CD
Review
Wake
the Town and Tell the People!
DJ Spooky Presents
Riddim Come Forward
Reviewed by LL for the
Reggae Movement
Trojan Records
Buy Now at Amazon
For
the reggae fan interested in the amazing history of Jamaican music, the new album from Trojan Records “Riddim Come
Forward” is definitely worth checking out. Given full access to the
library of Trojan Records, DJ Spooky takes the listener on a
personalized journey throughout the history of Jamaican Music through
Trojan Record’s immense collection of Reggae music.
Not your
typical music album filled with x amount of tracks with a couple solid
hits, reggae enthusiasts will enjoy in “Riddim Come Forward” an operatic
drama of Jamaican music directed enthusiastically from one movement to
the next. The impact of cultural undertones clearly identify each
movement, from the bouncy and happy times of ska reflective of Jamaican
independence in the early 60’s, to the dark dread reflective of the
harder times within the next decade and everything else in between.
Trojan
Records is the seminal reggae label. With a history spanning four
decades, the label has made its influence felt from bassbins on lorries
in the Caribbean to pubs, clubs, awards ceremonies and concert halls in
London, New York, Milan, Tokyo and across the globe. From dreads to
skinheads, hip-hop to heavy metal, reggae has infiltrated so much of
modern culture and now the genre and its history are enjoying a true
revival.
DJ
albums are always an interesting concept. Typically made for something
out of the nightclub, they are often rambling attempts at recreating a
DJ’s sound for the home audience. Rarely do they actually make sense or
tell the story throughout the history of reggae as DJ Spooky does in an
impressive, cognizant approach.
“DJ culture
in the 21st century is as much about the soundsystem as the playlist,”
DJ Spooky explains, “The iPod revolution has brought us back to the era
of the "single" in the form of a downloadable media file. For me,
this "selection" is a return to the era when I was a kid in the
ancient late 1980's, when vinyl still ruled the dancehalls, and the
soundsystems of NYC, Kingston, and London were all about underground
flava,”
First and foremost, “Riddim Come Forward” is a DJ album. An album
designed by a DJ in a DJ style, reflective of the old soundsystem days
of Jamaica, the album will bring pleasure to those who appreciate the
beautiful complexity and variety Reggae music offers a listener. One
must be prepared for the journey, seek the journey, and enjoy the
journey to best appreciate this album. Put the disc in your car, your
ipod, whichever your flavor, and enjoy the ride.
It
would be difficult to go through the entire list of tracks, for there
are 70 separate tracks on the double disc package. Some are brief
interludes or a DJ mixture injecting a shot of history in individuality
which can sometimes be a bit intrusive when listening individually or in
short segments. However, when played from start to finish, the
collection shines brightly. A collection of classic riddims, tracks,
and rare treasures, the whole melts into stream of consciousness
throughout Jamaican musical history which explores the myriad of styles
within Trojan records historic collection.
All
in all, the double disc both impresses and inspires. Given a sample of
the immensity of the music which there is to explore, one can only
wonder how much time Spooky took in selecting the separate tracks to
include in the historical journey throughout Jamaican music.
Those who want to find out more about the history of reggae will do no
better than playing this album, reading along the liner notes and
exploring their love for reggae.
Reviewed by LL, Reggae Movement
Buy Now at Amazon
