Sub Focus Premieres New Song “Ecuador” featuring Fireboy DML on BBC Radio 1
London-based DJ Sub Focus premiered a new song “Ecuador” on BBC Radio 1's New Music Show with Jack Saunders.
On the track, he teamed up with Nigerian singer-songwriter Fireboy DML.
The song is featured on his fourth studio album “Contact”, which was released on November 21, 2025.
It was written by Adedamola Adefolahan, Nicolaas Douwma, and Yaroslav Polikarpov. Produced by Sub Focus and YARO.
Sub Focus told Jack Saunders about the song, “So it was mad. I was actually in a session with Chrystal of these days fame up in Manchester, And I got the call saying that Fireboy's ready to work this evening. So I was like, okay, wrap up the session in Manchester. Finish that. Go down to record with Fireboy. We immediately do 'Original Don' together. And then I had this other idea, and that was like, Maybe I risk it and try and do two things with him. And luckily, he was on such a vibe in the studio that he just immediately wrote this lyric for 'Ecuador' about this, like crazy kind of South American party that he was at in the lyric. And I loved it so much that I wanted to make it the opener on 'Contact'.”
He continued, “I honestly feel like it might have been the first time he'd heard tunes like that. And he was just absolutely going mental in the studio. We've had some footage online and stuff. But such a vibe guy to work with.”
He added, “It made me remember, because years ago, when I wrote 'Desire', we wrote that with RAYE, and I was, at the time, quite nervous when I was working with bigger songwriters like her, like, about playing them the drops of my tunes. Because you'd be like, have these nice chords, and then they go somewhere quite heavy. But with this song, I mean, it already had this, like, absolutely huge heavy drop, and it made me think about how far things have come.”
The new album comprises 14 tracks, featuring collaborations with Connie Constance, Emily Makis, Fireboy DML, Harper, Inéz, Subsonic, bbyclose, Dimension, Grimes, IRAH, John Summit, Julia Church, Katy B, and Poppy Baskcomb. Produced by Sub Focus, Dimension, Eddie Jenkins, John Summit, and Punctual.
It is his first album in two years since the 2023 album “Evolve”.
Sub Focus told Apple Music about the album, “I wanted to make an album that was unapologetically about the genre I love-drum 'n' bass. I've done multigenre records before but Contact is rooted in the sound I always come back to. Drum 'n' bass has been growing massively in popularity recently. We're reaching bigger stages with this sound, and each of these songs have been road-tested to make sure the crowd goes wild.”
He added, “I'm really proud of this one. Drum & Bass is in such rude health right now - and I wanted to make a full length all about the genre this time around. Thank you to all the amazing collaborators I got to work with on this project in studios from LA to London, and to the fans for one of the best years of Sub Focus so far! 20 years deep and I couldn't be more excited for the future.”
Sub Focus explained track-by-track for the album via Apple Music.
“Ecuador” featuring Fireboy DML “I've been a fan of Fireboy DML for a while, and one day, when I was doing a session in Manchester, I suddenly got a message from my A&R telling me to come back to London because Fireboy had a few hours in the studio. It all came together super last-minute, and once I started playing this instrumental for him, he got on a crazy vibe, making up lyrics about him being in a block party in South America. It was amazing to watch since he hadn't heard any music like this before, and his lyrics embodied that excited feeling.”
“So Many Colours” featuring Poppy Baskcomb “I've worked with Poppy a number of times and she's an amazing writer. She sent me the idea for this, which featured her singing with just the bass in the background, and as soon as I heard the rough concept, I knew exactly what I wanted it to sound like. The vocal was so well done it all slotted into place very quickly. I was writing this before my Alexandra Palace headline show [in March 2025] and visualizing it in that space. When we premiered it there, it was incredible.”
“Original Don” featuring Fireboy DML & IRAH “IRAH is one of the quintessential drum 'n' bass voices of our time [and] has this amazing capacity to alternate between singing and MCing baritone dancehall lyrics. The idea for the track started with that concept of vocal switching, and I also wanted the production to reference the original dons of drum 'n' bass by using breakbeats and old-school production techniques. It's since become one of the biggest songs in my sets this year.”
