Santiago Riddim – Soundback Music

Santiago Riddim sits in Soundback Music’s 2011 reggae catalogue as a lean seven-track juggling piece, with D’Angel, G Mafia, Ice, Kiprich, Rymes, School Boy and Villa Dutch all taking a turn over the same framework. The production keeps to a bare, rootsy pulse rather than chasing anything flashy: a steady one-drop feel, clipped guitar chops and a deep bass line that leaves plenty of room for the voicing. Kiprich’s “Yaah Man” is the obvious name on the page, but the whole set has that early-2010s dancehall-reggae crossover feel where the melody stays modest and the rhythm does the heavy lifting. It’s a compact cut, running on a mid-tempo groove that stays taut and dry all the way through.