The F Riddim – Music Factory Records

Music Factory Records keeps the spotlight on lean, straight-to-the-point dancehall with The F Riddim, a four-track set from 2010 that runs through Alex’s “Feel It, ” Baby Tash’s “Hotel Room, ” Slu’s “Candle Light, ” and Torch’s “One Squeeze. ” There’s no overcrowded lineup here, just a tight little package that feels closer to a quick-strike soundsystem tool than a sprawling compilation, with the artists playing off a crisp, clipped groove that leaves room for each vocal to breathe. Compared with some of the label’s other 2010 work, it comes off more compact and focused, less about big ensemble energy and more about a compact rhythm exercise built for DJs and selectors. It fits neatly into Music Factory’s catalogue as one of those low-frills dancehall releases that keeps the emphasis on the rhythm and the hook rather than the packaging.