Kosheen

Kosheen are a Bristol, United Kingdom electronic group formed in 1998. The line-up centres on Sian Evans on vocals, Darren Beale, also known as Decoder, and Mark Morrison, also known as Substance, with the group active from 1998 to the present. Their music spans club, dance, downtempo, drum and bass, dubstep and EDM, and they are also associated with trip-hop and electronica.

Early success and albums

The group first gains wide recognition with the single Hide U, which reaches number 6 in the UK singles chart. Their debut album, Resist, arrives in 2001 and combines drum and bass, trip-hop, chillout, hip-hop-influenced beats and singer-songwriter style production. It is well received and later goes platinum in the UK.

The second album, Kokopelli, marks a stylistic shift towards more rock-oriented songs alongside electronica and trip-hop. Its lead single, All In My Head, reaches number 7 in the UK chart, and the album goes gold.

Later releases and sound

Kosheen’s third album, Damage, is released in the UK on Moksha and brings together electronic elements associated with Resist and guitar-led ideas linked to Kokopelli. Its sound draws on dark electro, synthpop, downtempo, vocals and electronica. The group also announces Independence as a later release.

Their studio work is described as different from their live sound, and their concerts are known for drawing large crowds. For live performance, the group is joined by Mitch Glover on drums and Gary Eccles on keys.

Sian Evans and related work

Sian Evans also appears on side projects and collaborations, including two tracks with Bent, I Can’t Believe It’s Over and Sunday Boy, on Bent’s album Ariels. She also works with the Cajun jazz band Root Doctors. Her vocals appear on Decoder’s track Defenseless from the album Dissection, recorded before Kosheen is formed.