adrenaline-pumping climax. Koven fans rejoice as the single will feature on their forthcoming EP, ‘Higher Ground (Part 2)’ in 2023, following their widely-praised first chapter in August.
Stream – https://listen.monstercatmusic.com/collectingthoughts-43en
Koven share, “We’re really excited to be collaborating with ShockOne for the first time. This was a demo we’d had for awhile, that we both really really loved so this collaboration seemed like a great opportunity to get it finished and out to the world. Uplifting vocal and dancefloor vibes.”
ShockOne adds, “It’s so great to finally write a song with Koven. We’ve been peers and fans of each other for such a long time, I’m surprised we took so long to do it tbh! I’m really happy with how this turned out. One of my biggest considerations going into this was ‘what should ShockOne x Koven sound like..?’ Not only that but what would our collective fans expect? And I think we’ve done exactly that – huge soaring vocals, epic melodies, and larger than life production!”
Koven have taken the world by storm this year, performing across their largest tour to date with over 50 stops from sold-out headline shows to festival main stages. Their ‘Higher Ground (Part 1)’ tracks have accumulated over 3.5 million streams and earned support in everyone from Illenium to Danny Howard, as well as UK television syncs from the likes of BBC’s sports programming.
ShockOne also hit the road this year, bringing his complex production stylings to fan-favourite festivals like Shambhala and Liquicity. He recently returned with his first single of the year, “Thinkin About” featuring Lee Mvtthews, which went straight to George FM’s ‘Best Songs of 2022’ list.
Koven Bio
Fueled by diversity, friendship, progressive ideas and cinematic bass music, Koven is a double act full of passion and natural born talent. Comprised Max Rowat and Katie Boyle, the duo formed in 2014. Known for their powerful, cinematic sound, Koven combine meticulous sound design and production with storytelling and unforgettable live performances. Primarily channelled into drum’n’bass and dubstep, with forays into an array of other genres, their sound has amassed a large global following, with debut LP Butterfly Effect establishing the duo as a potent force. Koven have built their reputation on the foundations laid down by years of hard work, touring and collaboration to earn themselves a reputation as a formidable act. With Katie fronting the act’s public appearances and Max the brains behind the beats, the duo are primed to shift into the next phase of their ever burgeoning evolution…
Over the years Koven released a steady flow of EPs and singles, keeping up the momentum and gradually establishing their sonic identity. As their music spread throughout the world, they began to pick up more and more gigs. Through consistent performances they initiated a process of conscious refinement; initially they would perform back-to-back DJ sets with Katie singing. During this time, Koven experienced the difficulties surrounding the “demise” of dubstep, responding by evolving the dubstep blueprint into an almost genre-less state. Later, Max opted to take a back seat from live performance, preferring to channel his energy into the studio, which led to Katie taking on the hybrid role of DJ and singer – a setup that is a distinct aspect of Koven and one which is still very rarely seen within the electronic music world. Never afraid to switch things up, the new format allowed both Max and Katie to expand into their roles, which fed back into their collaborative efforts and invigorated their music.
Through this transitional period, Admittedly challenging for the duo, and compounded by their new club setup, it took three years for them to find their feet again. By 2019 they were back on track and began to pick up bookings across Europe again, with their debut album scheduled for release in March 2020… In what seemed like a cruel twist of fate, the album (Butterfly Effect) was released on the same day the UK went into its first lockdown.
Amazingly though, the album flourished in a market where so many others were afraid to release music. Through the pandemic Koven saw their profile grow as Butterfly Effect captivated audiences who were isolated and searching for something to connect to. The emotive and cinematic sound emanating throughout the LP provided solace and escapism for countless listeners around the world. Eventually, when restrictions were lifted and venues reopened, Koven returned to the club circuit with a renewed energy and vigour. Katie found her niche with her DJ/singer performances, with Max venturing out to as many of the clubs and festivals as possible to observe how their tracks were being received. His perfectionism and drive leading to a process of refinement in the studio. Together they have formed a unique alliance, with their close friendship at the heart of their progression, often against the odds.
