DJ Elmoe: Crafting a Hypnotic, Jazz-Infused Take on Footwork
"Ina Rain" is Out Now Via Planet Mu
Chicago-born DJ Elmoe (Johnathan Tapp) brings a unique, hazy take on footwork, weaving frayed jazz and soul loops into a hypnotic, polyrhythmic tapestry. His sound is often slowed to breaking point, crashing and folding in on itself mid-track, only to be revived by crisp, rolling footwork beats. Where much of the genre leans toward a laser-focused, futuristic aesthetic, Elmoe’s approach is almost intuitive and acoustic, evoking the raw energy of '70s loft jazz infused with the hallucinatory haze of 2010s hypnagogic pop.
Originally drawn to music through house and jazz, Elmoe entered the world of footwork first as a dancer before transitioning to production in 2005. Speaking on his distinctive style, he explains, “I have an offset-style. I like to change the dynamic of things in an unorthodox way but you’ll feel good about it. I mainly look for melodies that are parallel to how it makes me feel at that time.”
His latest release showcases this singular approach. The eponymous track and first single, Battle Zone, unfurls a spacey lead synth across hypnotic drums and a looping vocal, shifting through dramatic drops in pitch. Ina Rain warps crushed Delfonics samples through discordant shifts before landing on a woodwind flourish, while Wander Nights takes a different path, evoking something "like what Actress might make, re-tuned for Footwork specifics.”
DJ Elmoe’s music exists in its own space—instinctive, unorthodox, and deeply immersive. Lock yourself into the sound.
