A few things to start off the calendar-not-carnival year:
LargeUp's best of 2017 list with Full Extreme at #1: http://www.largeup.com/2017/12/30/toppa-top-17-2017-soca-singles/New to me: I dug Dynamite's "Brave," though I'm not sure I hear the 'grime' the writeup claims is in it. Marzville's "Give It To Ya" was nice too. Freezy's "Split In Di Middle" is kind of a monster.
New Bunji/Fay-Ann/M1, "Cool But Deadly"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq5gWUEwzOg
goddamn, Nailah Blackman should be an international superstar already; fantastic bass on this one, "O' Lawd Oye":https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6XTTHm98PQ
And since we're really in the middle of the soca year, here are some personal favorites from last year:
Nailah Blackman "Sokah": https://youtu.be/xw7TpFMRD5sSkinny Fabulous "Money Wine": https://youtu.be/khWhuUirU9U
Still love Olatunji's "Bodyline" and Sekon Sta's "Aye Yo" too
― rob, Thursday, 4 January 2018 17:58 (six years ago) link
yay! new thread!
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 4 January 2018 19:42 (six years ago) link
Patrice’s Sweet Fuh Days should do well this year.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U69N0ajTqQs
Chutney Monarch has been cancelled as the government tightens the belt :(
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Thursday, 4 January 2018 19:53 (six years ago) link
Did we all sleep on Split In De Middle? Such a monster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrSM5WiBH_A
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 5 January 2018 21:38 (six years ago) link
yeah as alluded to in the op, I only heard it for the first time via the LargeUp list. iirc they said it's actually from 2015 and only blew up this year?
― rob, Friday, 5 January 2018 21:50 (six years ago) link
yeah it's in my serato crate labeled "Lucian Soca 16" but i guess I never got around to it. A very low bitrate may have influenced my drowsiness. I managed to find a 253 kbps version now but the original file was a measly 2.2 MB, lol
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 5 January 2018 22:54 (six years ago) link
Man I really really slept on soca in 2017 and now i feel like a fool. Are there any particular podcasts/mixshows you guys use to keep up with the genre?
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 5 January 2018 23:17 (six years ago) link
unfortunately no, there are usually good mixes released right before Carnival but they're one-offs and are also often like 3 hours long. Things I posted upthread were just youtube sidebar generated finds, which can work pretty well actually, though it doesn't lead to discovering new artists (I would never have clicked on Freezy for ex, having never heard of him before). Would kill for a podcast/whatever that put out *short* mixes for soca and afrobeats and, hell, dancehall too; I don't think I've ever heard the last 20 minutes of robbo ranx's show lol
― rob, Friday, 5 January 2018 23:34 (six years ago) link
the last 20 minutes are all one drop reggae stuff so... well. It's fine for what it is. I will say that I miss the regular heatwave shows where they went for soca near the end of the show, pumping the energy to a frenzy. They seem to have lost it a bit these days though. Every time there's a new show they always spend most of it playing the same tunes they did more than a year ago.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 5 January 2018 23:42 (six years ago) link
Oh well, at least I've spent the night downloading new soca and making a crate for all of the largeup picks. 2018 here I come, lol. Will definitely be playing Split In Di Middle a whole lot this winter.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 5 January 2018 23:53 (six years ago) link
btw, there exists mash ups of Brave and Mans Not Hot, so I guess there must be some sort of grine connection in there, lol.
I love this new Destra:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbMPf-UgSKw
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Saturday, 6 January 2018 00:23 (six years ago) link
Aye Yo is a gem btw. Kes' Hello over the samme riddim isn't too shoddy either.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Saturday, 6 January 2018 18:47 (six years ago) link
ha, tbh on second listen to "Brave" it's pretty obvious now; good tune
oh yeah "Hello" is lovely, what a great riddim!
― rob, Saturday, 6 January 2018 19:38 (six years ago) link
I like in "Hello" when he starts humming an approximation of zunguzunguzeng
― rob, Saturday, 6 January 2018 19:40 (six years ago) link
a bit of zunguzunguzeng always makes things better, lol
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Sunday, 7 January 2018 13:50 (six years ago) link
haven't listened myself yet, but this is usually pretty useful: https://soundcloud.com/djprivateryan/private-ryan-presents-soca-starter-2018-preview-to-soca-brainwash
― rob, Friday, 12 January 2018 19:07 (six years ago) link
"Lucian kuduro" is the hot new thing in soca it seems.
This article is an interesting read: http://www.largeup.com/2018/01/03/dennery-segment-st-lucia-soca/
Lucian producer/artist Motto is behind some of the recently released riddims, Gwada Riddim featuring Bunji and Pim Pim Riddim featuring Machel Montano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVQ4kN8HweEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73T_x0HjVJY
Motto is also on this new Lucia/Vincy/TNT collabo recycling Soca Panda Riddim which made waves in Saint Lucia in 2016 (Padnas!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5AdFx-Kn6Y
― ahomka ginger, Saturday, 13 January 2018 00:15 (six years ago) link
Music video for Shell Dong Dat (Gwada Riddim). Motto is killing it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A20-opcjsV8
― ahomka ginger, Monday, 15 January 2018 11:43 (six years ago) link
Love this new Bunji:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zErTgcErtNo
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, 15 January 2018 22:46 (six years ago) link
that is quality^. at first I was like why is this 5 minutes long? but I really dig the outro
not totally sold on Motto yet...need to listen more I think. Also I have to be in the right headspace for that kind of minimal high tempo banger
― rob, Tuesday, 16 January 2018 17:21 (six years ago) link
Motto's stuff reminds me of jab - without the jab, lol. I'm sure someone here is soca literate enough to explain the connection/difference. If so, I'm all ears.
