Everyone seems to be pushing the Chicago juke/footwork thing these days.
Ever since Addison Groove (aka Headhunter) and Pearson Sound (aka Ramadanman) were on it, producers all over have been championing the sound – also with great thanks to labels like Planet Mu. It’s become a worldwide and genre-spanning interest, and some producers like Philip D Kick (more often known as Om Unit) and Machinedrum have decided to re-work jungle classics into footwork anthems.
Well now experimental toe-dipper Daedelus is trying his hand at it, and the results are brilliant. Reworking the 1998 original, leaving in the organs and jazz angles, and even some of the face-melting bass synth, but lifting the tune from its jungle drumming roots and chopping it up juke style instead. The sampled female rap vocals top things off nicely – a nod to the Chicago producers who helm the movement. I can see an interesting convergence of old jungle heads and new-school footwork enthusiasts making a big thing of this stuff. It’s spreading like wildfire – and not a bad way. This is an interesting (brief?) change of pace for Daedelus, and I’m wondering where he’ll turn to next.
Listen to Daedelus’ remix of Reaction Time below. Daedelus’ album Bespoke is out now on Ninja Tune, featuring guests such as Baths and Busdriver.