Chicago Footwork/House/Dance legend DJ Traxman drops a new album full of funky samples and dance-able tunes. Nelson Liu did a nice little review over at Mass Appeal, which I’ve included below. Above is Traxman’s mix of tracks from the album.
The album begins with “Time Slip,” containing a Roy Ayers sample which Ferguson flips into a cacophony of horns and xylophones, punctuated by percussion. The many elements of the track threaten to descend into high speed turmoil, but Traxman manages to whip the many pieces into line, the definition of organized chaos.
“Mic” is another song which draws its base from a sample, chopping up a 9th Wonder flip of Michael Jackson’s “Dear Michael,” while retaining the soul of the original. Ferguson’s tracks are often sample heavy, yet completely his own. He transforms samples into micro-edited puzzles, which bear little resemblance to their original sources.
Sampling isn’t Traxman’s only skill, however, as demonstrated by “Bubbles.” Featuring an original melody written and arranged by Ferguson, the track contains woozy synth laser sounds broken up by tight drum work. – Nelson Liu
