Foul Play was one of the most important collectives in breakbeat dance's shift from hardcore to jungle during the early '90s. Producing fast, complex tracks filled with the uplifting vibes of the rave era as well as hints of the dark side, the group made a major underground impact with tracks like "Finest Illusion," "Open Your Mind," and their remix of Omni Trio's "Renegade Snares," most of which were released by seminal drum'n'bass label Moving Shadow. They pushed their sound further with 1995 full-length Suspected, and moved in a more atmospheric direction before founding member John Morrow formed Foul Play Productions near the end of the decade. The trio of Steve Bradshaw, John Morrow, and Steve Gurley began releasing material in 1992, with EPs Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 appearing on their own Oblivion Records. After Moving Shadow Records' Simon Colebrooke contacted Morrow, who was living at his grandmother's house at the time, Foul Play signed to the label in 1993, issuing the "Finest Illusion" single through sublabel Section 5. While the euphoric track became an instant classic within the rave scene, its unlicensed S.O.S. Band sample caused the record to be withdrawn, and a scrubbed mix was subsequently issued on a Moving Shadow 12". The group continued issuing EPs and remixes through the label, including notable mixes of Hyper On Experience's "Lords of the Null Lines" and Omni Trio's "Renegade Snares." Though Gurley left in 1994 to release solo material as Rogue Unit, the remaining duo remained active and released only the second artist full-length on Moving Shadow, 1995's Suspected. Foul Play also founded another label, Panik Records, and released a handful of records in 1996 and 1997. After Bradshaw died of multiple sclerosis in 1998, Morrow started Foul Play Productions with producer Neil Shepherd and vocalist Shereen Ingram, releasing a trio of singles and 1999 full-length Field of Action. The Foul Play-mixed compilation The Best of Atmospheric Drum & Bass appeared the same year. Morrow made breakbeat tracks as Johnny Halo during the 2000s, and began producing abstract house tracks as Skeleton Army the following decade. In 2020, Sneaker Social Club released Origins, which compiled the sought-after first three Foul Play releases, including the original "Finest Illusion." ~ John Bush & Paul Simpson

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Foul Play

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