Sub Focus

Although Sub Focus has been releasing records since 2003, he only really achieved well deserved but semi-mainstream success after his 2009 self-titled debut album was released. The English electronic music producer, known separately from his stage name as Nick Douwma, exploded on to the dance, electronic and drum and bass scene with tracks such as “Rock It / Follow the Light,” (which found its way onto the Top 40 UK singles chart) “Splash” and “Could This Be Real.” All of which are high energy, fast-paced thudding bass-ridden songs perfect for a night full of dancing.
I first saw Sub Focus at Reading Festival in 2010 in the NME tent; the perfect enclosed location to set a night-time atmosphere and to sufficiently squash the crowd into a sea of swaying and jumping dancers. Even on such a big stage at a relatively early time to perform, the entire audience never faltered in response to Sub Focus’s massive tunes. With every track, there was barely time to rest before heavy and fast beats dropped and everyone went wild. That was especially with the help of the MC constantly reminding us to “bounce, bounce, bounce” with every track – not that we needed his instructions!
More recently Sub Focus seems to have upped his game in terms of his own stage presence; relying more on his circular, sub speaker-esque lighting to create hype and ambience rather than his MCs. Plus, with his second album being named ‘Torus,’ this shape seems to be a pivotal element of Sub Focus’s independent identity or brand. This sense of identity is certainly more evident in his recent shows, one of which was a headline slot at Reading and Leeds Festival 2013, which demonstrated how his sound and Sub Focus as an artist, rather than just a producer, has developed.