Hol A Fresh Riddim – Techniques

This one sits a little differently in the Techniques catalogue, because “Hol A Fresh” is less about the label’s smoother singer side and more about the chatty, late-’80s dancehall cut-and-thrust Winston Riley could still tap into. It came out in 1987, the same year Red Dragon’s “Hol A Fresh” turned into a local Jamaica favorite, and you can hear that cheeky, answer-back energy running through the whole set. Shabba Ranks’ “Original Fresh” and Flourgon’s “Hol A Spliff” give the riddim its roughest edge, while Courtney Melody and Sister Charmaine pull it into sweeter, more playful territory. The sequencing feels deliberate too: Ansel Collins opens the proceedings, then the cuts move from cleaner vocals into the more deejay-driven end of the session, like Riley was mapping out a party in stages.