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This single riddim album from UK DJ Kris Kemist’s Reality Shock production house was recorded at the House Of Hits studio in Spanish Town, Jamaica and features vocal performances from some of the islands leading reggae artists including Jah Mason, Junior Kelly, Lutan Fyah, Jah Mali, Tony Curtis and more that all deliver in fine style.
This very percussive original roots/steppers riddim track is powered along by the drumming of the legendary Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, star of the 1978 film "Rockers" and is supplemented by tambourine and scraper, with a choppy rhythm guitar for melody and keys adding bright accents here and there. As with a lot of Reality Shock riddims it s has something of an old time feel, yet remains sounding fresh.
Lyrically, as you may expect from a riddim of this name, the songs are strikingly conscious and none more so than Emanual Stain & Coolant’s opener that delivers condemnation to a world full of “politricks”.
Breaking away from the conscious style and giving the riddim a lighter edge with a more lovers vocal are female vocalists Honey B and Nateesha Stream who both give powerful and soulful performances on Crazy Love and Give Love respectively.
I’m not usually a lover of single riddim albums as no matter how good its component parts are after hearing the same riddim six times in a row I do tend to wilt, but then on the other hand if you didn’t put all these cuts in one place then many could be overlooked and this would be unjust as this album serves as a great testament to all the vocalists here that they manage to make the riddim sound their own and a testament to the quality of the riddim itself that it works so well with all the different vocal styles on display.
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