The world of tropical bass music is one that doesn't usually get the publicity it deserves. We can't totally understand why this is, but the fact is, there's some amazing music from that and it's usually a lot more then meets the eye. Nappy was sent this mix and shared it with the squad, and I found a groove with this set from DJ Stamma and Riddim Radio. Riddim Radio promises "the future of reggae, dancehall, and soca," and it seems they're truly on to something here. "Riddim Radio’s mission is to be the number one channel for Caribbean music, culture and entertainment."
At at a shade under an hour, DJ Stamma brings a slew of heat in the form of electronic-infused dancehall sure to get you twerking, or the proper term, whining. Be it MCs toasting over popular records like DJ Snake's "Turn Down For What" or just making me groove to music I don't even know the name to, DJ Stamma surely came correct. With that said, I caught up with DJ Stamma to discuss this mix, and much more.
Stamma, this mix is pretty eclectic. I listened to this mix a few times - be it the turn up anthems or the straight up festival island jams. Like, this mix isn't playing! What's the process like for you when you're putting a mix together?
Well, the process pretty much involves me picking out the songs I would like to use and feel them out. All my mixes are live–I love to feel what I play so everything has to be mixed perfect and comes in at a certain point. So basically I do my mixes in drafts and listen them after, pick out the problems and do it over 'til its perfect. Its like making album for me I put a lot into my mixes and basically tell a story and bring a certain vibe throughout to accommodate that.
This mix features tunes from Major Lazer as well and a lot of EDM-influenced styles of Carribean music like reggae, soca, etc. Besides Major Lazer, who obviously is doing some amazing shit, are there any "bigger" names you think who are pushing this sort of caribtronic sound to new levels and should be shined on?
You have a lot of producers out there who are doing it both from the Caribbean and other parts of the world. Peeps such as Q Major (Trinidad), Jamtech Foundation (Sweden), Stevie Da Beat Banga (Jamaica), DJ Crooks (Jamaica/LA), Noah Issa (Jamaica), Ape Drums (Texas), Lady Bee (Netherlands) and a lot more. I nah lie the guys of Major Lazer really help to influence this whole "Caribtronic" movement by making the music they make and also linking and helping out other producers and artistes who do the same so big up to Walshy, Diplo, and Jillionaire.
Now in the email I got, you describe this whole sound of music under the term, "caribtronic" - what exactly is caribtronic? How would you explain it to someone who has zero understanding of Carribean music and culture?
Caribtronic is me putting a name to EDM fused or heavily influence with dancehall, reggae, and soca music, which are all genres which from islands of the Caribbean. Anyone who loves reggae, dancehall, and soca will love caribtronic music and it's very universal so even if your clueless about those genres the vibes alone will grab you. Caribtronic music has so many dimensions, because you have reggae songs which speak conscious and loving lyrics, while you can have some hardcore dancehall vibe that make the ladies get wild, make you buss couple blanks or just sing along because its so catchy, then now you have soca music which is just straight high tempo party vibes for everyone. All of these cultures brought together fused with EDM sounds and productions which is so universal is like bringing a whole new world to the genres. Funny enough, it's while now you have caribtronic music from the days of Bob Sinclair, Jamtech Sound, and South Rakkas leading up Major Lazer, I only just put a name to that sound, just trying to build a scene out here in the Caribbean and the world with the producers, DJs, musicians, promoters, and music lovers/fans. Who knows, probably somewhere down the line you see EDM festivals that play strictly caribtronic music and music from the Caribbean. Possibilities are endless when it comes on to caribtronic music.
How did you get into EDM? Before the Major Lazer sound, I don't think a lot of people would have guessed that the sound was truly proliferating down in Jamaica and the Carribean as a whole.
