Ras Vibes Riddim – King Dubbist Records

Gritty roots pressure. Ras Vibes Riddim finds King Dubbist Records in that spacious new-roots zone, with Afrikan Simba’s “Put Yourself Forward, ” Jah Rueben Mystic’s “Dem Watta Lou, ” and Ras Zacharri’s “Gather Your Strength” riding a restrained, dubwise pulse rather than chasing flash. It’s a step on from the label’s earlier Mercy Riddim era, but the feel here is a little more open and meditative, with Roommate’s version dub closing the circle in fine style. Zacharri is the ear-catcher, his cut carrying the kind of uplift that suited this corner of the catalogue, but the whole set keeps a clean, conscious tone. For King Dubbist, this sits neatly in the early run that established the label’s name among roots heads.