Footshooter reveals The Oasis

Footshooter’s album ‘The Oasis’ sits at the crossroads between jazz and broken beat. Peppered with collaborations, the album includes new single “Cycles (feat. James Mollison)”. Speaking on the track Footshooter says “Cycles began as a loop, and slowly built in scope and sense of space. I managed to catch James in the studio when he was in between touring with Ezra Collective, and he laid these sax chops in a few hours. James’s tone and ease on the sax is pure magic.”

Amongst broken beat, Footshooter’s production style takes influences from jazz, house, and more, working with rappers, poets and vocalists to create a soulful sound referencing the past while being firmly visionary in its approach.

Talking about the album, Footshooter says, “The Oasis is a collection of moods from the last three years. As with all my projects, collaboration and sharing is at the heart of it. The title refers to a wish for everyone to find their oasis among whatever desert is surrounding them – mine has and always will be music, creativity and collaboration. It’s a place of endless abundance that I always seek out and return to. Working with the artists on this record has given me so much energy, and it’s always a privilege to create with your friends on any level.”

“What You Saw” exemplifies the theme of seeking sanctuary, on a plane between “dream and lucidity” as MA.MOYO, the South London mainstay, explains. Mahon’s guitar adds a delicacy that compliments this veiled borderland, mirrored in Footshooter’s beat-making, “allowing space for the words to permeate”.

Among the themes are testaments to Footshooter’s dynamism as a producer. “Reverie” provides a soothing interlude, serving as a tranquil layover guided by Cynthia’s euphoric vocals, before diving back into the uplifting spoken word piece, “Boomerang (ft. Native & Wilf Petherbridge)”. Footshooter crossed paths with Native, also known as Ehireme, when they ran workshops with young people in prisons together a few years ago. The track is “a snapshot of the bond between father and son, capturing the acceptance that the child will inevitably fly the nest,” all within the safety and comfort of unconditional love. The flows are set against an uplifting beat that ascends, giving a sense of takeoff, accompanied by soulful horns from long-time collaborator Wilf Petherbridge.

James Mollison of Ezra Collective appears on the album twice with his feature on “Surrey Canal Road” an ode to the artistic spirit of the road where the studio is located in South Bermondsey. James’s saxophone topline dances through the track, finding space amongst the layers and elevating the percussion, transporting listeners to sunlit realms.

“The Loop”, exclusively on the digital album, is a reimagining of an unreleased piece from 2019. With a swung groove and syncopated synth work, this dancefloor track resets the pace, leading into the final third of the album. “Sermon” slows the tempo, making way for Sara El Harrak’s reflections on “the multifaceted nature of love from the romantic to the communal.” “Parc de Belleville”, named after Footshooter’s retreat above the chaos of Paris, features more lyrically styled horns from Wilf Petherbridge atop his signature, crisp broken beat production.