For a while now I've been playing EDM music in my sets in Jamaica because in the dancehall scene all of the hottest songs from the other genres are well-received because we such a wide taste in music. It wasn't until I saw Major Lazer for myself first time they performed here in Jamaica on January 2013 and saw how its really done I decided to dig deeper into the genre to see how I can make this sound appreciated by more Jamaicans. So I started doing mashups of dancehall tracks with a lot of trap and moombathon beats and began to stumble upon a lot of DJ/producers who do remixes and tracks that are fused with reggae, dancehall, and soca. That's where I really start put all those worlds together and apply them to my sets. So you can find me at the hardcore dancehall parties or at the clubs in Jamaica where I play dancehall, reggae, soca, caribtronic music, hip-hop, and trap, and the people go crazy no matter where you go. When it comes onto the strictly EDM events where I can get into my collection the real way, that's when things TUN UP! So it's safe to say its since last year I start to get into EDM the real way and I taking it to a different level now by trying to push caribtronic music and influence something new to the genres along with making my personal progress as a producer to start put more tracks out there for myself.
What's the rave scene like in Jamaica?
The rave scene in Jamaica is small but its growing. For one, more and more of the regular clubs and parties you find DJs add EDM music to their sets. Secondly within the last two years I've seen more events that play strictly EDM music and the crowd response is crazy. Magaritaville Ocho Rios kept a concert with Cedric Gervais last year that was packed, filled with tourist and Jamaicans, you have the Electric Bunny Music Festival that's every December in Negril. It started last year and that was crazy. The Major Lazer concert in December was definitely something that opened in a lot eyes to the music, plus EDX was also held last December and had a great turnout. Not only do you have large scale events but you have couple spots that are popping up around the place with events series such as EDM Thursdays at Peppers in Kingston, Housesexy Ribbiz Kingston, Bluebeat on Saturdays in Montego Bay, and more.
Besides the sounds of Major Lazer and dancehall sounds, in your estimation, what kinds of electronic dance music are the kids really loving down there these days?
Apart from those I find they really dig house, drum & bass, trap, and moombathon. You have mixture of people who like the mainstream sound but also go crazy for the underground vibe.
Now it seems like there's a lot of similarities between festival culture as in Carribean festivals and the ideology behind the rave scene as far as massive acceptance, wild parties and an overall celebration of life. In your eyes, how are they similar?
They are pretty similar, just different genres. Just like in the EDM scene you have all kinds of people from different racial and social backgrounds that come together under one roof to enjoy good music. Only thing with the Caribbean festivals, mainly dancehall and soca ones, is that there is a pretty hardcore high-energy vibe with mixture of all kinds of genres.
Now a big part of the festival culture in the Caribbean is the emphasis on the wild costumes, the suggestive dancing, and all of that–not unlike the rave scene in it's heyday. Even take the dancing as a an example. A lot of the music in this mix is referred to as "twerk" and twerking is really just a dance move, which itself is just a different name for whining, a type of dance move that originated in the islands and sees two people dancing in a sexually suggestive way and in extreme close proximity. It's the sort of thing that I think a lot of people like to just jump to conclusions on and in doing so, show their ignorance of how it all works or WHY, what do you think is the main difference in why one catches on and the other didn't?
It all depends on what kind of music a person like you have some people like it hardcore and some like it chill. In the Caribbean, most of the times the vibes have to be up there, especially when it comes on to dancehall and soca. In dancehall music you will find a lot of hardcore party songs, but at the same time they level it off with conscious music, songs for the lovers, and songs just to vibe to. Now with how they party in the dancehall is another story, because you have those who just come to party with friends and drink and listen to music while the dancers taking the dancefloor dropping a set to synchronized dance moves to track of all genres.
Now the ladies are always the highlight of the dance; when songs are being played for the ladies they're either taking center stage on the dancefloor showing how flexible their waistlines really are or coupled up with guy to their favorite song, then you have song which are usually dancer who take it to different level with "daggering" and that, like sexual acrobatics, but its all in good fun. The costumes really come into play with the carnival/soca scene, where you have something called Mas in various countries in the Caribbean at different time of the year. Mas is basically a road march where people put on their costumes to represent their various crews in the road march. Carnival involves a lot of whining and dancing to any rhythm the music takes you its really good vibe everyone's happy everything nice!
Back to the actual music. This mix is an example of what you might put on for your radio show, a weekly three-hour show via weareriddim.com, how did that come about? How can aspiring producers get heard on that show?