“Elevate” “I worked with the amazing songwriter Jo Hill on this and, since she's from a more indie background, we were trying to channel an indie, electro, noughties vibe with the track. It all comes together on the gang vocals in the song, which I love doing because it always turns into a sing-along in the live set. It's a fun technical challenge to get those vocals right because you have to make it sound like loads of different voices even if it's just one person layering takes in the studio.”
“Entwined” featuring Grimes “Ever since she released her first album, I've always wanted to work with Grimes. She reached out to me about a year ago out of the blue, which was really exciting, and we started working together in LA. She loves the cyberpunk aesthetic of the music I make, and I wanted to showcase her voice over a darker, heavier side of drum 'n' bass, channeling acts like Bad Company and Noisia, who I grew up listening to.”
“On & On” featuring bbyclose “bbyclose is another great writer I was very keen to work with after hearing her viral hit 'Kisses' last year. We wanted to make a track that was like a dance music manifesto encouraging the scene to keep going, and the instrumental I made used UK garage production techniques with choppy vocals, referencing people like Todd Edwards, who I listened to a lot in the early noughties.”
“Roll Too Deep” featuring Subsonic “'Roll Too Deep' is a mashup of a few different things, and I think it's more of a track for the hardcore drum 'n' bassheads. On the vocal side I was inspired by Marlon Hoffstadt's track 'It's That Time,' which references early-'90s rap over house music, while the riff is very noughties trance inspired. This has been another big song in my sets this year.”
“Go Back” with John Summit, featuring Julia Church “I wanted to make a tempo-change track, since I'd heard it in old Chicago house tunes like Lil' Louis' 'French Kiss' but it's not a technique you hear today that much. It worked really well once I started writing the song though, and it's since become the biggest track in mine and Julia's sets. This feels like the song that has opened my sound up to a whole new audience in the US.”
“Water & Fire” featuring Connie Constance “I'm always really keen to show off the different subgenres of drum 'n' bass and 'Water & Fire' gets into the more melodic realm of it. The track all came together when I decided I wanted a choppy lead vocal, and since Connie is an amazing vocalist with such a great tone, it all just fit together with the chords and melody perfectly. It has a really different feel from the other stuff I've done and I'm very proud of it.”
“Lost in Heaven” featuring Emily Makis “I saw Emily post this idea as a reel on Instagram, where she was singing it at an airport over an instrumental track and I was mesmerized. I DMed her about it and she was up for collaborating. I wanted to keep the beatless feeling of the original idea for a long time in the song since it reminded me of 'devil mixes,' which are grime instrumentals where rappers would improvise over a beatless song. I love the atmosphere that creates, and it's one of the few down moments on the record.”
“Push the Tempo” featuring Katy B “I've known Katy for a long time because we actually go to see the same personal trainer! She is a legend, and when we started this idea together at the studio in London, it brought me right back to classics of hers like 'Katy on a Mission,' but in a drum 'n' bass context. It was so exciting to finally work with her.”
“Let Your Body Rock” “I made this song a while back for the first Circular Sound live show I did at [South London venue] Printworks. I love to channel techno in my productions, and this one is heavily influenced by that type of music. I really wanted a moment in my set like this where it's a palate cleanser with a cinematic breakdown, instrumental evolution, and lots of changes. It's a more hypnotic sound that really suits the narrative of a live show.”
“Wildfire” “When I wrote this with Jo Hill I knew it would end up being the first single—it has such an infectious feel. When I'm thinking about the journey of an album, it's nice to have new stuff at the start and things people might know at the end, which is why this is the penultimate track. I was listening to a lot of early-noughties trance with choppy synth melodies, and it inspired where I went with the instrumental.”
“Fade” featuring Inez “I came up with 'Fade' right at the end of making the album at the 11th hour with the label calling me every day. Inez happened to be in London the exact week I needed to record the vocal—it was amazing timing. Everything came together really quickly, and as soon as I put down the chords, I realized it has such an epic closer feeling and has since been the closer to all my sets. When you play tracks live it's a litmus test and you can tell right away from people's reactions whether they're ready to release or not. Thankfully, this one has always resonated.”
