Right Time Riddim (2012) – Very Important Sound Records

Very Important Sound Records’ Right Time Riddim arrived in 2012 as a roots-minded one-drop juggling with a steady pulse and a conscious streak. Gowdie Ranks and his VIS imprint had already built a name around modern roots releases, and this set sits comfortably in that lane: warm bass, roomy drums, guitar skank, and arrangements that leave space for the singers to carry the message.

The line-up mixes veteran weight with younger voices. Gregory Isaacs brings the big legacy cut with The Tribe Dance, and that alone gives the riddim an added sense of history. Freddie McGregor’s Sinners and Mykal Rose’s No Easy Road keep the set grounded in classic roots authority, while Luciano’s Sunshine and Anthony B’s Outta Road push the conscious side with uplift and resilience. Turbulence opens with Right Reason, Delly Ranx rides the social commentary on Doing Jah Works, and Jah Mason’s Granted Love, Spanner Banner’s Feeling of Love, Kali Blaxx’s Tun Up Da Music, King I’s Illusion, and Gowdie Ranks’ own Building Walls fill out the juggling with different shades of devotion, struggle, and everyday survival.

What makes the riddim work is the balance between foundation artists and current voices. It never feels overcrowded; each cut sits on the same framework but carries its own tone, from Gregory Isaacs’ easy authority to the straighter roots delivery from Luciano and Freddie McGregor. The instrumental version closes things off neatly, underlining how naturally this one-drop can carry a full juggling set.