Bass Music Worldwide

Showing us the soulful side of footwork
Tristan Parker / 25 · 10 · 2012

When listening to genre-splicing, in-demand producer Travis Stewart’s work (from his Machinedrum alias, or collaborative projects Sepalcure and JETS, or even his work with Azealia Banks), it’s hard not to feel that his brain is positively fizzing with musical ideas at any given minute of the day, and his Clash DJ mix only confirms this hypothesis.

Thus, Machinedrum here shows us the soulful side of footwork, and in case you didn’t know, it’s a beauty. It’s a colourful, enticing selection, thoroughly contemporary yet warmly nostalgic at points.

But here’s our chat with Stewart to explain a little more.

Tell us about your mix:

This mix is a soundtrack to your Indian summer, if you’re having one right now, or a mix for those people that are in need of a lil’ sunshine. It’s a very summery/sunny mix to bring you out of your fall funk. Lots of juke/footwork and a lil’ jungle thrown in for good measure. There’s some jokes in there too. I went for the more soulful style of footwork instead of the colder minimal tunes meant more for the dancefloor. I played this exact set at the XLR8R boat party at Dimensions festival in Croatia this summer…

Full story, listen, tracklisting at Clash Music

Flight Muzik cadet Young Smoke is primed to become one of footwork’s more recognisable young talents.

2010′s The Track Lab Vol. 1 tape tipped us off to the teenager’s unusually prickly, pointillist take on the Chicago sound. Still only 18, he’s since made it onto the second volume of Planet Mu’s trendsetting Bangs & Works series, and, more pertinently, secured a full-length album deal with Mike Paradinas’ label.

With the Space Zone LP set to drop later this month, FACT have an exclusive download of non-album track ‘High Lyfe’. It’s an airy, gentle, oddly serene number; those chattering footwork polyrhythms are there, but they’re much less forceful than, say, your next DJ Rashad or RP Boo record…

Full story, listen, and download at FACT