Anyway, I can't get enough of this Shal Marshall banger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3U_tShMNJs
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, 22 January 2018 14:45 (six years ago) link
yeah that's a good time
― rob, Monday, 22 January 2018 17:51 (six years ago) link
I don't think we posted "Overdue" last year, definitely deserves noting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCZDhZXCKxY
― rob, Monday, 22 January 2018 17:56 (six years ago) link
totally missed Turner's "She Bad" which according to a dodgy website I looked at is produced by Lenky (!). Also, surprised to learn per photos that Turner is not a 70-yr old man
the remix with Machel and Flavour is pretty sweet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqHYka67quM
― rob, Monday, 22 January 2018 18:12 (six years ago) link
Bunji really bringing it this season; "Bacchanal & Water"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nafc7e1IVp8
― rob, Monday, 22 January 2018 18:24 (six years ago) link
I didn't know there was a She Bad remix - running around the internet trying to find it as i type....
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, 22 January 2018 18:26 (six years ago) link
And yeah, Bunji's definitely on a roll.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, 22 January 2018 18:31 (six years ago) link
I ended up listening to She Bad three times in a row without even realizing it
― rob, Monday, 22 January 2018 18:40 (six years ago) link
It is that good.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, 22 January 2018 18:59 (six years ago) link
Bit of crossover fun here. Really big tune round my way.
Chalmers John x Jus Now - 'Get On'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvgr6CoSHCQ
― Badgers (dog latin), Monday, 22 January 2018 23:12 (six years ago) link
that is killer! you know, I had no idea Jus Now were (half?) based in Bristol
― rob, Tuesday, 23 January 2018 00:10 (six years ago) link
I mentioned this on the Nailah thread but it should really be posted here, Voice & Marge Blackman "Full of Vibe":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twlzqlRLpRE
― rob, Friday, 26 January 2018 15:15 (six years ago) link
xp feels like every time I'm out and I hear a track that blows my mind, I ask who it is and it's Jus Now. It's worth watching the Gutterfunk label/collective whom they're associated with - DJ Die, Interface, Dismantle, and a bunch of others. Not necessarily soca, but kind of bringing together a whole bunch of influences and doing it really well.
― Badgers (dog latin), Friday, 26 January 2018 16:27 (six years ago) link
Cool, will check that out. Btw, I think you'd be into that Turner "She Bad" tune longneck and I were talking about upthread if you haven't heard it yet
― rob, Friday, 26 January 2018 17:04 (six years ago) link
Horror-jab is absolutely up my street. Along with Vybz Kartel's 'Closed Casket' I'd love to know of more dark horror-influenced Caribbean tracks
Sandman x Flexx - John Crow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EojURYp7l1Q&feature=youtu.be
― Badgers (dog latin), Wednesday, 31 January 2018 10:03 (six years ago) link
Tommy Lee Sparta had a decent run doing those a few years ago iirc.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 31 January 2018 11:14 (six years ago) link
yeah Tommy Lee is the only recent thing that springs to mind. If you're not familiar, listen to "Psycho" which is still pretty electrifying imo ("Vibes Inna Dis" is the only other one that I can recommend off the top of my head)
Henging Tree riddim from last year had a haunted, melancholy horror kind of vibe but I don't think the lyrics pushed into true horror
― rob, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 14:39 (six years ago) link
Machel doing straight-up reggaeton:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4uUq-I3a_8
surprisingly nourishing, though kind of begging for a remix
― rob, Thursday, 1 February 2018 19:34 (six years ago) link
i was chatting with my soca-expert friend the other day and i was bowled over by what he knew about the various regional variations of soca/jab. he just sent me a bunch of dark and hard jab from Grenada. It's bonkers
― Badgers (dog latin), Monday, 5 February 2018 14:32 (six years ago) link
These are a couple of years old but Grenada's definitely got its own vibe separate from Trinidad. Didn't know that 'Jab Jab' more or less translates as 'Devil Devil' and sees carnival outfits with people dressed as demons, pretending to abuse people in return for money
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrWwQZ6h93Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8g_o_h2lUA
― Badgers (dog latin), Monday, 5 February 2018 14:49 (six years ago) link
the music video for that 'jab jab skank' track is def worth posting here, some intense imageryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK_XYfVh1Q4
― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Monday, 5 February 2018 15:23 (six years ago) link
massive gear shift here. I hadn't noticed Samantha J--who put out a couple of intriguing singles that combined teenpop and dancehall a couple years ago ("Tight Up Skirt" was the best one iirc)--was on the Physique riddim:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyRI4du1NWc
I actually think this and Preedy's version are both better than Montano's (the riddim might be too gentle for his style)
― rob, Tuesday, 20 February 2018 16:00 (six years ago) link
So, the biggest track of Trinidad Carnival was this. Road March winner with 336 plays
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8jDoSy6otM
Wine & Fling It Up!
