Stage Time Riddim – Birchill Records

Four cuts and a version line this one up like a proper Birchill jugglin’ set, with Chuck Fendah, Elephant Man, Ninjaman and T. O. K. each taking a turn on the Stage Time Riddim. Christopher Birch keeps the production tight and wiry, leaning into a heavy rolling bassline and sharp synth stabs that give the rhythm its restless, street-level push. The track that tends to anchor the project is Ninjaman’s “Water Cum A Mi Eye, ” though Elephant Man’s “Yuh Nuh Fi (Test Mix)” and T. O. K. ’s “More Gal” sit right in the same pocket, all clipped vocals and quick-fire phrasing over the riddim’s forward drive. It’s a 2007 dancehall cut with that active, FM-ready energy Birchill was already pushing hard at the time, and the version closes it out with the bass doing most of the talking.