Rough Winer Riddim – (Stalawa) Scotch Bonnet

2016 was a fertile year for modern roots and rub-a-dub revivals, and Stalawa’s Rough Winer Riddim sat right in that lane with a bright, major-key pulse and a neatly worn digital feel. The French producer, closely linked to Scotch Bonnet, took a sharp left back to the 1980s without making the cut sound dusty; Lloyd D Stiff’s title tune sets the tone with cheeky, dance-crazy energy, while Marina P’s “Don’t Panic” leans lighter and more melodic. Dignitary Stylish closes the vocal sequence with “Watchy Watchy, ” adding a firmer deejay edge before the instrumental version comes through and lets the riddim do the talking on its own.