DJ Nate, born Nathan Clark, is a Chicago footwork and juke producer from the city’s west side. He is known for producing “Footwork Traks”, instrumental pieces associated with the Chicago dance style of footwork, also called “jukin’” or “Footwurking”.

Style and background

His work sits within the Chicago juke scene, a sound rooted in Chicago house, ghettotech and booty house. The style is characterised by sped-up rhythms, dense sample use, pitch shifting, layering and rhythmic triggering. In footwork, these techniques often mirror the movement of the dancers’ feet, and tracks can be built around repeated names or call-and-response patterns used in dance battles.

DJ Nate is identified with this Chicago tradition, and his tracks are described as part of the faster, more hypnotic end of the genre, with sparse drum patterns, busy fills, relentless triplets and off-kilter accents.