Love Inna Riddim (Escape Roots Remixes) – Review

Subtifuge: Love Inna Riddim (Escape Roots Remixes) Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com.

Totally Dubwise are one of the more solid record labels on the Roots/Dub scene; consistently delivering quality and unique content. And their latest vinyl release is no exception to this.

Love Inna Riddim was originally produced by Subtifuge. Here, Escape Roots take on the remix duties across two tracks with Totally Dubwise Recordings releasing it. Versions of two artists’ previous interpretations have been reimagined. And the resulting cuts are a clever and compelling, with some fine attention to detail.

The basic riddim itself is highly attractive. Its main feature is a gorgeous trumpet line. Slightly dampened while still being shrill, it focuses heavily on syncopated, dotted notation – using tonguing to make the shorter notes staccato, while elongating the longer ones. Drums avoid a traditional one drop, which is a smart move. While hi-hats run a double time rhythm and the snare hits the two and four, the kick is different. It hits the one and two, before hitting the off before, and then on, the four – sometimes mixing this up with extra syncopation, too. This driving beat takes Love Inna Riddim to a more forthright place than usual Roots – and creates a heavy and brooding sound.

An electric organ doubles up with electric guitars across a skank, meaning there’s no fixed bubble rhythm present – again, breaking with Roots norms in a good way. Meanwhile, the bass is stripped back to a persistent, unfussy, drop-beat riff, which avoids the three entirely and misses the direct four on the first bar of every two-bar phrase. It is rich and rounded, and brings a decent level of depth to the tracks. An additional electric guitar uses the bass’s motif at points, layering up the sound. And overall, the basic Love Inna Riddim reworking from Escape Roots is highly effective. Then, we have the individual cuts.

First, and Mr Williamz seminal track Ganja Dadda is reimagined for 2020. It’s already been one of those cuts which has inspired remix after remix. But here, Escape Roots does the original track justice. The basic riddim is present, but at first the drums are removed, leaving the horns, organ and guitar to open – before hi-hats briefly come in. But they vanish as quickly as they appeared, leaving the bass, organ and guitar to accompany Williamz’s opening skit. Then, various Dub devices are used at points throughout. For example, the organ has heavy, rhythmic and elongated reverb added on occasion. The drums are sometimes stripped right back, to work with the bass’s rhythmic motif – making for very pointed breaks. Additional tin drums with a heavy dollop of reverb bring a haunting quality to Ganja Dadda. And at one point, everything fades away to just Williamz and the organ. These breaks and devices are highly effective and have given Ganja Dadda a new lease of life – which borders on old skool Hip Hop mashed with some heavy Roots/Dub. Glorious.

Ras Demo’s track One Love is then given the Love Inna Riddim remix treatment. And it’s a different arrangement again to Ganja Dadda. The drums come in earlier, making the vibe more urgent, before again cutting out leaving the bass and organ. But the additional use of heavy reverb, decay and compression across the electric guitars at the end of each bar elevates the haunting sound to higher plains. The drums have additional rolls on the four at points. Then, the other electric guitar’s mimic of the bass’s motif has been engineered, dB-wise, to be more prominent at points – and there’s a delicious, heavily wah-wah’d groan from it along with additional riffing, too. There’s also an occasional nice use of a tinnier but dampened organ, striking chords on the final offbeat of each bar – which creates additional momentum. Overall, One Love’s arrangement is slightly sparser than Ganja Dadda’s – and this fits the positive message perfectly.

Escape Roots have done a sterling job of reworking Subtifuge’s Love Inna Riddim. Classy and inventive, both the tracks tread a delicate line between Roots/Dub and a slightly more abrasive Hip Hop sound. But what’s also been done so cleverly is the intricate yet discernible changes between Williamz and Demo’s versions. Thoroughly pleasing, and thoroughly on-point from Totally Dubwise – as always.

Subtifuge – Love Inna Riddim (Escape Roots Remixes) review by Mr Topple (21st October 2020).