Vampire Riddim (2001) – Peoples Records

A tiny one from People’s Records, but it’s got a nice little clash of styles that makes it stick: Elephant Man comes in sharp on “Vampire, ” all muscle and menace, while the flip side pulls together Ken Boothe, Mr Vegas and Anthony B on “Fall In Love, ” which leans more melodic and gives the riddim a sweeter edge. That mix of badman energy and singalong sentiment was a pretty common dancehall move in 2001, and this one keeps it tight with just two cuts, so every tune has room to breathe. People’s Records were working that era when dancehall singles were still built to hit hard and fast, and this is one of those compact releases that feels very much of its time.