Rat Bat Riddim – Various Artists

Out of the 2010 dancehall crop, Rat Bat Riddim feels like the kind of juggling that was built for the dance, with a raw, no-frills pulse and a decent spread of voices running across it. Bingy Iron’s “Guh Fi Dem” and Bugs Crime’s “A Just Life” set the tone early, while Earth Worm pushes things a little harder on “Up The Thing (Lazer Matrix Diss), ” which gives the riddim some bite. Shane’s “A Nuh Nuttin Good” with Liando and Vicious’ “Hole Dem Yah” with Spectacular widen the circle without losing the rough edge. The two version cuts at the tail end are a nice little reminder that this one was made to be played out loud, not just collected.