On their latest EP, Max and Katie got together in the studio for the very first time, after years of working remotely. During their five-day stay at Middle Farms Studios in Devon, they explored the writing process while in the same physical space. With the space and time to create freely without constraints Max and Katie relished the opportunity to develop their creative partnership in such inspiring surroundings. In another instance of serendipity, they bumped into Max’s former college tutor Simon Dobson at the studios. Simon now works as an arranger for string sections, and, ever keen to deepen their sound, Koven took the chance meeting to incorporate live strings into their productions. The result is Higher Ground, a two-part EP rooted in themes of self-development and ‘levelling up’.
On the cusp of their new evolutionary phase Koven are brimming with ideas and creative energy. At their core is love for the music and the desire to cultivate transcendent moments; whether that’s on the dance floor or at home, their music is designed to evoke powerful emotions. A remedy for those in need of catharsis; progressive and emotive, Koven are a formidable duo that prove unwavering dedication and pure talent always shines through…
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ShockOne Bio
Hailing from Perth, the epicentre of the Australasian drum and bass scene, ShockOne aka Karl Thomas has been at the forefront of the genre for the past decade.
Since the release of ‘The ShockOne EP’ in 2009, which featured the chart topping ‘Polygon’, ShockOne has been one of the hottest names in the scene. This was followed up by his highly anticipated ‘Re-Fix EP’, a collection of VIP’s and remixes of the massively successful ‘ShockOne EP’. The EP featured Phetsta’s dubstep remix of ‘True Believer’ which was featured in Pendulum’s 2010 Essential Mix on Radio 1, as well as the Dirtyphonics remix of ‘Polygon’ which was featured on Andy C’s ‘Nightlife 5’ mix, as well as hitting #1 on the BBC 1Xtra charts.
Shockone relocated to London in 2012 to make his own mark in the spiritual home land of dance music, and what better way to do it than the genre bending, production epic that is ‘Chaos Theory,’ a cinematic journey featuring the voice over work of Corey Burton. The success this release received was nothing short of spectacular, holding the #2 on Beatport (only behind Skrillex/Nero collaboration), #1 on Trackitdown, and #1 on iTunes Dance in Australia, above the likes of Swedish House Mafia and Skrillex. The tune received high rotation airplay on Triple J radio Australia, was selected as Crissy Criss’ “Ace of Clubs” track on BBC 1Xtra, featured in Drumsound & Bassline Smith’s Radio 1 Essential Mix and received extensive DJ support from Knife Party, Nero, Chase & Status, Matrix & Futurebound, Sub Focus, xKore, Excision, Camo & Krooked, 501, Drumsound & Bassline Smith, Delta Heavy, DJ Hype, and many more.
2013 saw Shockone release his groundbreaking debut LP ‘Universus’ to critical acclaim. A sonic journey representing the lifespan of a universe, the scope of this semi-concept album was nothing if not ambitious. Released on Viper & One Love recordings, the album showcases the wide ranging musical expertise of ShockOne taking the listener on a multi-genre odyssey all the way from the big bang with ‘Singularity’ and ‘Chaos Theory’, right through to the collapse of ShockOne’s universus with the Vangelis-inspired modern day electronic symphony that is ‘Light Cycles’. Universus hit the number 1 spot on the Australian ARIA albums chart and the iTunes chart within its first week of release, solidifying Shockone’s reputation as Australia’s premier bass music producer.
Karl’s major label debut came in 2019 with his sophomore album Universus released worldwide on Warner Music. This featured singles ‘Pray For Me’, ‘Run feat. The Bloody Beetroots’ & the tile track ‘A Dark Machine’ which made it into the top 10 singles on the Australian singles charts. Off the back of this hugely successful release ShockOne launched his now annual event ‘A Dark Machine Warehouse’ that has grown to become a 3,000 capacity event and expanded across Australia and to New Zealand with plans to expand the Warehouse experience further overseas.
ShockOne now releases under his own record label ‘Dark Machine Records’ with recent singles ‘Follow Me’, ‘Hardwired’ and ‘Thinking About feat. Lee Mvtthews amassingin a combined 20 million streams on DSP’s. Karl has also recently collaborated with U.K. artist Metrik on his album Ex Machina and has remixed artists such as DJ Snake, Alison Wonderland, What So Not, Dillon Francis & NGHTMRE to name a few. Karl is currently working on his third studio album scheduled for release in 2023.
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