Black Focus

Black Focus
A white background with Arabic calligraphy reading "Yussef Kamaal". A black-and-white photo of a car can be seen through the script.
Studio album by
Yussef Kamaal
Released4 November 2016 (2016-11-04)
StudioQuartermass
Genre
Length43:42
LabelBrownswood Recordings
Producer
Yussef Dayes chronology
Black Focus
(2016)
What Kinda Music
(2020)
Kamaal Williams chronology
Black Focus
(2016)
The Return
(2018)

Black Focus is the only studio album by English duo Yussef Kamaal, composed of drummer Yussef Dayes and keyboardist Kamaal Williams. It was released on 4 November 2016 under Brownswood Recordings. Characterised by its "spontaneity and flow",[1] the album draws influence from electronic music of British origin. It received universal acclaim from music critics, being described as having a culturally diverse palette.

In 2017, when Yussef Kamaal were scheduled to perform in the United States, Dayes' visa was revoked under the Trump administration and the duo broke up shortly afterwards. The album experienced moderate success in the United Kingdom, reaching number 13 on the Jazz & Blues chart. It earned Yussef Kamaal the Breakthrough Award at the 2017 Jazz FM Awards. In 2018, Williams released his debut solo album The Return, which was considered a sequel to Black Focus.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference clash was invoked but never defined (see the help page).