The inspiration for Kasra’s latest EP Focus On the Love out now on Critical Music may have been a simple vocal sample in the title track but the wider message is broader and cuts to the core of our fair scene. In the face of a new rash of subgenre debates, many producers want to get the message out that drum & bass is still a unified scene and that we’re all here because of a deep love for that 174 BPM magic.
In Kasra’s own words about Focus On the Love, “I wanted this EP to follow on from the last, showcasing my love for underground drum & bass in its rawest form, bringing some friends along for the ride.” Said friends, Bou and Enei, seem to share Kasra’s vision of underground-inspired darkstep beats with minimal vocal samples which hearken back to a time when D&B was all underground in “No Logos.” There really was a time when there were no logos, and no labels on sound or on dubplates. Both this track and the EP on the whole seek to recreate that space.
The equally dark and minimal “Cold Wave” and “Disappearing Ink,” another collab with Enei, carry that vibe to the end of the EP, and Focus On the Love is indeed another triumph for Kasra which, as he’d hoped, builds on the vibes he created in his first EP Ski Mask. At the end of the day it truly is all about the love of D&B, and Kasra’sreminder to focus on that key and only point is refreshing. Here’s hoping it continues to be heeded.
Focus On the Love is out now on Critical Music and can be streamed or purchased on multiple platforms by going to the Critical Website.