Telephone Riddim – Reggae Roast

Telephone Riddim sits right in that UK roots-dancehall pocket Reggae Roast have been carving out since the late 2000s, with Ed West steering a compact 2014 EP that pairs Parly B and Jago on the main cuts and then pushes the material into dub and jungle territory. The title track moves on a stripped, low-slung groove: sharp drum programming, a thick bass line, and enough space around the vocal to let the hook punch through without crowding it. Parly B’s “Dem A Fight” is the hardest-hitting of the originals, while Jago’s “Ilani” rides the same pattern with a lighter melodic touch. The release was issued as RR018 and clocked in at seven tracks and just over 21 minutes, including Manasseh dub versions and remixes from J-Man and Fleck, which keeps the whole set focused on rhythm and reinvention rather than excess.