To those who seem to think music has fallen into the mundane trap of "same old, same old," do not lose hope—people still have creative innovations to offer.
My introduction to Footwork came a few months ago when I discovered DJ Diamond’s Flight Muzik. Because of its bizarre and unique sound, I was immediately drawn into the music. Everything from the head-rattling, hi-tempo drum beats to the oddly placed, often repetitive vocal samples seemed interesting and new to me. That being said, after a few days, I found something new to listen to and forgot about the album for the most part.
A few weeks ago, I was reminded of Footwork again when I came across Bangs & Works Vol. 2, an album of Footwork tracks compiled by Planet Mu label head Mike Paradinas. I enjoyed the album enough to be inspired to do some research on Footwork, and what I found was far more intriguing than just the music itself.
I first discovered that the music is only half of what Footwork really is. As much as Footwork is a genre of music, it is also a style of street dance. As I watched videos of Footwork online, it felt like I was finding a missing piece to the Footwork puzzle. The music is good enough to stand on its own but the dancing enhances it. It quickly became clear to me that Footwork was music for feet, rather than music for ears.
Footwork looks like tap-dancing without tap-dancing shoes and with a little hip-hop injected in. I would try to explain it further but it would be a lot easier to just show you:
Footwork originated from house and juke music in the mid-90s in Chicago, but recently it has been getting some wider recognition. While most of the Footwork dancers and producers appear to be located in Chicago, a lot of the music has been released through the popular England-based electronic label, Planet Mu.
The two Bangs & Works compilations have garnered the attention of some large news outlets, such as NPR, BBC, and The Guardian. Despite this, the genre still feels very underground to those looking in from the outside. The Footwork that is found in online videos is almost always a battle between two gangs, and the scenery usually appears to be some crowded back-room. It is quite hard to find a video of Footwork that takes place on a stage and without a rowdy crowd surrounding the dancers.
Footwork, with its lack of bass and alarmingly fast tempo, is unlikely to ever find mainstream success. Having said this, there is something about the music that I can’t help but find futuristic. I sometimes get annoyed by the ridiculously fast and sporadic drum beats, yet I keep coming back and wanting more. Footwork is a rising genre and I believe it has yet to reach its peak.
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