RP Boo - Classics

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  • While Rashad and Spinn often get credit for helping footwork reach international audiences, it was RP Boo who invented the sound. Planet Mu has been supporting Kavain Space since the first Bangs & Works compilation in 2010, and they released his long-in-the-making debut album in 2013. Now, with the six-track Classics, they dig deep into his archives to show the development of footwork itself. If you're at least a little familiar with the genre you'll probably know "Baby Come On," one of Space's pivotal tracks. Recorded in 1997 and clocking in around 145 BPM, it's slower than most of today's footwork (which is usually around 160), and it's written more like a house track, with percussive elements that shuffle neatly in and out. "03_02-53_03" is a remix of DJ Slugo's "Godzilla," which was actually produced by RP Boo anyways. Again, there are hints of what would become footwork, as Space breaks the original into unwieldy chunks and lets loose a machine gun spray of hi-hats. "Party Motion" and "Night + Day" are where the modern template becomes apparent. The former loops its samples into gibberish over fidgety drum programming, and "Night + Day" rockets up past 160 BPM, approaching the aggressive attack we would see later on the Bangs & Works compilations. Classics is rounded off "Try 2 Break," another raw footwork track presented in two versions, one rougher cut and a smoother edit that points to the soulful style of the Teklife crew. It's this kind of look at the genre's rough-around-the-edges infancy that makes Classics an essential document, particularly for fans of footwork. There's plenty of historical value here: you can practically hear footwork taking shape across these tracks. Even if something like "Baby Come On" feels tame compared to contemporary footwork, its power is still hard to deny.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Baby Come On A2 Party Motion A3 02-52-03 B1 Night & Day B2 Try 2 Break B3 Try 2 Break (Remix)
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