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Review: Fokuz Recordings has been one of the leading drum & bass labels in the Netherlands for some time. Now well into triple figures when it comes to catalogue numbers, the label is still turning out interesting sounds as evidenced by this new purple-marbled 12" from Spearhead bossman BCEE. There is a beauty in the way ever so delicate one-finger piano notes are draped over the relentless bass of opener 'Alpha' that soon wins you over. 'Dogs Behaving Badly' is deeper, more soulful, more tender and insular and then 'Days Like These' is a fluid roller with well-treated string sounds before 'Overleaf' layers dub vibes with jump-up drum goodness.

Review: Based in The Netherlands, Fokuz Recordings has been a key drum & bass label since before the start of this current millennium. It does a wide range of styles from sold out in a flash r&b edits to rollers for the club. They have helped make the label head Focus a mainstay of the scene and now he's back with another top nugget on nice blue vinyl. 'Take Me As I Am' launches with hyper-speed breaks and ice-cold hi-hats before the lush and romantic 'Do 4 Love' soothes mind, body and soul. 'Long Way Up' is another one with a perfectly pitched r&b vocal sample and sleek beats before the pensive and late night, piano-laced cover of Depeche Mode that is 'Enjoy The Silence.'

Review: A year on from their debut appearance, Archangel is back at it on Dutch d&b label Fokuz with more of the atmospheric, emotionally-charged gear they delivered on their two previous EPs. This is a suite of moody rollers in the cinematic sense of the term, all brooding melodic arrangement and forlorn vocals atop crisply programmed beats. Hiraeth's epic remix of 'Sound Of Silence' originally arrived on prior dici-only EP Android Waltz, but it was more than deserving of a chance to step out on wax, while Faction gets busy weaving deft tech step touches around 'Life Indoors'. It's a powerful, captivating listen from a talent firmly on an upward trajectory.

Review: Still riding high off the success of their album with Charlotte Haining back in May, BCEE now come back strong with a powerful EP on Dutch label Fokuz Recordings. It's 'Crystal' that opens in thoughtful fashion with bold bass notes and a crisp breakbeat that meanders as you get lost in a day dream. There's a more raw energy to 'Poodle Dub', while playful horns bring some colour. You head will be amongst the clouds as the lush chords of 'Love Drunk' are draped over a rolling break and airy vocals soar up top. 'Stitched Up' closes out with more crisp beats, and this time tumbling melodies that fall like rain.

Review: Drum & bass liquidator and Spearhead Records founder BCee returns for a Fokuzed, four-track liquid slab of sloshers. Wildly punchy and watery, as if attending a fantastical rave in a magical-natural mineral water spring, BCee amps up the sound design and depth here, with basses and impacts on the likes of 'Water Hole' and 'Rain' playing up the more eternal-live-giving capabilities of drum & bass. They don't call it liquid for no reason.

Review: Rolling since the mid 90s and showing no signs of slowing, Swedish D&B maestro Seba bounces straight from his Ingaro LP on Secret Operations to deliver this retrospective of highly sought after classics on Fokuz. Seba originally released 'Dangerous Days' in 2009 backed by his remix of Polar's 'Hi Voltage', and both cuts of dreamy drum funk make a welcome return here, with the title track in particular being an immersive slice of ambient D&B to write home about. 'Metropolaris' and 'A Wonderful World' both came out a little further back in 2003, but they equally complement the other tracks with their soft-shaped synth tones and crisp, intricate beats.