Tag Archives: Fokuz Recordings

Random Movement – Sleazy Bitch EP [Fokuz Recordings]

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Random Movement brings his effortlessly smooth styles to Fokuz Recordings, and as usual from the ginger-curled American maestro the vibes are perfect! I Stayed Around kicks things off with a crisp break and a cheeky little guitar line for a tune that just oozes class; we can see this warming up a few rooms nicely early in the evening.

On though, to the main event on this EP, the titular Sleazy Bitch. This tune is one of the sexiest slices of rolling D&B we’ve heard in a while, and we’re not talking about the kind of maximum cheese on toast that has the MC yelling “this one for da ladieeeeezzz”; sultry vocals over a bouncy beat and a nice selection of melodic flourishes make for a track that should get the party people in the mood for love. If it were possible to bump & grind at 170BPM, this tune would inspire it.

Last but by no means least, Random Movement delivers a weightier than usual remix of Blockwork’s Morning Music, retaining his usual melodic touch but bringing some additional bass pressure to the party with a sprinkling of jazz for good measure. Worthy stuff all round! Check out the clips below and look for this one on vinyl and digital from May 11th.

Need For Mirrors & HLZ – Opium Dream EP [Fokuz Recordings]

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Need For Mirrors & HLZ reunite once again in the studio to bring us something a little “out there” for Fokuz Recordings. One foot remains firmly planted on the dancefloor throughout the Opium Dream EP but the pair seem nonetheless unafraid to explore more unusual musical influences.

Slash proves the most straight forward track on the release, with crisp breaks and warm bass combining for subby dancefloor roller. Opium Dream meanwhile explores some pretty psychedelic territory with mad saxaphone samples echoing in and out of the mix over a backbone of sturdy beats and bass.

Out into the second half of the EP Nostalgia continues the eclectic sampling with creepy chiming melodies, while Pinch provides a relatively stripped back composition with a few more unusual atmospherics layered over the top. Overall this is a nice little EP that proves you can play around with a massive range of musical styles within the basic D&B template. Check out the clips below and look for this on vinyl and digital right now!

Jungle Ballad EP [Fokuz Recordings]

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The latest EP from Fokuz features another fine selection of melodic liquid rollers, with tracks from BCee, RoyGreen & Protone and Rowpieces all gracing the release. The Spearhead boss gets the A side, with his customarily rich sound in full effect on the smooth, laid back Breath In.

Over on the flip RoyGreen & Protone bring us a jazzy ode to precipitation, while Rowpieces showcases his finest break chopping skills on Jungle Ballad; no prizes for guessing the influence he might be drawing on for this one. Last but not least, digital buyers are treated to a nice bonus in the form of Renaisance, with RoyGreen and Protone going slightly off piste with a selection of unusual FX and atmospheres set to another crisp, rolling beat.

All in all another fine Fokuz release! Check out the clips below and grab this on vinyl or digital from your favourite store now!

Phase – Do Not Look Back EP [Fokuz Recordings]

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Fokuz return with another great release, this time from Belgian producer Phase. A-side Our Love serves up a pleasant (if predictable) slice of rolling liquid funk featuring the vocal talents of La Meduza, but Don’t Look Back on the flip is the real star of the show.

Jazzy elements, twinkling FX, dynamic strings and perfectly placed piano all combine into beautiful composition, and the contrast between the relatively rugged beats and bass and the soft, melodic elements really makes the track stand out. Check out the clips below and grab this from all good digital stores from November 24th.

Maduk & Nymfo – Motions EP [Fokuz Recordings]

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Maduk & Nymfo’s occasional collaborations are always a treat, as anyone who checked out last year’s 12″ for Allsorts will know. Their latest work touches down on Fokuz later this month and features three top notch emotive rollers, all with one eye on the melody and the other on the dancefloor. Deep, hypnotic euphoria is the order of the day on Motions, with similar vibes on the nicely guitar embellished strains of Approaching Me.

Tatta Ganja meanwhile proves the surprise of the bunch, bringing together garagey stabs and dub horns with a jungle-tinged break for a skanking slice of dubwize business. Anyone looking for something a little less aggressive but still with plenty of bounce should look no further! Check out the clips below and watch out for this dropping on vinyl and digital from October 27th.

Rowpieces – Recollection EP [Expressions Recordings]

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Fokuz Recordings present the latest release from their Expressions sub label with a new EP from German liquid producer Rowpieces. Engineers of our Future kicks things off with a dense but perfectly balanced assortment of rapid breaks, synth swells, strings and rapid arpeggios.

Artemis’ Temple feels like classic Good Looking Records territory with soft, swirling pads and a classic break forming the backbone of the tune over which funkier elements are added; the result is a mellower composition but still with plenty of depth and energy. Last up comes An Intense Moment; true to the name the track carries an intensity of feeling while aiming for a mellow vibe musically; again the influence of GLR and the classic “intelligent D&B” of the past shines through here.

Check out the clips below and watch out for the EP dropping September 22nd.

Intelligent Manners – Miracles EP [Fokuz Recordings]

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Russian liquid maestro Intelligent Manners returns to Fokuz Recordings to showcase his ultra-smooth sound via four brand new tracks. The appropriately named Numb glides effortlessly along on a bed of warm sub bass, soft pads and twinkling FX sweeping across the tune, conjuring an atmosphere of muted bliss; maybe an ode to heavy duty painkillers?

Love Is Love revolves brings together soft soul vocals, catchy guitar and another rolling break, though this time with a little more of the party energy; uplifting vibes. Everyday is the Same keeps the energy in the beats but swaps the jazzy guitar hooks for beautiful piano licks and a slightly melancholy vocal, for what is to my mind the best track on the EP.

Last of all Miracles rounds things off; half-time beats on the intro give the track an old school hip-hop vibe before the full tempo roll gets the party going again. Once again the mixdown proves absolutely effortless, and fans of the smooth liquid played by Random Movement, Makoto et al will definitely find much to love here.

Check out the clips below and watch out for this one dropping on vinyl and digital from September 15th (pre-orders available now from the Triple Vision Store).

15 Yearz of Fokuz – Episode 1 [Fokuz Recordings]

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Fokuz Recordings celebrates a mighty 15 years in the game this year and to celebrate they’ll be releasing six 12″s and double CD packed full of their brand of rolling, emotive D&B.

Kicking things off is Episode 1, three 12″s featuring a selection of the labels trademark liquid vibes. Command Strange’s Rocksteady gets the Lenzman summer remix treatment on the first plate, with Reds turning in a deep, warm roller on the flip. Plate number two sees Malaky deliver the soft strings and soulful vocals of Connected, while Impish delivers the more dancefloor oriented bassline modulations of With U. Finally the third single features the simple, infectious hook of Emery & Dreazz’ Things backed with a jazzy take on the old school D&B roller from Reds.

If you like your D&B musical and rolling it’s difficult to argue with the selection on offer here. Check out the clips below and watch out for these dropping from June 9th.

Actraiser – Long Way From Home EP [Fokuz Recordings]

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Cambridge producer Actraiser returns to Dutch imprint Fokuz Recordings with four tracks of warm, melodic and bassy liquid D&B. All four tracks are excellent in their own way but the pick of the bunch for me is the rapid melodic chimes, infectious groove and huge sub bass of Without You. Check out the clips below and watch out for this dropping at all good digital stores from May 19th.