Electronic Spotlight: Focus on Folamour
Thalia Sampayo sheds light on electronic artist Folamour.
One of my absolute favourite DJs and producers is Folamour. As Insomniac sum up, he blends ‘the core values of classic house, funk and disco artists while adding his own distinctive flair’. This distinctive flair is a massive part of his draw for me, which I feel he maintains by playing what he genuinely loves; what he loves is not only niche underground cuts, but also the occasional chart hit where you’d never expect it, but always where it somehow fits joyously well in his eclectic, jazzy mixes.
His Boiler Room debut at Fly Open Air (2019) is not only one of the most underrated Boiler Room sets to date, but is also a fantastic example of his blending of underground with mainstream. He daringly demonstrates that there’s no shame in ABBA and classic George Michael if the time is right, but also that he’s not afraid to showcase songs like “A Muto”, an African funk/soul track from 1986.
He daringly demonstrates that there’s no shame in ABBA and classic George Michael if the time is right
Although Folamour may not be making an appearance in Move, Cavern or Phoenix anytime soon, this doesn’t mean that his influences can’t be seen in our ever-growing house music scene right here in Exeter. Don’t Walk, Boogie and Cucucachoo are clearly taking cues from artists like Folamour, right down to the occasional ABBA. This attitude to house, often unfortunately regarded as being full of pretentious genre snobs, is something that I think is fantastic and will help the genre grow.
Playing sample-focused sets of what you genuinely love (ABBA or not) will only result in good sets – as Folamour himself has said,
“I play only music I love, not just club music. Mostly just music with soul inside, life and energy […] What I took from my parents was just listening to music that you love and not paying attention to what it is. We didn’t care about whether or not it’s famous, whether or not it’s pop, whether or not it’s cool’’.
This is what makes for a seriously interesting DJ. The seeds of this style are found in lots of sets coming out of Exeter. Specifically, some of my personal favourites are Patrick Mythen’s Hijacked set and the DWB 1st Birthday mix, both of which dabble in big-name classics, disco and vocal house (and both of which are on Soundcloud so you can listen for yourself!)
he’ll cement his place as one of the best & most eclectic DJs of our time.
Despite having worked with seriously big names like Glitterbox who, with their distinct disco vibe, clearly resonate with him, Folamour still has that something different. He is uniquely his own, with skills in production as well as his DJ-ing prowess, and a rich knowledge of so many sub-genres. In my opinion, as he continues to play festivals and high-profile sets internationally, he’ll cement his place as one of the best & most eclectic DJs of our time.
Finally, if you’re now eager for others, a few smaller artists with a similarly chilled, eclectic vibe are salute (particularly “All About U“) and Subjoi, both of whom are really exciting & growing.