Double Up Riddim (2014) – Don Iko|Martian Music

Double Up Riddim lands as a compact 2014 soca set from Don Iko and Martian Music, cut with just three vocal tracks and an instrumental that keeps the whole thing tight. Devon Matthews and Denise Belfon’s “All Night” is the obvious pull, with Megan Walrond’s “Riddim” and Ms Alysha’s “Sms” giving the project a different angle around the same groove. It’s a small release, but the pairing of Matthews with Belfon gives it a bit of veteran weight, while the rest of the sequence stays focused on the jump-up feel. The production leans on a clean, rhythmic soca pulse rather than any heavy arrangement trickery, and the instrumental leaves the percussion and low end to do most of the talking. It runs like a short fete record: brisk, direct, and locked into a bright, steady tempo.