City Stars by DJ Hank
DJ Hank is a producer who lives on the westside of Chicago. When he was 18, he moved from North Carolina, and got his introduction into the world of footwork and inspiration to start producing by attending the footwork battle night Battlegroundz. His uk garage/footwork hybrids have been a key part of Kode9’s sets for the last few years, featuring in the Burial & Kode9 mix for Mary Anne Hobbs back in 2018.
The City Stars EP is crystalline and minimal, eschewing the classic footwork drum sound of the Roland 808 for a wider percussive palette. Previously, he sped up and remixed garage tracks for footwork speed, but here he's synthesized a new sound that integrates both sides. Across the six high energy tracks, the chopped, cyborgian R & B samples and swung rhythms of classic 2-step are rebuilt at 160bpm. The marimba and bells of early 80's Japanese ambient, inspired by listening to Mkwaju Ensemble/Midori Takada are also integrated into the mix, especially on the last two tracks Kiosko and Mkwa giving the music an additional retro-futurist refresh.
Artwork: Jose Hernández - https://joh000.com
Stay (Music Video) - youtu.be/_9jJjatTksI
