Freeze Out Riddim – Flavamakers

Freeze Out Riddim finds Flavamakers in lean, stripped-down dancehall mode, with six cuts and an instrumental version that keeps the set tight and functional. The 2014 release runs just over 20 minutes, and that brevity suits the material: Armshouse Gadahfii’s “Give It To Me, ” Ice Cold and Double K’s “Like That, ” and The Banks aka Lyrical King’s “Gangsta Step” all ride the same clipped, cold-steel groove without drifting off course. There’s a frosty edge to the production, the kind of rhythm built on crisp drum patterns, a fat bass line, and just enough space for the vocals to cut through cleanly. Leonardo’s “Fi Di Poor” sits in the middle of it with a plainspoken delivery that matches the riddim’s dry, no-nonsense pulse.