Compact dose of the now-unmistakable Chicago footwork sound from a Teklife youngster, complete with features from the rest of the crew. Taye generally remains true to the battle-tested staples of the genre -- furious 808 hihats, 3-over-4 polyrhythms, head-spinning syncopation -- but brings a polished and decidedly future-oriented production style to the game. Sleek compositions like "Burnin Ya Boa" and promotion from the legendary Hyperdub show just how far this music has come from the backrooms of Chicago.

Choice cuts: 1, 3

Genre: Footwork, juke, Chicago house's weird cousin, dance battle
Friends: DJ Rashad (RIP), RP Boo, DJ Earl, DJ Funk, DJ Deeon

1. (3:30) Funky obsessive inyaface vocal loops, killer sub-bass, and syncopated 808s atop a jazzy melancholy melody. Quintessential nu-juke, would make Rashad proud.
2. (3:12) First footwork adaptation of a bedtime story I have heard. ("Lambs have laid down with the sheep...") Starkly arranged and highly percussive.
3. (3:04) Soulful vocals get the chop-n-loop treatment. Triplet sub-bass and an eerie minor-key synth melody.
4. (2:29) Simpler, heavily hip hop-inspired structures, pretty pads, and a bombastic hard-edged synth lead. Maybe the most danceable track on the EP for us mortals. Feels a little too short.