Your favorite monthly music discovery feature is back. Focus Five returns for 2025 with 5 new artist projects you need on your radar. Volume 78 features a gifted young Indian producer, a Taiwanese talent with a palate for international sounds, a producer crafting dark and euphoric soundscapes, a Manchester trio killing the bass scene, and an artist capturing the nostalgia of classic video game sounds. Dive in below.
2dash
On September 24, 2024, I liked ‘Memories’ from 2dash on Spotify. The track stood out among my random algorithm due to its eclectic blend of lush vocals, trap sounds, and a drum and bass palette. I remember having it on loop for a while during that time, but 2dash slowly faded from my radar – until this month. When I saw that Above The Surface was releasing the Indian producer’s latest single, I quickly hopped back onto the 2dash train and never looked back. With support from UKF on this latest release, 2dash blends elements of dubstep, future bass, and hyperpop to create a wildly unique cut. At just 15 years of age and with less than 300 followers on SoundCloud at the time of writing, there’s no denying that the future is bright for this versatile young artist. Don’t sleep on 2dash.
-SC
444theGod
For this first Focus Five of the year, we land in Taiwan to get familiar with 444theGod. Producer, DJ, and active member of several music collectives like the emerging party promoter Hentai Hammer, and Beijing’s Jungle music crew P.J.E.T, 444theGod caught my attention with his brand new EP Oxygen activation, released right at the beginning of January via shypeople. This collection offers four dark-toned club cuts that punch our ears with their extra ripped kicks, basslines, and intricated drum layers. Quoting Michail from Hyper Real Radio, “Oxygen Activation goes straight for the jugular with precision-tooled hard drum architecture and body-moving bass weight.” Going backwards, we can find the hellish ‘Hallucination,’ released on Christmas via Ecuadorian netlabel C.T.M, the brostep-influenced EP 战歌 , featured on Shenyang channel FarEastScala, and 444theGod’s debut album El Poema Inacabado, published by Shanghai label Genome6.66Mbp. From these three releases alone, it is pretty clear that 444theGod is a producer with a palate for international sounds who is not at all afraid to engage with a wide range of influences. We can expect a lot of surprises from him, so be sure to keep an eye on his profiles.
– AA
The soundscapes Førgøtten creates using cosmic melodies and overall crisp production have won the hearts of many in the underground. His dark and euphoric patterns will comfort your inner and most tender memories in the deepest parts of your mind. Delivering clear and universal clarity to your overall soul. Feeling truly reborn. Hailing from the Netherlands, this artist has delivered some incredible wave style tunes. Each holds its quality and characteristics as each story unfolds. Completely setting the stage and gripping listeners’ attention from the first and last note played. And diving into his discography will only mesmerize you to the highest degree. His recent tracks, ‘Eyes Don’t Lie,’ and ‘Away’ are nothing but impeccable. Both tunes like his others manage to truly define his unique and beautiful presence in the sonic spectrum. Taking the hands of his listeners and guiding them through a vast tunnel of new beginnings. Letting go of the past while embracing the present and what the future holds. We’re excited to see and hear what this year brings to the artist!
-JD
Lokal
Manchester-based bass trio Lokal are destined to have a destructive 2025. I first heard their name at the end of 2024 when a r/trap poster shouted out their Illicit Trade EP as one of the best projects of the year. The September release completely escaped my radar originally but after giving it a listen I was an immediate fan. The four-track project is a diverse but cohesive offering of top-tier bass music. It’s dark and filthy but possesses an additive catchiness. From the dance-friendly vocals on ‘Blackout’ to the potent percussion on ‘Like We’ that reminded me of the glory days of Yellow Claw with a fresh 2024 twist, the project offers something for every bass lover. If you’re looking for something a little more emotive that still hits, their latest single ‘Spine’ is perfect for you. The familiar vocal pulls you in with ease while the production gets wonderfully wild with rolling basslines, grime vox samples, and creative sound design stitching it all together. Lokal finds a sweet spot that perfectly fits within the UK sound the scene has fallen in love with, while still standing out with an original signature style. 2025 is going to be the trio’s breakout year without a doubt.
-C
We show a lot of love to drum and bass here at FUXWITHIT, but today I’m sharing something just a little bit different than the usual bass-laden, smack-your-face kind of tracks we often feature: Pizza Hotline. I was always an avid gamer growing up and, musically, that developed into a soft spot for the Y2K-era jungle music that was popular in level select menus and whatnot back in the day (think Ape Escape, Ridge Racer, Donkey Kong Country, etc.). Pizza Hotline’s discography is a veritable love letter to these same sounds, a nostalgic trip back to the ethereal dreamscape of a dark room with a CRT monitor and a Playstation 1 plugged in. The track titles say as much with names like ‘Stage Select,’ ‘Collision Detection,’ and ‘Newbie Melody.’ Self-described as “Video game flavoured electronic music, with extra cheese,” I think it’s safe to say Pizza Hotline never quite outgrew the era much like myself. I’ve never heard a producer capture the essence of this time period so perfectly. Give yourself a break today and go sailing through these atmospheric, daydreamy beats.
-BG