BANGS AND WORKS VOL. 2: THE BEST OF CHICAGO FOOTWORK - VARIOUS ARTISTS (3LP)

Bangs And Works Vol. 2: The Best Of Chicago Footwork Various Artists on 3LP

Last year Planet Mu released Bangs & Works Vol. 1. The carefully curated compilation showcases Chicago Footwork, one of the most forward-looking, innovative new styles of electronic music on the planet. Since its release, interest in the scene has grown to the point where Planet Mu was able to fly DJ Rashad, DJ Spinn and a number of footwork dancers to the UK and Europe for a tour. What’s more, footwork is beginning to spread outside of Chicago, influencing productions by not only Planet Mu artists such as Machinedrum and Kuedo, but many others as well.

Bangs & Works Vol. 2 brings the focus back onto Chicago’s own producers, showing where the real innovation still lies. While its predecessor sticks mainly to the more hallucinatory and left-field elements, this one has a wider disposition, ranging from mad techno-style tracks such as DJ Metro’s “Tekno Bangz” or DJ T-Why’s immense “Juice” and "Finished” to those that sound like musique concrete gone footwork, like Young Smoke’s “Space Muzik Part 3.” Others like Traxman’s “Funky Block” and DJ Clent’s “DJ Clent #1” display the obvious influence of flipping samples, hip hop style to the rhythms of footwork, while DJ Rashad & Gant-Man’s amazing “Heaven Sent” shows the influence of P-funk and Detroit’s hi-tech soul.

The album features established producers who’ve come up through the juke and ghetto house scenes as well as younger ones who are still making their way. On the whole, footwork’s synapse-snapping intensity is ever present, but this 26-song selection shows an even wider diversity to the genre’s independent and unique production focus.

Bangs And Works Vol. 2: The Best Of Chicago Footwork Various Artists Track Listing:

1.  Heavy Heat - RP Boo
2.  Erotic Heat - Jlin
3.  Hit Da Bootz - DJ Earl
4.  Heaven Sent - DJ Rashad & Gant-Man
5.  Burn Dat Boi - DJ Metro
6.  Ball 'Em Up - DJ Cent
7.  Y Fall - DJ MC
8.  Crazy 'n' Deranged - DJ Spinn
9.  Funky Block - Taxman
10. Showtime - DJ Rome
11. Finished - DJ T-Why
12. When You - Tha Pope
13. Bullet Proof Soul - Boylan
14. Asylum - Jlin
15. Orbit - DJ T-Why
16. Get Buck Juice - DJ Roc
17. Brainwash - Traxman
18. DJ Clent #1 - DJ Clent
19. Smak My Bitch Up - DJ Metro
20. Space Muzik Pt. 3 - Young Smoke
21. Juice - DJ T-Why
22. What Have You Done - DJ Solo
23. Psycho War - Young Smoke
24. Wouldn't Get Gar - Young Smoke
25. Tekno Bangz - DJ Metro
26. Off Da Hook - RP Boo