The Focus Group

This article is about the musical project. For the British clothing company, see The Focus Group (business). For other uses, see Focus Group (disambiguation).

The Focus Group is a project of experimental electronic musician and graphic designer Julian House. The Focus Group's sound is a blend of influences ranging from old library music sounds produced in the 1970s, 1960s-inspired pastiches, public information films, and soundtracks to 1970s films and programmes, as well as the sound collage of musique concrète.^[1]

The Focus Group
Birth name	Julian House
Origin	England
Genres	Electronica, library music, sampledelia, musique concrète, hauntology, psychedelia
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Ghost Box
Website	Ghost Box Records

The Focus Group have released five studio albums on House's own label, Ghost Box: Sketches and Spells (2004), Hey Let Loose Your Love (2005), We Are All Pan's People (2007), The Elektrik Karousel (2013) and Stop-Motion Happening with the Focus Groop (2017).^[2] Hey Let Loose Your Love was featured in The Wire's top 50 albums of 2005.^[3]

Additionally, House collaborated with indie electronic band Broadcast, resulting in the 2009 album Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age (issued by Warp) and the 2010 7-inch EP Familiar Shapes and Noises (released on Ghost Box). Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age was named The Wire's top album of 2009.

Graphic design

House is also noted as a graphic designer; his work has included cover art for Broadcast, Oasis, Can, Stereolab, Martina Topley-Bird, Razorlight and Primal Scream.^[2][4]

Discography

Studio albums

• Sketches and Spells (2004, Ghost Box)
• Hey Let Loose Your Love (2005, Ghost Box)
• We Are All Pan's People (2007, Ghost Box)
• Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age with Broadcast (2009, Warp)
• The Elektrik Karousel (2013, Ghost Box)
• Stop-Motion Happening with the Focus Groop (2017, Ghost Box)

Singles and EPs

• "We Are Coming Back to Dance With You" digital single (2008, Ghost Box)
• Ghost Box Free 3 Track EP split digital EP with the Advisory Circle (2008, Ghost Box)
• Familiar Shapes and Noises 7-inch EP with Broadcast (2010, Ghost Box)

References

1. "The Wire magazine No. 273, November 2006". Archived from the original on 23 February 2007.
2. "The Focus Group - Ghost Box". Ghostbox.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
3. "The Wire magazine best of 2005". Thewire.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
4. Reynolds, Simon (15 October 2017). "Hauntology: Ghost Box label profile, Frieze magazine October 2005". Reynoldsretro.blogspot.com. Retrieved 26 October 2018.

External links

• Stylus Magazine review of Sketches and Spells
• Stylus Magazine review of Hey Let Loose Your Love