Rising Point Riddim – Extended Play Records / Dont Snooze

Rising Point Riddim feels a little cleaner and more roots-minded than the harder-edged dancehall some of Extended Play Records and Don’t Snooze have been circling elsewhere, but it still keeps a modern pulse under the hood. The cut runs on warm bass, clipped guitar skank and a soft, uplift-leaning groove that gives the singers room to stretch out instead of rushing the pocket. Busy Signal’s “Case” and Jah Cure’s “No Perfect Love” give it the strongest emotional pull, while Gyptian and Sizzla lean into the mourner’s side of the arrangement with enough bite to keep things moving. By the time it reaches Teejay’s “Serious Times, ” the riddim has settled into a reflective, late-night feel that suits the whole set. The instrumental backbone underneath those voices does a lot of the heavy lifting here, and it’s the reason the project hangs together so neatly.