rolling dancehall & reggae 2017

no idea about that intro either but I like the whole thing, nice find!

Maybe like longneck I was too harsh on Can't Believe--I do really like the feel of the production. On first listen, I may have been expecting too much from the Wizkid feature, or maybe it's that the song grooves where I expected it to build up to something bigger. Also Kranium's album, which I initially liked, barely stuck with me so I might be holding that against him.

I don't think I ever posted this Alicai Harley. Absolutely love it, wish there were more of these weightless, plinky NES-sounding riddims--reminds me of Cute Bubble a lot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf9kO4pATJU

^^Yeah, that was my initial reaction to Can't Believe too.
I haven't posted Washer Dryer yet, have I?

https://youtu.be/nF0ryxo0fjY

There's also Don't Come Back, which just dropped:
https://youtu.be/Ylgj6ksqXlo

Is Mavado's main problem as an artist that he doesn't at all seem interested in sex? Just a stray thought that has been bothering me for a while.

Another seemingly related random thought: I really like Masicka whenever he making songs for the girls. 10 outta 10 is good, and so is Down For Life.

I suppose there is something a bit stone-faced and perfunctory about Mavado's sex songs, no sense of pleasure being communicated. I think, for me, current Mavado's problem is that as he's aged his voice has sounded more tired (I mean that literally) and the poignancy it used to have has been lost a bit while the braggadocio doesn't come over as well.

Washer Dryer is great, though immediately filed under "headphones only" for me lol. Are there other versions on that riddim? it's nice.

Definitely more accurate to say I'm super picky about Kartel tracks than that I dislike him now. that said, "Don't Come Back" has that uh suspiciously timeless quality to it we've discussed before. I dig this one with Kim Kelly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc2k6zuxyTU

Would have to do due diligence on Masicka to weigh in, but fwiw I don't really care for any of his gunman tunes while I do like 10 Outta 10. Have to admit I am also mildly anti-Masicka for the 'genocide' branding; I probably wouldn't care if he was on some tommy lee sparta goth metal shit--and lord knows I compartmentalize tons of other shit in dancehall--but it feels cheap to me

My own random thought: is this Kyla/Popcaan song good or just an admirably efficent feat of engineering together like 4 different genres that I love?

The clean Washer Dryer is actually better, lol. It's Washer... dryer... com-complete. I even discussed it with my daughter, who agreed that a washer wasn't complete without a dryer, lol.

hahaha <3

Btw, I think the Kyla is good - but I'm not quite sold on Poppy as the romantic interest. At least not yet.

dancehall/reggae fans - other than Soul Jazz's Invasion of the Mysteron Killer Sounds, what other riddim comps are out there that are just the instrumentals? I know about the Greensleeves and Riddim Driven ones, but I want comps of multiple riddims

there aren't too many sadly but there's mo'wax's compilation Now Thing and Raime's mix Our Versions of Their Versions come to mind

https://soundcloud.com/the_large/infrared-mixtape

such an absolute fire mix and a good overview of the year for casual thread-perusers

just me or is the chronixx album a bit of a disappointment?

― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Wednesday, September 6, 2017 4:24 PM (two months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah I listened to about half of it and got kind of bored despite liking some bits (iirc the one with his dad was good?). I should give it another shot but haven't felt particularly inclined.

― rob, Wednesday, September 6, 2017 4:45 PM (two months ago

Saw that Rolling Stone magazine put this in their top 2017 album list so I gave it another listen. Eh, its ok with some strong moments, but yeah nothing amazing.

Aidonia still going hard:

https://youtu.be/LtUmdsEdiGI

Great mix of instrumentals from Bass Clef on NTS.

https://www.nts.live/shows/floatingworldmusic/episodes/open-hand-real-flames-28th-november-2017

For those compiling your year-end lists, this playlist includes all the available tracks on this thread, organized roughly chronologically in order of mention:

ILM's 2017 Rolling Dancehall + Reggae Thread Spotify Playlist

Thanks ulysses, really appreciate your work on these

terminatorthumbsup.jpeg

rereading the thread I must confess: I now love "Can't Believe", it just took a while for that hook to totally worm its way in.

ha ha, I knew it!
Honestly though, there have been a lot of big tunes that haven't been posted in this thread this year. The same goes for the afro and soca threads. My new year's resolution is to step up for 2018.
But since I'm here, let me jiust mention that the All Night Riddim is pretty gorgeous.

