Borderline Riddim Remix (2025) – Irie Ites Records

Irie Ites keeps returning to the kind of roots-heavy juggling that made its name, and Borderline Riddim Remix fits neatly into that lane. Released on February 15, 2025, it brings a veteran French label with deep Caribbean links back to a straight-ahead reggae format: sturdy one-drop movement, a warm bass line, and dubwise versions that let the rhythm breathe between each vocal cut.

The vocal roster is strong because it is familiar without feeling routine. Lutan Fyah’s Bun Dem brings his trademark conscious fire, Luciano’s Hammer adds that soulful, upright clarity he has carried for decades, and Turbulence turns Burnin’ Blaze into a forceful call-out tune. Chezidek’s Power Of The Lion sits in that same roots tradition, while Ras Mc Bean’s Borderline gives the riddim one of its most centered performances. King Lorenzo and Russ D join Irie Ites on Trod In The Valley, which helps tie the project back to the label’s own circle.

What gives the release extra value is the dub treatment. Burnin’ Dub, Hammer Dub, Dub Dem, Power Of Dub, Borderline Dub and Trod In Dub show that this is not just a pile of songs, but a proper sound system package with enough space for selectors and collectors. The riddim itself has that late-night, slow-burn pressure: tough drums, a rolling bass weight, and enough room in the arrangement for each singer to cut through cleanly. In a catalogue that already runs deep with roots projects, Borderline Riddim Remix lands as one of Irie Ites’ more focused recent statements.