Sun Down Riddim – Optimus

By 2016, dancehall was leaning hard into lean, digital riddims that left room for voices to cut through, and Sun Down Riddim fits that moment with a compact six-cut set from Optimus. The vibe is spare and focused, with the instrumental doing just enough damage to let the songs carry the weight; Black’s “Diamond – In Your Eyes” and Isasha’s “Helping Hand” bring the most immediate pull, while A. N. Aka Mature and Natural and Piper push the more conscious side of the project. Zebulun’s “She Loves Me” closes things on a sweeter note, and the bare Sundown Riddim instrumental at the end leaves the groove hanging in the air rather than wrapping it up too neatly.