Footwork: The Coldest Electronic Music in the World

Rapid-fire rhythms of at least 140 beats per minute, rolling drums, soulful samples repetitively chopped up and densely layered over spacey synths and a heavy-hitting bass… a perfect hyper-dance-inducing constellation of chaos. It is difficult to describe the artfully hypnotizing genre of production that is footwork. Originating in Chicago in the late 1990’s, footwork was primarily a style of street dance performed in dance battles on the south and west sides of the city. It was also often performed by dance crews at various events such as the annual Bud Billiken Parade, the largest African American parade in the US. Although overlapping with the ghetto-house and juke scenes during the time, footwork gained traction organically, thanks to pioneer producers DJ Spinn, RP Boo, and the late DJ Rashad. The first official footwork crew called Ghettoteknitianz was founded by Spinn, Rashad, DJ Manny, DJ Tre, and Gant-Man, and evolved from local dance parties. Chicago’s epidemic gang violence often resulted in these parties getting shut down by the police, but their reputation quickly grew across the city and in 2010 the internationally renowned Teklife collective formed.

Today Teklife is its own record label that also releases with Planet Mu and Hyperdub Records, all while giving each member the opportunity to go on worldwide tours.

I caught up with rapper, producer, DJ, and youngest member of Teklife, 24-year-old DJ Taye, while he was on tour in Germany and the UK. Born on the South Side of Chicago, Taye began making beats and rapping at the young age of 11. He discovered footwork upon finding a CD of tracks recorded from the Bud Billiken Parade. By 2009 had met DJ Manny, who is now a collaborator on many of his own tracks. As recounted in an interview with The Fader earlier this year, his initial reaction to the sound was no less than, “Damn, why is this like the coldest electronic music in the world, why this shit ain’t in everybody’s face?”

While DJ Rashad’s first full-length album Double Cup proved that footwork is equally suitable for headphone head-bopping as it is for working the dance floor, DJ Taye’s synthesis of rap, hip-hop, and R&B on Still Trippin’ (Hyperdub Records) adds a whole new universality to this genre so deeply ingrained in Chicago’s culture. Continuing the legacy of long-time mentor DJ Rashad, Taye’s latest LP smooths out the raw intensity of the genre to cross over to new audiences. Featuring his own raps and vocals, as well as hooks from Montreal artist Odile Myrtil, Still Trippin’ feels fresh while still retaining the original coldness that hits when you first hear a footwork track.

Several months after the release of his first LP, DJ Taye is playing at clubs and festivals all around the world.

Hey, how’s the tour life, what have you been up to in Europe? I saw you went to Nthe otting Hill Carnival.

Hey, it’s good… finally having a break period lol… How are you! Yep ,I went [to] carnival and just been hanging in Berlin.

You said in an interview that you wanted to bridge the gap between footwork and popular rap music from Chicago… with footwork having such a big cultural significance here, how do people in clubs experience the music differently?

Lol, it’s like weird but I kinda wanted to keep playin’ in the clubs but make my music for the big stage and festivals too.

You’ve got some crazy moves in the Burnin Ya Boa video… where did you learn [the dance]?

Just thru various friends in Chicago [and] people who really made the moves would teach me.

Yeah, your combo of rapping and vocals makes this album so unique but also very universal [to a global audience]. What were your influences when making Still Trippin’ and was it in homage to DJ Rashad?

It was directly [paying] homage but what I always wanted to do was just tryna find my way to do it. I put it together in the thought of creating something for him, like wishing he could hear it and tell me what he thinks, you know.

You took what he taught you and made it your own…

Yea exactly but it’s weird cus I was rapping and making beats before I met them so it completely perfected me as a musician.

Name your three all time favorite footwork moves.

Ghosts, skates, dribbles… glides and mikes too, its kinda hard to pick.

DJ Taye footworking

Could you describe what any of those moves look like?

Lol, it’s kinda hard to do thru words.

For someone who’s never heard of footwork before, what are some essential tracks to listen to?

Juke dat by Rashad, Bounce n Break Yo Back by [DJ] Spinn, Heavy Heat by RP Boo, Reverb by Rashad.

How did you initially get into Teklife?

It wasn’t called Teklife it was ghettotekz (Ghettoteknitianz) at the time. It was 2010 before we named it that, I had connected with them over MySpace, and in the neighborhoods around me just connecting with foot workers. [As] I grew up I became one going to the parties and just got closer to it and found out who was really making the music.

Is there a still a scene in Chicago? Has it changed since you first started?

Yes… well, people start to get older and I wish they had more time to teach the youth that was coming up more of how to keep the dance alive as far as footwork in the community where it came from goes. Like dance groups, development of new footwork moves, etc. Do you see what I mean?

It would be cool if they taught it in summer camps or in after-school programs…

The Era just did that all summer this year. It’s coming back.

What’s up with people thinking footwork and juke came from UK music?

I don’t know what’s up with that… Some people really rave for one genre over the other one, and that’s like a snide remark to try to say which came first when that’s not even what its about. All music came from its own cultures – it’s not about one influencing thus competing [with] another. I don’t know why it’s so hard for people to believe there’s a dance specifically to a music it’s not rocket science.

OK, last few questions… Deep dish or thin crust?

Deep dish you better go to Giordano’s while you’re in Chicago

Slow jams or bangers?

Bangers.

If you could collaborate with anybody, who would it be?

Would only have to be Rashad.

https://djtaye.bandcamp.com/album/still-trippin