We last featured DJchookylightningfrog for embracing menace, absurdity and rave euphoria on his unhinged single, flathead, which has been living rent free in our heads ever since we heard it. So much so that some of DJchookylightningfrog‘s ad-libs like “flathead… shot dead… did you do it this?” have become literal vocal stims. Naturally, when we heard that the artist was back with footspring, we were hella curious and couldn’t wait to immerse ourselves in his universe once again.
footspring opens with a cosmic rising frequency with gated celestial vocals, expanding with trippy guitar riffs tapping into psychedelic EDM notions. We then experience female vocals with the lyrics, “Came down like a hand grenade, setting sail to the night sky…” We appreciate the adventurous prose inviting escapism.
The production is refined, and we appreciate the cerebral appearances of chooky as he shares his signature gruff vocals as ad-libs, adding ferocity to the experience. The drop is dope and something we could imagine at a rave in Goa. There are definite trance and psytrance elements but overall the piece is experimental.
DJchookylightningfrog clearly refuses to stay inside any conventional genre boundaries, and we are obsessed. What we particularly appreciate is the sense of evolution. If flathead felt like being thrown directly into the madness, footspring feels like chooky has discovered another dimension of his own sound. He tells us, “This one’s a bit different to flathead been going hard learning and evolving as I experiment.”
That experimental instinct is fundamental to the project. DJchookylightningfrog describes himself as “unfiltered, raw and fearless”, and that philosophy is audible in the music. We also love the sheer personality behind the project. Chooky explains, “I am a DJ that produces and plays originals, wish to get on a world tour doing gigs and lift vibes then lift them some more.”
We can also imagine this landing at Boom Festival, Ozora, Tomorrowland, or Shambala. Cinematically, there are also echoes of Trainspotting, Enter the Void, Mad Max: Fury Road, Climax, Human Traffic and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
There is something wonderfully authentic about an artist who is still learning in public and isn’t afraid to sound different while doing it. DJchookylightningfrog tells us, “I’m a self taught artist with character to boot”, and that character is arguably the project’s greatest asset.
Needless to say, we love it and have added footspring to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream flathead and await future releases from DJchookylightningfrog.