Ice Age Riddim – Various Artists

Ice Age Riddim doesn’t come in with a big, overcrowded cast the way a lot of 2010 dancehall juggling sets did; this one is lean, with just four cuts and a tighter feel around the groove. The lineup moves from 3 Suns’ “What Them Gul Want” into Bongo Dred’s “Who Da, ” then Cableous and Slammer Cutter, and that sequencing gives the whole thing a neat, almost head-to-head energy instead of a scattershot compilation. The title fits the mood too — there’s a cold edge to the name that suits a stripped-back dancehall frame more than a glossy party riddim. With only one song apiece from each artist, the producer seems to have wanted quick, direct performances rather than long-winded juggling, and that gives the set a brisk, no-frills shape from the opening tune to “Back It Up. ”