Patrice Roberts "Sweet Fuh Days" was probably my personal favorite though, it placed 3rd.
― ahomka ginger, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 09:57 (six years ago) link
Soca Monarch for the third time in a row! Voice with "Year For Love". Looking forward to the music video for this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9NJGwNxcmI
― ahomka ginger, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 10:00 (six years ago) link
Feeling this Lucian soca mix! Some old & new tunes in there.
https://soundcloud.com/close-connections/st-lucia-independence-mix-lucian-soca-takeover
― ahomka ginger, Thursday, 1 March 2018 12:26 (six years ago) link
Excellent. Thanks!
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Thursday, 1 March 2018 12:51 (six years ago) link
Olatunji and Stadic go full afropop on "Mating Call":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puEUnQwLeR0
― breastcrawl, Sunday, 15 April 2018 14:27 (six years ago) link
Love soca live, but had to miss Bunji Garlin in town Sunday tonight due to family commitments. Oh well
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 17 April 2018 01:54 (six years ago) link
Check out Atki2's Soca Obsession Mix 3 everyone: https://soundcloud.com/atki2/soca-obsession-mix-pt-3-hosted-by-jonesy-wales
― brand new universal harvester (dog latin), Friday, 4 May 2018 08:42 (six years ago) link
I love how Trinidadian music is so grounded in narrative that even this "dance with me, girl" song that could be totally rote ends up much wittier:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftgnN8-u3AE
― rob, Saturday, 1 September 2018 14:37 (five years ago) link
Seems the closest thing we have to a reggaeton thread (tho this is hybrid) - p.hyped for the new Florentino:
https://www.facebook.com/deejayflorentin0/posts/2358666104173814
― etc, Saturday, 15 September 2018 04:02 (five years ago) link
Not sure if this track by Trini-Bristol (Brinidad?) collab, Jus Now x Eva Lazarus - Hair Flip, counts as soca, but there's definitely a crossover and I absolutely love it
https://soundcloud.com/jusnow/jus-now-x-evalazarus-hair-flip
― Scritti Vanilli - The Word Girl You Know It's True (dog latin), Monday, 8 October 2018 08:30 (five years ago) link
2019 Soca Season is up and running, and the Foli Riddim hits every sweet spot imaginable (well, okay, *almost*). Fay-Ann Lyons has the best version but I could listen to all of these forever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az6IJ_tmWz8&frags=pl%2Cwn
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, 5 November 2018 19:29 (five years ago) link
Bunji's version is also v v goodhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLFnIPxjH-A&frags=pl%2Cwn
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, 5 November 2018 19:30 (five years ago) link
Also enjoying Kickstand Riddim:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUkgqgpl4Ac&frags=pl%2Cwn
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, 5 November 2018 19:42 (five years ago) link
Hawt Wire Riddim is a winner, too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGKlCmEywPg&frags=pl%2Cwn
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, 5 November 2018 20:09 (five years ago) link
Loving this GBM Nutron:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y43RAAMLZY0
"Practice"
― breastcrawl, Monday, 19 November 2018 19:20 (five years ago) link
Anyway, I can't get enough of this Shal Marshall banger:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM0yBT8T5pU― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, January 22, 2018 2:45 PM (ten months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM0yBT8T5pU
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Monday, January 22, 2018 2:45 PM (ten months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
so this is soca? count me in!#74 on NPR's EOY
― niels, Wednesday, 5 December 2018 14:24 (five years ago) link
Toco Loco riddim is great; Kes's version is very sweet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QZ0dMUrR1o
So, I'm thinking a dedicated 2019 thread might not be worth it. Instead, maybe we have a catch-all, non-year-based rolling thread for anything Caribbean that isn't covered by the dancehall and reggaeton threads? I don't have strong feelings though
― rob, Wednesday, 23 January 2019 16:50 (five years ago) link
Seems legit, particularly as “2019” started in about September as far as Trinidad is concerned.
― ShariVari, Wednesday, 23 January 2019 18:04 (five years ago) link
As long as we all post more I’m for everything. The ideal might be to actually start new threads in september though.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 23 January 2019 21:59 (five years ago) link
Any thread is fine with me as long as it has lovely stuff like that Toco Loco Riddim on it.
― breastcrawl, Thursday, 24 January 2019 07:04 (five years ago) link
(needs a comma somewhere)
― breastcrawl, Thursday, 24 January 2019 07:05 (five years ago) link
Spice and Destra collabo:
https://youtu.be/twAPIZ8uu98
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 24 January 2019 22:16 (five years ago) link
where's d'scene? rolling soca, chutney, jab & other caribbean pop
― rob, Saturday, 26 January 2019 19:51 (five years ago) link
Just for the pleasure of having Bunji Garlin with spanish-style guitar againhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzPJNUe5mkA
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 29 January 2019 14:46 (five years ago) link