Since its beginnings as a Chicago-bred genre and dance culture, footwork has shown no signs of ceasing to inspire club producers across the globe, even after the recent passing of one of its innovators, DJ Rashad. While home team artists like DJ Spinn, Traxman, and Gant-Man continue releasing tracks on the regular, the sound has simultaneously taken on a life of its own worldwide with artists (Teklife family and beyond) taking on the sound, as seen on this new release from Veracruz label Ten Toes Turbo.
Ten Toes Turbo has taken it upon themselves (thank you) to release the first compilation of female producers working specifically with juke and footwork sounds, bringing on artists from Russia, the U.S., and Argentina for their Gyal Fyah release.
“Futbol,” from Argentine producer Aylu, layers surf-rock riffs and jazz samples, looping them over the signature footwork drum pattern, allowing the patchwork to fall apart into controlled chaos toward the end of the track. It’s the strongest showing yet from the producer, who’s also the creator of Buenos Aires jungle/footwork label ABYSS, another indication that the sound only continues to gain momentum with a reconstructed identity that’s connected as closely to its new localities as it is to its Chi-town roots.
The full compilation, also featuring free downloads from LA’s Sha Sha Kimbo, Moscow’s A.Fruit, and San Antonio’s FreshtillDef, is available at Ten Toes Turbo’s SoundCloud.