Retro Soap Riddim – H2o Productions

In H2O Productions’ 2005 catalogue, Retro Soap Riddim sits as a compact seven-cut reggae set with eight voices, and it leans on the kind of straight-ahead, heavy pulse that lets the singers do the talking. Buju Banton’s “Hey Boy” and Busy Signal’s “Di Gun” set the pace early, while Elephant Man’s “Man A Bad Man” and Teflon’s “Di Humbleness” push the riddim in different directions without losing that rough, lively edge. Delly Ranx and the Pinchers/Jagwa pairing add more weight to the lineup, giving the project a nice spread of veteran name value and street-level energy. H2O keeps the arrangement taut and uncluttered, with the version movement staying close to the classic dancehall-reggae framework that was still very much in rotation in 2005. The track list runs from Buju Banton through to Teflon, with “Dead So” closing the set by Pinchers and Jagwa.