That's Amore: Foodman (Japanese Footwork Producer)

Japanese track maker/DJ/painter (his self-ascribed titles) FOODMAN(aka Shokuhin Maturi) is one of the big players in Japan's footwork scene. He put out his 24-track tape「IROIRO」on Oklahoma's Digitalis label last year and a 19-song release on Birmingham, Alabama's Noumenal Loom in May. "We all want to ride this ride forever, throwing hands toward the sky hoping for lift-off that never comes," Digitalis says of the producer's music.

FOODMAN has even been covered by the Chicago Reader (back in 2013). The local rag's Leor Galil wrote about the rise of juke and footwork in Japan for that year's Best of Chicago issue and featured FOODMAN in a blog post some months later. Says Galil of 「IROIRO」, "The jarring, stuttering vocal sample that's usually part of the musical tapestry of a footwork song takes precedence on 'Otoufu Yasan,' while its rapid-fire beat is chopped up and muted till it sounds like a series of light taps resembling Morse code." Chicago has obviously been on the cutting edge of Footwork since its inception. The genre continues to rise in popularity around the world, especially with the sad and untimely death of local hero, DJ Rashad, and the ever-expanding reach of labels like Hyperdub.

Give a listen to FOODMAN's 「IROIRO」below and hop on that roller coaster ride for yourself. We dig the hell out of it and think you can, too.

That’s Amore is a not-so-new segment on this here blog where we post about music stuff we like. That’s it. We love hearing from our friends, so tell us what new bands or artists you’re digging on in the comments section. If a song you recommend to us ends up on the blog, you’ll get one FREE ticket to the show of your choice at the Empty Bottle. Cool!