Reggaeville Riddim – Oneness Records

Even in 2012, this one had that crisp Oneness Records stamp: a rootsy selection with a modern, road-tested feel, built around a dry one-drop pulse and a steady low-end throb that leaves plenty of room for the singers. Tarrus Riley’s “The World Is A Ghetto” and Sizzla’s “That’s Why” sit near the top of the pile, while Iba Mahr, Warrior King and Bryan Art, and the duo cuts with Naptali and Ras Muhamad and with Ganjaman and Danny Ranks keep the set moving without crowding it. The project also lines up Etana, Rootz Underground and Suga Roy with Conrad Crystal, so the voices stay varied but the mood stays locked. It’s the kind of selection that lives on a clean drum pattern, a warm bassline, and the patient way each vocal rides the same measured groove.