Badazz Bass Riddim – Mr. Roots

Bass-heavy pulse. Mr. Roots’ 2012 Badazz Bass Riddim leans into a thick, trunk-rattling soca groove with enough space for the vocals to cut through the low-end shake. Skinny Fabulous opens the set with “Tek Tek, ” and that one has the sort of rough-edged energy that suits the riddim’s harder kick, while Jamesy P’s “Wasted” and Trilla’s “Master The Game” keep the mood brisk and carnival-ready. Prime and Zan round out the five-track lineup without crowding the thing, which is part of the charm here: no excess, just a tight little run of voices riding one sturdy pattern. Coming in 2012, it sits right in that era when soca productions were getting heavier and more bass-driven, aiming squarely at sound systems as much as road marches.