Marz Riddim – Wmg Lab Records

Out of Trinidad’s 2017 soca circuit, Marz Riddim came in with a tight, 13-track roll call and a run time just under half an hour, all cut by WMG Lab Records on April 21, 2017. The groove is quick and percussive, sitting around that punchy mid-120s sweet spot, with the kind of waistline-ready momentum that keeps the focus on movement rather than studio polish. Marzville and Squid open things with “Peddle, ” while Infamous K and S. Carter each get duplicated cuts in clean and explicit versions, and tracks like “Cock Back, ” “Bruk Fi Me, ” and “Bike Wine” lean straight into the bashment-side language of the season. Brandon Star’s “Bruk Off” and Axesent’s “Gym Teacher” help push it toward the cheekier end of the soca spectrum, right where 2017 fete music was happiest.