Marathon Of Love Riddim – Jah Troopers

By 2015, Jah Troopers were already threading their sound through a small but pointed reggae catalogue, and Marathon Of Love Riddim feels like one of those releases that keeps the focus tight: four vocal cuts, one version, no wasted space. The groove sits in that warm, mid-tempo roots lane, giving Robbie Valentine’s “Sunshine Or Rainfall” and Mica Goldson’s title track room to breathe before Ras Xprshn pulls the message-conscious angle with “Black and Beautiful (Anti-Bleaching Song). ” Hussla Dandymite then snaps the set into sharper focus with “Champion Sound (Dub Plate Style), ” a tougher, more characterful cut that closes the tracklist with a little more edge than the others. That balance between smooth sing-jay soul and a harder sound-system finish is what keeps the riddim moving.