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Footwork isnât just dance music, itâs meant for competition. At roller rinks, raves, and other functions on Chicagoâs South and West Sides, DJs cue up tracks with syncopated layers of percussion to mirror the rapid movements of battling dancers. (At this rate, expect to see footworking in the 2032 Olympic Games, if the Games still exist by then.) But on
Signals in My Head, veteran footworker DJ Manny downplays the competitive aspect of the music in favor of a romantic tone inspired by R&B.
Manuel Gaines learned to footwork from his older brother in middle school, started producing tracks on FruityLoops as a high-school freshman, and co-founded footwork crew/label Teklife with pioneers DJ Spinn and the late DJ Rashad as a teenager after meeting them at a roller rink. Beyond his production, Manny was known as one of the best dancers of a generation, once noted for dominating a battle with a track of his own making, just a few hours after recordin
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