Lima is a long way from Chicago – about 3,500 miles, to be exact – but the Peruvian capital harbors a thriving footwork scene, which is spearheaded by the Matraca collective. Formed by six local producers, Matraca encompasses many different genres of bass music, but they’ve championed footwork and juke parties in their city since 2013, inspired by Teklife’s Traxman, DJ Spinn, DJ Earl, and Taso, all of whom have performed in Lima in recent years.
Their affinity for these Chicago sounds has materialized in a new 15-track compilation titled Lima Footwork, tearing down geographic and cultural boundaries to showcase what happens when limeños turn the BPMs up to 160 and take a shot at the genre. Four Matraca crew members contribute to the compilation: Mijail Mitrovic resurfaces old school soul samples to build “Trying;” Mono con Suerte’s “GIGANTE,” with vocals by Venezuelan rapper Welker, often drops half-speed, falling seamlessly into the trap realm; Dr. 100’s airy synths and chopped vocals make “Don’t Care” one of the most traditional numbers in the bunch; and Lukrø’s remix of Chamal’s “Easy” borrows from both jazz and jungle to shape its personality.
Lima Footwork also features guest producers, each of them putting their own personal touch on the compilation. Terror Negro boss Deltatron appears here with the vertiginous, futuristic “Fuccboi Unlimited,” while 7 Trips‘ “Footworking” gives us some trip-hop vibes. Rashid from Lima – whose moniker may or may not be a reference to the late DJ Rashad – brings the party with percussion-heavy track “Viral;” QECHUABOI’s “Döner Beat” stands out for its bubbly textures, and Dengue Dengue Dengue‘s Zufu brings nostalgia to the dance floor with opener “Never As Good.”
For the past few years, Matraca has been responsible for spreading these sounds across Lima, and with Lima Footwork, they’re reaping the fruit of the influence they’ve had – in the shape of 15 killer tracks.