Bun to Ashes Riddim – Various Artists

In 2006, when roots-minded reggae riddims were still leaning hard on the dubwise side of the genre, Bu’n To Ashes came in as a lean six-track juggling with seven voices and a plain, functional setup. Jah Lightning’s “Millennium Man, ” Gounz Man’s “Bun Dem, ” and the Trini Man and Rogah Natty combination on “Babylon Unfair” carry the strongest of the vocal cuts, all pushing the same rebel theme over a stripped-back rhythm bed. The production keeps the focus on a dry bass line, clipped drums, and a steady one-drop pulse, with the version cut left in place to underline how little ornament the riddim needs. It moves at an easy mid-tempo, but the low end has enough weight to make the whole thing feel heavier than its short tracklist suggests.