Foul Play were formed in Northampton in 1991 by John Morrow, Steve Bradshaw and Steve Gurley, with MC Picton involved in the group’s early studio work. The project grew from connections made at Northampton parties, where Morrow and Bradshaw DJed before Gurley invited them to his studio. Picton later left the studio work, and the group continued as a trio. Its early sound moved through hardcore, jungle and drum and bass as breakbeat shifted towards jungle in the early 1990s.
The group issued its first two EPs, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, on its own Oblivion imprint in 1992. The following year, “Finest Illusion / Screwface” appeared on Section 5, a sub-label of Moving Shadow, before Foul Play signed to Moving Shadow. The label’s A&R, Simon Colebrooke, contacted the group about the deal; when he called, Morrow’s grandmother answered the phone. Also in 1993, Moving Shadow released the 12-inch EP Vol III, which included “Open Your Mind” and “Murder Most Foul”, alongside remixes of “Dub In U” and “Survival”.
Morrow recalled that “Lord of the Null-Lines” was the group’s first remix, made in about three hours. Foul Play later remixed Nookie’s “Sound of Music” and Omni Trio’s “Music Is the Key”; the latter appeared as a single in 1994, paired with an Omni Trio remix of “Being With You”. Morrow named Photek as a producer he would have liked to work with. Gurley left in 1994, after which Morrow and Bradshaw continued as a duo.
The duo released the album Suspected on Moving Shadow in 1995. In 2020, Sneaker Social Club reissued Origins, a compilation drawing on tracks from Foul Play’s first three releases. Foul Play became a staple of the Moving Shadow label.