By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – London, The landscape of contemporary drum and bass is often defined by its ability to balance nostalgia with forward-thinking innovation, a delicate equilibrium that few production duos navigate as skillfully as Koherent. Comprised of Josh Belbin and Luke Hiscock, the duo has spent the last several years carving out a distinct niche within the genre, characterized by surgical precision, minimalist aesthetics, and an innate understanding of dancefloor dynamics. Their latest offering, the 3AM EP, marks a significant milestone in their trajectory as it serves as their debut release on Gemini Gemini, the boutique imprint helmed by the visionary producer Halogenix. This four-track collection is not merely a showcase of technical prowess but a thematic exploration of the "early hours"—that specific, liminal time in a club environment where the energy shifts from the frantic to the hypnotic.
The partnership between Koherent and Gemini Gemini feels like a natural evolution. Halogenix has long been a proponent of soulful yet technically rigorous electronic music, and his label has become a sanctuary for artists who prioritize vibe and texture over generic tropes. In the 3AM EP, Koherent finds a perfect home for their brand of "mucky" yet refined production, delivering a body of work that feels both cohesive and diverse. The EP spans the BPM spectrum, touching on the resurgent interest in 140 BPM sounds while doubling down on the rolling drum and bass structures that have become the duo’s signature.
The opening statement of the EP, "Lime Bike Riddim," is perhaps its most audacious. In a move that displays both a sense of humor and a keen eye for urban semiotics, Koherent utilizes the distinctive, chirping alarm of a Lime bike—a ubiquitous sound in the modern London landscape—as a central rhythmic hook. For the urban listener, the sample is an immediate "earworm," a cheeky nod to the shared experiences of city life. However, beyond the novelty of the sample lies a formidable piece of production. Clocking in at 140 BPM, the track leans into the darker, more industrial corners of dubstep and grime-inflected bass music. It is a weighty, percussive exercise that prioritizes space and sub-bass pressure. The "Lime Bike Riddim" serves as a bridge between genres, proving that Koherent’s sensibilities are not confined to a single tempo, but rather a specific attitude toward sound design.
As the EP transitions into drum and bass territory, the title track, "3AM," takes center stage. This composition is a masterclass in atmospheric tension. The "early hours" theme is palpable here; the track utilizes a dizzying, ethereal vocal build that feels like the onset of sleep deprivation or the peak of a late-night epiphany. When the bassline eventually arrives, it is a thick, undulating force that carries the listener through a landscape of shifting shadows. The percussion is crisp and understated, allowing the low-end frequencies and the haunting vocal fragments to do the heavy lifting. It is a track designed for the moments when the lights are low and the crowd is locked into a collective trance, perfectly capturing the disorienting yet addictive nature of the late-night club experience.
The third track, "Games," offers a fascinating dialogue with the history of the genre. Producers often pay homage to their predecessors through sampling, but "Games" goes a step further by recontextualizing a sample that holds a sacred place in the drum and bass canon. The sample in question was most famously utilized in Lenzman’s 2011 classic, "Masquerade." By revisiting this sound, Koherent acknowledges the soulful, liquid roots of the genre while stripping away the sentimentality to create something tougher and more contemporary. "Games" is a testament to the duo’s ability to bridge the gap between the classic and the modern. It retains the emotive core of the original sample but surrounds it with the gritty, "mucky" textures that define the Koherent sound. The result is a track that feels familiar yet entirely fresh, a nod to the past that firmly plants its feet in the present.
The EP is rounded out by "Thinkin’ About You," a track that further emphasizes the duo’s versatility. While it maintains the subterranean weight found elsewhere in the collection, it introduces a more melodic, almost melancholic sensibility. The interplay between the rolling drums and the soulful vocal snippets creates a sense of movement that is both relentless and emotive. It serves as the perfect closing chapter to the EP, providing a sense of resolution while reinforcing the overarching themes of introspection and nocturnal energy.
Technically, the 3AM EP is a triumph of mixdown clarity. In an era where many productions are brick-walled and over-compressed, Koherent allows their sounds room to breathe. The transients are sharp, the sub-bass is controlled yet physically demanding, and the use of stereo space creates an immersive listening experience. This level of detail is a hallmark of the Gemini Gemini label, and Koherent has risen to the occasion, delivering some of their most polished work to date. Their ability to make "minimalist" music feel "big" is a rare gift, achieved through the careful selection of sounds and an avoidance of unnecessary clutter.
Beyond the technicalities, the 3AM EP represents a cultural moment in the UK underground. The blending of 140 BPM aesthetics with high-fidelity drum and bass reflects a broader trend in the scene, where genre boundaries are becoming increasingly porous. Artists like Koherent are at the forefront of this movement, drawing from the rich history of UK bass music—from jungle and garage to dubstep—to create a hybrid sound that resonates with a new generation of listeners. The inclusion of the Lime bike sample is more than just a gimmick; it is an act of "sonic psychogeography," mapping the sounds of the city onto the structures of the dancefloor.
The duo’s trajectory since their early releases on Shogun Audio has been one of consistent refinement. With each release, they have shed the superfluous and leaned further into their core identity. The 3AM EP feels like the culmination of this process. It is a confident, self-assured body of work that demonstrates a deep respect for the craft of electronic music production. By joining forces with Halogenix and Gemini Gemini, Koherent has found a platform that values their artistic integrity and encourages their more experimental impulses.
In conclusion, Koherent’s 3AM EP is a vital addition to the 2024 electronic music landscape. It is an EP that demands to be heard on a high-quality sound system, where its intricate low-end movements and subtle atmospheric layers can be fully appreciated. Through "Lime Bike Riddim," "3AM," "Games," and "Thinkin’ About You," Josh and Luke have constructed a narrative of the night that is as gritty as it is beautiful. They have managed to capture the essence of the "mucky" underground while maintaining a level of sophistication that sets them apart from their peers. As Gemini Gemini continues to establish itself as a beacon for high-quality bass music, releases like this ensure that the label—and Koherent—will remain at the center of the conversation for years to come. The 3AM EP is not just a collection of club tracks; it is a vivid, sonic portrait of the urban after-hours, painted by two of the most talented architects in the game today.