DJ Fokus

First ever reissue of a ’94 Jungle holy grail comes to us on Fundamental Frequencies, a hugely promising new label established by Finders Keepers’ Doug Shipton for reissues of UK rave and related sounds...

Aye, pinch yourself; it’s real! A sheer masterclass in Amen break atom-splitting, ‘Get A Bearing / Dream’ is one of a handful of early works by DJ Fokus that rank among the most in-demand early jungle plates. Along with two earlier 12”s of more breakbeat hardcore leanings on Blueprint Records, and the equally deadly ‘Watch Out/Media’ 12” that we can only pray is getting reissued, too; Fokus’ formative works are jaw-dropping feats of technical suss crafted at the service of the ‘floor during a epoch never to be repeated (no matter how hard the wains try).

Both sides are most deftly in step with the revolution of late ’80s-into-‘90s breakbeat science, when new sampling and sequencer technology tore open the puzzlebox for dancers limbered-up on fast hip hop, acid and Belgian techno (and rushing on whizz, E’s and LSD), pushed the discipline to inimitable heights in a fast fwd feedback loop with producers, DJs, promoters, soundsystem engineers, and shotters. DJ Fokus’ early productions are, to our ears, an utter apex of that convo, comparable to the best works by A Guy Called Gerald, Dillinja, 4Hero, Goldie during its golden era.

We, among many others, have attempted tracking down Paul Stokes aka DJ Fokus to reissue his sought-after touchstones, but we can only imagine what Doug Shipton whispered in his ear during the reacharound to coax this one out of his archive (presumably a bunker in the home counties guarded by XL Bullies in military fatigues). Rabid fantasising aside, this is the deepest, nexx level rufige guaranteed, raising heart-to-mouth with the swooning pads, swooping subs and mind-boggling breakbeat chicanery of ‘Get a Bearing’, whilst the time-stretched, filleted steppers’ ballistics of ‘Dream’ take a foot off the gas, yielding the lushest hangtime drop and rolling, knife play breaks that uncoil until the final bar.