Alarm Clock Riddim (2013) – Millbeatz Entertainment

Soft wake-up. Millbeatz Entertainment turns Alarm Clock Riddim into a bright little soca run with just four cuts, and the title feels apt: this one comes in with a quick, early-morning lift rather than a big carnival roar. Menace (M1)’s “No Social Gyal” and Mr Bessor’s “Rise and Shine” set the tone nicely, while MX Prime and Signature keep the groove moving toward Jouvert. Millbeatz has long known how to keep a riddim moving with clean, punchy rhythm work, and here that approach leaves room for the vocals to do the talking, especially on Mr Bessor’s cut with Sean Caruth. A compact 2013 set, all in, and that’s part of the charm.