Step A Riddim – 117 Records

In 2015, 117 Records opened its run with Step A Riddim, a rootsy little set that came out of the label’s Germany-Jamaica axis and kept the focus on live-feeling reggae rather than any big studio trickery. Warrior King’s Rootz Warrior and Bionic Clarke’s Rough Old Life are the two vocal cuts here, and both get the same tune stretched out in dub and instrumental form, so the package feels more like a compact session than a straight singles drop. The Dubvisionist versions lean into the deeper side of the riddim, while M7 Allstars handle the instrumental passes with the kind of hand-played touch that gives the whole thing its character. Step A Riddim runs six tracks in all.