Tribute to DJ Rashad by Brussels collective Crop Top Core (with members of SCHNTZL, Vieze Meisje, Brorlab, Fievel is Glaucque)

The influence of DJ Rashad, the footwork pioneer from Chicago, remains inimitable. As Vice put it, “Rashad will undoubtedly be remembered as one of contemporary dance music's most innovative stylists and most irreplaceable presences”. DJ Rashad, together with DJ Spinn, founded the Teklife Crew (with DJ Taye, who’s visited AB before) and was one of the first footwork producers to gain popularity outside Chicago, the genre’s birthplace. 

His debut Double Cup appeared on Kode9’s visionary label Hyperdub (also known for Burial, Loraine James), and celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2023. Pitchfork dubbed it “Rashad’s magnum opus, an album that redefined footwork to the masses as something limitless, nuanced, unprecedentedly smooth”. They added: “A decade later, ‘Double Cup’ still sounds like it could have been beamed in from the future”.

(DJ) Rashad Harden’s use of samples has been compared to the ‘sampledelia’ of hip-hop producer J Dilla, specifically his masterpiece Donuts. “Both records possess the similar thrill of hearing a master of an existent genre taking their sound to new, exciting heights”. DJ Rashad died of a drug overdose in 2014, two days after his final public appearance. Ironically, Double Cup described a way to manufacture the drug lean (a cough syrup-based substance also known as purple drank). 
If you want to learn more about the work of DJ Rashad and his Teklife crew, you can read more here.

Crop Top Core

The tribute will be hosted by the collective Toverberg, which runs a Brussels-based label focusing on experimental folk, ambience and deconstructed sounds. DJ Rashad’s heritage will be borne by Crop Top Core, a band consisting of members of SCHNTZL (Casper Van de Velde), Vieze Meisje (Alan Van Rompuy a.k.a. Azertyklavierwerke), Brorlab (Sam De Clercq) and Fievel is Glaucque (Sylvain Haenen). 
We came across this quote: “This group from Brussels plays gabber music teared to pieces with brute kicks, semi-soft melodies, unashamed synths and a fiery guitar”. To say that we’re excited to see their musical rendition of DJ Rashad would be an understatement.