Bad Tempo Riddim – Bacchanal 45 Records

Hemo and Moofire’s take on the old Tempo idea keeps the rhythm tight and skippy, with that soca bounce pushing it more toward road-wining energy than straight studio polish. Bacchanal 45 Records cut the set in 2007, and the title says plenty: this is a faster, pressure-cooker version of the classic pattern, not a loose party riddim drifting in the background. Pinchers is the name that jumps out here, even if the track listing doesn’t give his tune a proper title, and Rude Boy Face’s “Ragga Ragga” sounds like the sort of cut that would lock the whole thing into motion. The sequencing is spare and pointed, opening with the version, then dropping the two vocal sides after it, which feels like the producers wanted the instrumental to set the pace before the singers ride it.