Nick Foster has spent years helping other artists bring their music to life. Now, the producer and engineer known as 17Four is turning his attention toward the personal catalog he has been quietly developing behind the scenes.
His new EP, The Smith Releases, arrives Friday, October 9, 2026, introducing a vibrant mix of drum and bass, reggae, industrial music, rock, jungle, and melodic electronic influences.
From an iPod Nano to a Lifelong Creative Direction
Every artist remembers the music that first made the future feel different. For Foster, that moment arrived at age 12 when he listened to “La Tarantula” by Pendulum on an iPod Nano.
The track immediately captured his imagination. Its rapid pace, forceful bass, and distinctive electronic character revealed what music could become when rhythm and production worked together with complete intensity. That experience stayed with him throughout high school and eventually guided his development as a producer.
His recording name also emerged from that early connection. 17Four pays tribute to the 170 BPM tempo closely associated with drum and bass. It’s a simple name with a personal history, reflecting both the technical heartbeat of the genre and Foster’s lasting attachment to its sound.
Drum and bass remains the foundation of his work, though his creative interests continue to stretch in several directions. One production may carry the relaxed rhythmic influence of reggae or dancehall. Another might introduce industrial weight, rock-inspired force, or the restless energy associated with modern jungle.
That flexibility gives Foster space to follow the emotional needs of each track. The kick and bassline provide a recognizable center while the surrounding textures create a different atmosphere every time.
Experience Built Through More Than 100 Productions
Foster’s arrival as 17Four follows an extensive career spent behind the mixing desk. He has produced and engineered more than 100 songs for over 50 artists, helping performers refine recordings, strengthen arrangements, and present their ideas with greater clarity.
His production work has also appeared in small-market commercials and independent films. These placements helped him understand how music supports a scene, establishes momentum, and communicates feeling within a short window.
Each project strengthened his musical instincts. Every session offered another opportunity to study structure, sound selection, vocal treatment, and the small details that can transform a promising recording into a complete experience.
For years, Foster’s personal material remained stored away while he fulfilled restrictive contracts and maintained low-profile industry associations. Those professional commitments offered steady work and valuable experience. They also required patience.
With that chapter complete, he can finally release music according to his own schedule and creative vision. The Smith Releases captures the excitement of that freedom. It allows Foster to step forward as the artist after spending so much time serving as the person behind the sound.
A Tribute Shaped by Electronic Music’s Great Innovators
The EP draws inspiration from artists who expanded Foster’s understanding of electronic music. Pendulum and The Prodigy helped define his attraction to powerful rhythms and energetic performances. Camo & Krooked demonstrated the expressive range possible within drum and bass, while Above & Beyond brought emotional depth into his musical vocabulary.
Tiësto’s influential In Search of Sunrise series also played an important role in his development. Avicii remains another deeply meaningful influence. Foster sees his work as a reminder of how electronic music can connect with enormous audiences while retaining a sincere emotional core.
A personal link makes that admiration especially significant, as Avicii was a close friend of one of Foster’s childhood friends. His loss continues to resonate with Foster, who regards his contribution to music with gratitude and respect.
Foster also speaks openly about his use of artificial intelligence for selected edits and backup vocals. He approaches AI as a production resource alongside EQ, stem processing, and other established studio methods. Foster creates the vision, builds the arrangements, and makes the artistic decisions that define each release.
This transparency is part of the relationship he wants with listeners. He prefers to explain his process directly while allowing the music to communicate its own character.
About the Artist
Nick Foster is a producer, engineer, and electronic recording artist from Downey in East Los Angeles, California. Under the name 17Four, he creates drum and bass music enriched by reggae, dancehall, industrial, rock, jungle, and melodic electronic influences.
Foster has produced and engineered more than 100 songs for over 50 artists, with additional placements in commercials and independent films. Now reaching more than 4,200 monthly Spotify listeners, he plans to share new music every week as he expands his independent catalog.
The Rhythm Moves Forward
With The Smith Releases, 17Four honors the music that shaped him while sharing the results of years spent developing his craft. The EP offers listeners an open invitation to experience that journey when it arrives on October 9, 2026.
