KOAN Sound returns to Denver for a big night at ReelWorks

The Bristol duo plays Denver more than any other market in our records, and on Friday, Nov. 20, they take the 3,500-capacity RiNo room with jordnmoody, Kursa and Indobeats.

Denver's bass crowd has a short list of acts it treats like its own, even when they come from across the Atlantic. KOAN Sound is on it.

The duo plays ReelWorks Denver on Friday, Nov. 20, with jordnmoody, Kursa and Indobeats on the bill. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are through AXS. No market in our records sees KOAN Sound more often than Denver, which says plenty about how this city has taken to them.

If you need the background: KOAN Sound is the English production duo of Will Weeks and Jim Bastow, formed in Bristol in 2008, according to Wikipedia. The name comes from the Zen kōan. They first made their name as dubstep producers, with tracks like "Akira," and their catalog has since wandered through glitch hop, neurohop and drum and bass, on labels including Owsla, Inspected and their own Shoshin.

Their most recent album, *Led by Ancient Light*, came out in 2023, and by then the two were splitting time between Bristol and Calgary and working together remotely. EDM.com has also covered a newer EP, *Chronos*, which it called quite possibly their heaviest yet.

That range is why they draw the crowd they do. KOAN Sound's music rewards people who listen closely, with detailed sound design, odd textures and real musicianship, and it hits hard on a big system. Denver has spent years building a scene that wants both.

Bristol bass, built for the people who listen closely, in the city that listens the most.

The room is big. ReelWorks Denver holds 3,500, and it sits at 1399 35th St. in RiNo, near the 38th and Blake commuter rail station. It used to be the EXDO Event Center, and the owners renamed it to draw more music acts, BusinessDen reported. That rail stop makes it one of the easier big rooms in town to reach without a car, which matters on a Friday night.

The undercard is stacked with bass names too. Kursa, jordnmoody and Indobeats fill out the night, so it's worth getting there before the headliner.

What to know before you go: the music starts at 8. Take the train to 38th and Blake if you can, and bring earplugs. A 3,500-capacity room with a big bass system is no place to be without them.

For a lot of Denver fans, a KOAN Sound show is a regular stop on the calendar. On Nov. 20, it's a Friday in RiNo with one of the scene's favorite visiting acts.

Sources: KOAN Sound - Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org); KOAN Sound - EDM.com (edm.com); RiNo's EXDO Event Center changes its name to lure more music acts - BusinessDen (businessden.com); ReelWorks - RiNo Art District (rinoartdistrict.org); KOAN Sound - AXS (axs.com); KOAN Sound at ReelWorks Denver - JamBase (jambase.com)