Heartwarming Riddim – Akom Records

Heartwarming Riddim sits in that sweet spot where Akom Records lean into warm, rootsy reggae but keep the pace moving enough for the dance. Released in February 2013, the set pulls in a tidy spread of voices, with Million Stylez on “Spiritual Journey, ” Chezidek on “New Love, ” Pressure on “Nah Bow Out, ” and Natural Black’s “Special Girl” among the cuts that anchor the sequence. The lineup leans toward lovers and uplift, but there’s still a little bite in Jah Marnyah’s “Krazie in Love” and Ricardo Clarke’s “Snake in Paradise, ” which keeps the mood from staying too soft. Akom’s Dub Akom crew out of Marseille had already been carving out a name on the European roots circuit by this point. The package runs nine tracks, all under the same production banner.