Review: Teklife Vol 1 represents the first release for footwork trailblazer DJ Rashad's new Lit City Trax imprint, created in collaboration with DJ Spinn and associate J-Cush, and a label which promises to be the definitive label for Chicago's well established footwork scene. At a massive 20 tracks this album is a meaty proposition, and it's testament to Rashad's talent that the album is entirely free of filler. Showing the producer's talent for swelling low end and threadbare percussion, album highlights include his excellent DJ Spinn collaboration "We Trippy Mane" with nods to Juicy J, the analogue mayhem of "She Gonna Go", the manic 303 and 808 assault of "Da Life" and the juxtaposition of smooth Rhodes chords, horn samples and furious percussive rattle on "Kush Ain't Loud".
Review: The tragic passing of DJ Rashad adds a heaviness to this release on Southern Belle, which finds the footwork trailblazer on searing form on a short and bittersweet four tracker. The title track is stark in its rapid fire arrangement of drums, while the vocal commands drill out a precise set of mantras. Rashad's regular cohort DJ Spinn chips in on "Come On Girl" which gets even more frenetic in its calls, while DJ Manny weighs in with the pair for the more melodically rounded "Do It Again" with its musical female hooks and a lighter touch on the beats. Gant-Man brings some Chaka Khan firepower to "Somethin 'Bout The Things You Do" that will surely set many a footwork dance alight with crowd-pleasing finesse.
Review: Three pivotal figures in the evolution of Chicago juke music and the developing footwerk scene come together on this new EP for Juke Trax - led by DJ Rashad, who drops a pair of new, lightening fast clap 'n' bounce workers. "Nite Love" is cold and bare, with a diced up sample of Robin S' "Show Me Love" at its core, while "GT Music" uses a nice chunk of "Percolator" and throws in some scuzzed-up kicks and short vocal samples into a perfectly-structured and thrilling juke smasher. Elsewhere, Boylan samples Etta James on "Hands" and Lil Wayne on the brilliantly chaotic "Pistol", while all three producers join forces on the subby half-step of "Drinkin'".
Review: Following on from the first installment of his razor-edged footwork opus, Spinn is back with more of the futuristic, rhythmically dextrous flex. It's noticeable how much less dictated by the dance battles the music is now, letting melody and texture take precedent. Of course the beats still come in strange and alien configurations, but applied to a more thoughtful backdrop. "Horn Chemist" drops some devilish Eastern sample trickery over soothing Rhodes-esque notes, but that's not to say it's all sweetness and light. "Do My Dance" and "Dance Floor Packed" keep the energy up high while the ghetto house roots are in full effect.
Review: Chicago footwork and juke producer Heavee drops his debut album on the teklife imprint following a plethora of releases on other labels such as Tar, Booty Call, and Ten Toes Turbo. WFM contains a collection of absolute floor bangers alongside peeps like the late great DJ Rashad. The title tune "WFM" was built alongside DJ Phil, another long-standing member of the teklife crew, while the appearance with Rashad himself, "It's Wack", is a minimalist rap-trap showdown that you might have heard somewhere before (flylo FM on GTA 5). The tunes with DJ Paypal are total fire, of course, particularly the crazy beat shuffler "So High". This one is not to be missed!
Review: Shangaan Shake is the complete document of the remixes Honest Jon's commissioned to pit leftfield Western artists against the Shangaan electro of South Africa. It's an all-star cast, from house heroes to dubstep tinkerers. Mark Ernestus turns out an elegant slice of dub techno, while DJ Rashad and RP Boo throw down a sweaty slice of footwork action, and Peverelist plies a typically complex rhythm at a slower, seductive tempo. Out of all the remixers, Theo Parrish is the one unafraid to maintain the original BPM, which leaves his remix stark against the multitude of other tracks. Essential.
Review: The ten year celebrations from Hyperdub continue apace here with the second of four planned label compilations arriving with the stated intention of casting "some sunshine" over the label's sometimes "dread filled reputation". Arriving on just one disc this time round as opposed to two, the fourteen tracks nevertheless features productions from DVA, Morgan Zarate, Cooly G, Jessy and Burial among other Hyperdub regulars, who are joined by the vocal talents of Dam-Funk, Fatima and others. Perhaps most exciting is the inclusion of an unreleased track from the defunct partnership of Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland; fans of the latter will also be intrigued by Kode9?s "Lies Lies", which features the talents of Inga in her new solo guise, copeland.
Mark Ernestus - "Mark Ernestus Meets BBC Version" - (9:13) 79 BPM
Review: Shangaan Shake is the complete document of the remixes Honest Jon's commissioned to pit leftfield Western artists against the Shangaan electro of South Africa. It's an all-star cast, from house heroes to dubstep tinkerers. Mark Ernestus turns out an elegant slice of dub techno, while DJ Rashad and RP Boo throw down a sweaty slice of footwork action, and Peverelist plies a typically complex rhythm at a slower, seductive tempo. Out of all the remixers, Theo Parrish is the one unafraid to maintain the original BPM, which leaves his remix stark against the multitude of other tracks. Essential.
Review: We here see Moveltraxx return for another edition to their exciting 2019 catalogue, forever championing the experimental side of footwork and juke. They have gathered together a monumental track listing here as they invite in heavyweight footwork frontrunners such as Rashad, DJ Earl, Traxman, Naina, and more. There are a tonne of heaters involved, with highlights including Hiroki Yamamura's extremely colourful 'Venus Beats' and the super experimental electronic tastings of 'Philthkids' from Mo Fiyah. Yet another extremely creative selection from the Moveltraxx team.
