Madd Riddim – Various Artists

MADD RIDDIM produced by VARIOUS ARTISTS 2005

Madd Riddim keeps its focus tight and rude, with just two cuts carrying the whole thing: Mayja Shackie’s “Badman” and Popsicle’s “Madness. ” The title says plenty on its own, and the music sounds like it too, all sharp-edged dancehall pressure with enough space for each voice to cut through cleanly. Mayja Shackie leans into the tougher side of the riddim, while Popsicle rides it with a more mischievous, almost taunting energy, so the pair end up tracing two different moods across the same musical frame. It’s a small release, but that narrow lineup gives the production a clearer shape than most mid-2000s juggling sets, and the 2005 date places it right in that lean, digital era when a good rhythm could do serious work on very little.

Madd Riddim Tracklist:

1. Mayja Shackie – Badman
2. Popsicle – Madness