Storm Cry Riddim – Clear Air Production

Clear Air Production’s Storm Cry Riddim sits a little leaner than some of the producer’s later work, a compact four-cut dancehall set that came out in 2012 and keeps the focus squarely on the rhythm rather than any big-name parade. Gravity opens things with Pray Fi The Yutes, while Keen And Sadsad’s Failure Is Not An Option and Eklypse’s Nuh Gyal push the tougher side of the project; Jovial’s No Funds adds a more rueful, street-level touch. The riddim itself has that dry, clipped feel you hear in a lot of early-2010s Jamaican dancehall, with a firm kick pattern, spare drum accents and a bassline that stays low and stubborn instead of trying to decorate the tune. The whole thing runs at a mid-tempo pace, leaving plenty of room for the vocals to cut through cleanly.