Alkaline:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2_QDsFU1Ks

Mavado:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4v24DuiNEk

Tarrus & Konshens:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68jbqgel0oI

Chris Martin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtgUAVulFvM

D-Major, Jahmiel and Sean Paul are also good on it.

Vybz is still the artist I've listened to the most in 2017 though. I don't know how it's possible but there have been about 20-30 new Kartel tracks that I really love/like this year.

re Cant Believe. I noticed one day I had the keyboard hook in my head and when I went to youtube to listen to it, I caught the "dance video" which is just super fun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWx-_7V24Yc

nice Teetimus track from that Large mixtape:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3D0a8dUScI

nih-ninininih-nih-ninininih-nih-ninininih-nih-ninininih...

otm

also from the dept of potential EOY second thoughts, this Fader micro-doc on Masicka is p likeable: http://www.thefader.com/2017/12/05/masicka-documentary-energy-fader

as is, i should mention, the track in question:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB508IJYSYs

I totally missed that one. Sounds like he's beginning to stretch out and loosen up a bit.

wow Alkaline kills this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtwtzkvYmHU

faster than Fast?

Some v half-baked thoughts after listening to Large Up/Mighty Crown's eoy mix:
This was a good year, but I do think it was kinda uneventful/unsurprising, basically dominated by a handful of (excellent) artists. As mentioned above, no single uniting song or riddim, no weird/funny novelty tracks, a very quiet year for the roots scene. No promising new stars with the exception of Shenseea, whose success put the shutout of women in the genre into relief. There are a couple riddims on that mix that absolutely cry out for an Alaine or Denyque--it's weird that there are no women in that rnb-ish space while we have Kranium, Jahmiel, Vershon, Chris Martin, et al (as much as I dig all those guys) plus all the singjays.

That all sounds like I'm complaining but tbc there are a ton of awesome tracks on that mix. Alkaline was especially versatile and consistent--he has like 10 tracks on the mix and they're all fire, even the one about his mom. I find Mavado in 2017 to be kind of a puzzle: it's always nice to hear him pop up in that mix but he's never the best thing on any riddim. OTOH he has really good taste in riddims, unlike say Popcaan who is pretty indiscriminating but there's always a bunch of gems.

Of course the mix is just one crew's take and Large Up's actual lists are to come so there's probably some major blindspots in all that^. I think it's a decent year overview but there are some weird choices (why only one Shenseea track and why that one?).

A couple new to me tunes on that mix. This Popcaan track seems to be some Japan-only thing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsU7ofIkLUs

and then there's this Sizzla:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTI1o-aWigU

I really like Mavado's Red Rose - it's one of those songs where the emotion doesn't just sound like it's his default mode but actually means something. Probably in my top 20 dancehall songs this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAR39kbwsVQ

Ah yeah that is superb, hadn't heard it before!

LargeUp's dancehall tracks list:

1. Chronixx – “Likes”
2. Vybz Kartel – “Mhm Hm”
3. Aidonia – “Yeah Yeah”
4. Vybz Kartel f. Shenseea – “Loodi”
5. Masicka f. Vybz Kartel – “Infrared”
6. RDX – “Shake Your Bam Bam”
7. Aidonia – “Banga”
8. Ishawna – “Equal Rights”
9. Ding Dong – “Fling Yuh Shoulda”
10. Bounty Killer – “Do Better Than This”
11. Vybz Kartel – “Highest Level” / “Kremlin”
12. Alkaline -- “Pretty Gyal Team”
13. Popcaan — “Addicted"
14. Vybz Kartel & Wizkid — “Wine to di Top"
15. Spice — “Sheet"
16. Shenseea & Sean Paul -- “Rolling"
17. Kranium, et al – “Can’t Believe”

Plus honorable mentions: Gorillaz track remix, Wizkid Drake Popcaan w/e, Kartel "All Aboard," Mavado & Jahmiel "Badness"

and the riddims (in reverse order):
Chicken and Dumplin
Eagle
Humbug
1 Guh
Money Mix
Forever
Mhm Hm
La Vida
World Fete
Genna Bounce

No All Night?

maybe too recent? not sure World Fete belongs on there though

new Busy video is pretty great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6DwAox2hF8

I like World Fete. Mainly for the one song but the Charly Black is kinda charming too.

They missed crazy glue as well. It’s weird to me that gyalis pro wasn’t a much bigger hit. Maybe because of the 92 bpm tempo?

rolling dancehall & reggae 2018