Wul Dem Again Riddim – Yellow Moon Records

Yellow Moon Records’ Wul Dem Again Riddim arrived in 2014 as a sharp, 105-BPM dancehall juggling from DJ Sunshine’s camp, and it sits comfortably in the line of Yellow Moon releases that chase a dark, confrontational sound. The instrumental is tight and percussive, with enough space for the voices to cut through, but the overall mood stays impatient and street-level rather than glossy or airy. It is the kind of rhythm built for war-talk, and the title says exactly what it is doing.

The lineup carries that energy across the board. Alkaline’s One Inna Dem Head, one of his early breakout-era statements, gives the riddim a youthful, venomous edge. Mavado’s Clear D Way is the heaviest commercial pull on the set, and the super clean, clean, and raw versions show how much the track was pushed for wide rotation. Vybz Kartel’s Box Lunch, Demarco’s Fool Fool Gangsta, and I Octane’s Teeth and Lip all sharpen the clash mood, while Elephant Man brings two cuts, Chikungunya and Do The Right Thing, that keep the tempo bouncing. Mr. Vegas and Bryka add more pressure, and Chilando’s Stay Inna Yuh Lane helps round out the set without breaking the pace.

Yellow Moon Records had already established DJ Sunshine as a producer with a strong ear for militant dancehall arrangements, and this riddim became one of the label’s more talked-about releases from that period. It works because the rhythm never gets too busy; it leaves room for the artists to sound dangerous.