Formed in the late nineties, Kosheen are the trio of Markee Substance, Darren Decoder and Sian Evans. The band caught first the world’s attention with the release of their track “Hide U.” Originally a drum n bass number, the song reached wider audiences after it was treated to a remix by progressive masters John Creamer and Stephane K and played by John Digweed. From then onwards the song was caned to death in clubs, and subsequently on radio as the first single from their debut album “Resist.”

Right now Kosheen are on fire, and they know it. The band have been going non-stop, town to town, touring in the follow up to the release of “Resist.” Australians were treated to their live shows earlier this year, and Kosheen have just recently completed a tour of the UK tour. Now the band faces a northern summer season of European tour dates and festivals. These guys don’t stop, but hey, when you’re on a good thing you go with it. Polecat put the breaks on Darren Decoder for a quick session of question time.

How did all the members of Kosheen meet up and come together as a band?
Markee was promoting a club night in Bristol called 'Breakbeat Culture', I used to DJ there and Sian used to come down. Markee linked up with Sian and then brought her up to my studio. Sian grabbed the mic and started signing. That was the start of Kosheen….

Kosheen have captured the world's attention with Resist and live performances. Have you been amazed with the success of Resist, or did you expect it to do as well as it has in reviews and charts?
I don't think you ever expect it. We all focus on the music and the live shows so much that sometimes we're oblivious to what the press are saying or how the album sales are doing this week etc. We just concentrate on the music, try not to listen too much on what people say.

It seems a relatively short time between the start of Kosheen and the success you have achieved to date. Which factor has played the most significant role in getting Kosheen to where they are now: good songs, good timing, or good planning?
I think we're all quite strong and confident people in the band. We know what we want and we work hard for it. If you put 100% in, you get 100% out. Nothing comes easy in the music business. Markee and I have both run record labels before and have had quite a lot of experience in the music industry, I think that helped as well. Good music will always come through in the end.

The album has a great strength in that it flows easily between drum n bass, breakbeat, and downtempo sounds. Given the roots of Markee and yourself in drum n bass production, do you see yourselves as a drum n bass group, or something more?
I don't see us as a 'drum n bass group'. Markee and I are inspired by a lot of drum n bass production and think that obviously has a presence on the album. We are influenced by many different styles of music, not just one in particular. We see ourselves as a band.

Was it difficult to transform your studio sound into a live act for the tour to promote Resist?
We use both electronic and live instruments on stage. It wasn't difficult really. We have done total acoustic sets for radio etc, very mellow and laid back. Our live performances have more energy.

You've been to Australia this year, and March, April and May are packed with tour dates. How long have you been on the road for promoting Resist, and when will you get a break from touring?
We've just finished a UK tour, and we’ve got all the festivals coming up as well. We’ll probably be touring the album until the end of the year, then back in the studio recording.

Kosheen’s album “Resist” is available now internationally.