Iklektik Riddim – Xtm.Nation

XTM. Nation’s 2013 Iklektik Riddim sits in that rootsy digital pocket where the drum pattern stays restrained and the bass does most of the talking. The six-cut set pairs Jesse Royal’s “Greedy Babylon (Won’T Be Long)” with Richie Spice, Lutan Fyah, Snatcha Spice, Spanner Banner and Jimmy Riley, and that lineup gives the project a sturdy mix of younger fire and veteran calm. XTM. Nation had only just launched in 2012, after the earlier Xterminator era, so this one lands early in the label’s catalog and already feels deliberately curated. The production keeps a sober pulse, with the low end rolling under clipped guitar and a no-frills one-drop swing that leaves the vocals plenty of room. Jimmy Riley’s “Is He Your Lover” is the cleanest late-night turn, but the whole set moves on that patient, mid-tempo bass line.