Altitude Riddim – Ancient Records

Altitude Riddim rolls in with a bright, clipped dancehall bounce, the kind of cut that keeps the kick drum tight and the bassline springy rather than overly heavy. Ancient Records lined up a compact set of voices here: Aidonia’s “She A Have Me Baby” gets two passes, raw and radio, while Jayds does the same with “Whats Ur Mood Like, ” and Deablo’s “Judas” and Onton’s “Love Jah And Live” keep the project moving between street talk and uplift. The one real surprise is the Voicemail and Denyque pairing on “We Found Love, ” which pulls a slicker, more melodic angle into the mix. Released in early 2013, this sits neatly in that moment when modern dancehall riddims were leaning sharper and cleaner, with just enough melody to keep them moving outside the dance.