Desert Riddim – Notnice Records

Desert Riddim is a 2013 dancehall juggling from Notnice Records, lining up a dark, heavy set of cuts from Bookie, Versatile, I-Octane, Bugle and Alkaline. The project leans into the tougher side of the year’s dancehall sound, with titles like Bagga Talk, Bound Fi Dead, Dem A Fool, No Regard, Obeah and Ready giving the whole release a gritty, almost apocalyptic edge. Alkaline’s double presence on Obeah and Ready, each in radio and raw versions, makes him one of the main voices here, while Versatile’s Bound Fi Dead and Mek Fi Gyal add extra momentum. Notnice was active on a string of early-2010s riddims, and Desert Riddim fits neatly into that run with a compact, 13-track showcase.