A true footwork lifer, DJ Lucky was first mesmerised by dancers at elementary school, and grew up to become a dancer, DJ and producer. “I truly get inspired by the battle aspect of footwork, so I’ll go find and watch all the new battles, listen to what the DJs are playing and what type of tracks the dancers are going crazy to, and it’ll instantly make me want to either match that energy or make something that I feel is better,” he says.
Part of the iconic Teklife crew, he dropped his debut album ‘Triple 7’ with the label in January, highlighting the sonic versatility of the Chicago-born sound. Tracks like ‘War’ and ‘Demon Time’ are stripped to the bone and draped in sleek, sci-fi synths; ‘GAWD’ matches abyssal subs with glitchy bleeps and choral ambience; ‘Spazz Out’ and ‘1366’ draw from trap’s machinic playbook, while ‘Your Emotions’ and ‘Lost Without U’ use soulful touches to juxtapose their plodding beats, and ‘G.B.G.W’ is an explosion of breakbeats and sirens.
“Variation is extremely important to me,” he says. “Footwork can get rather confusing to a person that’s hearing it for the first time, so I try to show people that different styles and vibes can be created and still be in the guidelines of footwork.”
Currently living in Las Vegas, he’s trying to grow the scene there as part of the local chapter of Chicago-based crew Terra Squad and through teaching footwork workshops, and promises lots more music is on the way in 2024. BEN HINDLE
For fans of: DJ Rashad, DJ Manny, Plain James
