Di Urge Riddim – Zodiac Records

Unlike some of Zodiac Records’ harder-edged late-2000s dancehall work, Di Urge Riddim leans into party-mode energy, pulling together eight cuts with a tidy roll call that includes Beenie Man, Vybz Kartel, Lady Saw and Wayne Marshall. The rhythm itself sits on a brisk, punchy foundation with a clipped drum pattern, fat low end and a bright, looping synth figure that keeps the momentum up without getting crowded. Beenie Man’s “No Phobia” and Kartel’s “Position” give the set its sharpest edges, while Lady Saw’s “Be Mine” brings a more playful vocal attack. Charly Black and Wayne Marshall lean right into the nightlife mood, and the whole thing stays locked to a fast dancehall pace that leaves plenty of room for the deejays to ride the groove and jab their lines across the bass.