Infiltrate Riddim (2017) – Vermix Records

Vermix Records’ Infiltrate Riddim sits in that 2017 run of straight-ahead dancehall one-riddims, and it keeps the focus tight with ten cuts and a short, punchy runtime. The rhythm has a militant, stalking feel—more tense than flashy—with the artists riding it in different pockets, from Bryka’s “Defensive Method” and Chilando’s “Hands Up” to Devin Di Dakta’s catchy “Neva Gonna Do It” and Kalado’s tougher “Moggling Death” voice. Iyara’s “Clean” helps push the project toward the finish with a sharper, more restrained energy, while the instrumental is the kind of bare riddim bed that lets the drums and bass do the talking. It’s a compact Vermix set, and the clean/raw doubles for Devin Di Dakta and Kalado underline how much mileage the rhythm gets out of a simple, dark groove.