Stranger Things Riddim (2022) – Smiddy Smith Music

Smiddy Smith Music’s Stranger Things Riddim landed in late 2022 as a dancehall-leaning Caribbean juggling with a strong soca backbone, and that crossover energy is what gives it its personality. The set runs five cuts deep and pairs Bunji Garlin, Fay-Ann Lyons, Olatunji and JW, Preedy and Problem Child, plus Super Blue across a brisk, stage-ready rhythm built for festival crowd motion rather than moody introspection.

Smiddy Smith had already been working in the soca and riddim space before this release, and the label name points to a producer-artist operation that moves comfortably between Trinidad carnival music and modern Caribbean riddim culture. The lineup reflects that world too. Bunji Garlin, the Trinidadian ragga-soca veteran behind some of the genre’s most durable anthems, opens with A. T. S. A. (Across The Stage Again), a performance-minded anthem that matches his trademark commanding delivery. Fay-Ann Lyons follows with Stage Is Yuh Name, bringing the kind of high-octane, roadmarch-ready vocal attack that has long defined her catalogue. Olatunji and JW’s Gyal In De Place pushes the riddim toward call-and-response party territory, while Preedy and Problem Child’s Get Loose gives the project one of its rowdiest moments, with both voices suited to the bounce. Super Blue’s Royal adds veteran authority; his presence ties the release back to the broader Trinidad carnival tradition.

The riddim itself is fast, bright, and built on sharp percussion and plenty of forward motion, the sort of production that leaves room for chants, hooks, and crowd participation. It plays like a season-conscious release: not just a beat, but a small carnival statement.