Tricycle Riddim Vol. 1 – Collumbium Records

Collumbium Records keeps its dancehall programme moving with Tricycle Riddim Vol. 1, a slim three-cut juggling that arrived in 2026 and sits right in the lane the label has been carving out for itself since the early part of the decade. The imprint is closely tied to ChikeTheKhemist, a Kingston-based producer who also runs the label and has made a name for compact, modern dancehall and tropical productions. That background matters here, because Tricycle Riddim feels like another entry in a catalogue that prefers clean arrangement, digital bite and quick-turn artist statements over bloated compilation energy.

The riddim itself has that stripped, mechanical swing that suits current dancehall: crisp drums, a clipped bass movement and enough space for each chanter to lock in without fighting the instrumental. It does not try to sound ornate. Instead, it moves with a lean, percussive pulse that leaves room for the voice to carry the hook and the attitude. That simplicity is part of the draw. On a project this tight, every vocal has to earn its place.

OCG’s Brukka gives the set some of its strongest character. The Kingston artist has long worked in a lane that mixes streetwise dancehall phrasing with melody, and his cut feels like the kind of song that benefits from a riddim with room to swagger. Vito HD, who has been active on a steady run of singles and EPs in recent years, brings Tik Tok with a more contemporary club-facing touch, the sort of cut that is built to move quickly and stick fast. SK Nu Era’s Back Way rounds things out with another current-day dancehall voice, adding a different angle to the same rhythm and keeping the compilation from feeling one-note.

What gives Tricycle Riddim Vol. 1 its appeal is not volume, but placement. Collumbium knows how to frame a riddim as a short-form statement: one instrumental, three personalities, no wasted space. This is the kind of release that works because the rhythm is sturdy enough to carry multiple moods, and because each artist is asked to cut straight to the point.