British EDM quartet FooR was formed in 2015 in Southampton, on England's south coast, by DJs and producers Gavin Foord, Paul Aki, MC Jukie, and Tyrone, who had known each other since childhood. Growing up, they were inspired by U.K. two-step garage, particularly local acts like the Artful Dodger, and while still in their teens had started making music, initially as two separate duos, Ape Like and Maximus Baxter. Both groups released singles but achieved limited success until they hit upon the idea of combining their talents. Creating an old-school sound combining elements of Italo house, breakbeat hardcore, and U.K. garage with contemporary bass music and grime, they started out with bootleg remixes before going on to release a slew of digital singles and EPs. Building their brand online, they launched a party night, playing out across the south of England and beyond, with gigs across Europe. Remixes for grime stars such as Skepta, Wiley, and Stormzy followed, and their popularity led to a commission to mix an edition of the popular Pure Garage album series. When they finally announced their debut album, it went into the Top Three best-selling pre-orders in the U.K. without any label backing or management. The album, Friends of FooR, featuring a plethora of guest vocalists, entered the official U.K. dance charts at number nine upon its release in February 2018. ~ John D. Buchanan