Footwork is a breakneck mutation of ghetto house that’s been banging out of speakers at upwards of 150BPM since the late 90s. In Chicago, it encourages the very specific dance style of its title: twisty foot movements that fall between house dance and breakdancing. For the rhythmically challenged, that means toe-tapping at a furious speed to its frenetic mix of jackhammer vocal samples and skittering, pounding lo-fi drum machines. The genre has been in the ascendant for a while but, notably, its progenitors are focused on pushing things forward; thus, footwork founder RP Boo’s second album is both an introduction to the sound and a snapshot of where it’s going. Suicide is a techno-edged thumper of the kind Detroit DJ Kevin Saunderson might crank up at 7am. Let’s Dance Again has echoes of gauzy R&B beneath the crackling drums, while Sleepy has horns that Hudson Mohawke would approve of. And, typical of a producer who makes music for battling, there’s more swagger than a pair of John Wayne’s chaps.
