Give Thanks Riddim (2007) – Homeground Records

Homeground Records was tapping into a very European reggae moment here, with a 2007 cut that pulls artists from Germany, France and beyond into one conscious roots session. Give Thanks Riddim keeps the pace steady and warm rather than trying to muscle through with heavy club pressure, which suits voices like Culcha Candela, Black Dillinger and Dub Incorporation especially well; Jah Mic’s French-language “Parmis Toutes Ces Lionnes” and the reflective “More Love” from Dub Incorporation are the kinds of turns that give the set its character. The lineup leans heavily toward the multilingual, continental side of the scene, and that’s where the riddim feels most at home. For Homeground, it sits neatly alongside the label’s cross-border roots catalogue: devotional, melodic, and more concerned with message and movement than with big dancefloor tricks.