rp boo: fingers, bank pads & shoe prints

“Footwork, ”—the very word indicates a movement of the feet that is “work” (as in an effort to achieve). Its joyous social party nature sits within a lineage of African American history that includes the infamous Soul Train dance tunnel and Hip Hop dance circles. However, as Footwork continues to become more popular, we should not forget that at its essence it is a highly evolved battle form. This is the central theme one feels listening to the stunning “Fingers, Bank Pads & Shoe Prints,” the second album from RP Boo, the man credited with inventing the Footwork genre with a 1997 track “Baby Come On” (recently re-released on the Planet Mu EP “Classics Vol. 1”). RP Boo is to Footwork what Juan Atkins is to Techno, a source point for a busting out of innovative ideas and new directions.