Life Starts Riddim – Ajang Music Production

Life Starts Riddim finds Ajang Music Production working a clean, roots-leaning one-riddim set in 2013, with the kind of steady, mid-tempo pulse that leaves room for voices like Luciano, Chrisinti, Mikey General and Lady G to settle in properly. The project runs 14 cuts deep and keeps the same four-minute-plus shape across the board, which gives it a measured, almost archival feel rather than a rushed compilation. Onesty’s title tune sits close to the center of the selection, while Luciano’s “Call On Jah Name” and Spanner Banner’s “Love Is a Champion” bring the sort of conscious delivery that suits the rhythm best. The production stays spare and even, with a firm bass line, clipped drums and a smooth bounce that never crowds the singers, letting the riddim move at an unhurried reggae pace.