This show was something I been trying to get on radio stations for almost a year now. I sent the idea to the people and Riddim Radio and they were more than willing to accommodate me. Riddim Radio plays strictly reggae, dancehall, and soca, even though my show features those genres they were even more intrigued when I brought the idea of caribtronic music to them and let them hear this very mix to understand what I was trying to bring to the radio. Due to the heavy influence of Caribbean music in it, they were willing to make an exception for me and give thanks that they see the potential in what I'm doing.
The Stamma Mentality is a three-hour show that airs every Thursday night (7-10PM) that features the hottest songs from genres such as dancehall, reggae, soca, and caribtronic music along with interviews and performances from different players in those genres. For Caribtronic music I setup an email for DJs, producers, and remixers to send their music to: stammamentality@gmail.com. I would love if people sending their submission introduce who they are to me so I can be able to tell the people listening about them.
Now your show is on weareriddim.com and that website has a section about how the station is committed to bringing the best out in young people and creating win-win situations. Can you explain a little bit about how this sort of mission and these aims fits within the philosophy of your show and what it is you're looking to do?
Riddim Radio was the first and only station who I approached that saw the potential in what I was doing take on my show, even giving me the necessary training and resources to make sure its properly done, so big up to the guys at Riddim Radio for that. With Stamma Mentality, I definitely seek to bring light to a lot of artists, talented individuals, trends, issues and questions that are overlooked, on the rise or out there, bringing win-win situations for everyone.
What can new listeners expect to hear from the show if they've never experienced anything like it? Any word of wisdom to those trying to open themselves up to it?
No matter what genre being played, it has to be good music that can satisfy almost any musical appetite. In the Stamma Mentality, listeners will be sure to find the finest in dancehall, reggae, soca, and caribtronic music topped with exclusive and deep interviews and straight vibes. Those new to the genres don't have to worry - once they are open to hear something new they will find something they like in either easy going reggae or the vibes of dancehall and soca its a pretty universal vibe to show with a strong Caribbean flavor.
Tracklist:
1. QMajor X Freetown - Good Swimma
2. Dj Sliink X Fresh Direct - Murder
3. Jamtech Foundation Ft. Bounty Killa - Neva Know
4. Black Chiney Sound (Supa Dups) - JahMovement
5. Jamtech Foundation Ft. Bounty Killa - Dedicated
6. Dj Crooks - 567
7. Jayceeoh, Deejay Theory & Steve1der - Shot a Fire
8. Cham Ft. Damian Marley - Fighter (Noah Issa Remix)
9. Tropkillaz - Badman
10. Kedia - Ganja Tea (MK BTR Remix)
11. Tropkillaz X Dj Craze Ft. Aidonia - Fire (Stamma Mashup)
12. Chronixx - Odd Ras (KlJ Remix)
13. Vybz Kartel - Party Fear (Dj iGosh Remix)
14. Aidonia - Pon Di Jockey (Stevie Beat Banga Remix)
14. Vybz Kartel - Business (Willey Chin Turn Down for what Mashup)
15. Chi Ching Ching - Turn down for What (Eccentrix Sound Remix)
16. Yellow Claw Ft. Aidonia & Deablo - Dj Turn it up (Stamma Run Road Mashup)
17. Yellow Claw X Dj Snake X Spanker ft. Beenie Man & Chevelle Franklin - Slow Down (Stamma Dancehall Queen Mashup)
18. Etc! Etc! Ft. Konshens & JCapri - Pull up to mi Big Booty Bumper (Stamma Mashup)
19. 2 Deep X Corrupted Data Ft. Giddian Di Rebel - Twerk it Out (Stamma Remix)
20. Marvelous K - Trailer Load Girls
21. Marvelous K - Gunshot
22. Major Lazer Ft. Busy Signal - Watch out Fi Dis (Mungo's Moombathon Mix)
23. Dj Fresh & Jay Jay Ft. Ms Dynamite - Dibby Dibby Sound
24. Tifa - Party Time (Mustache Ride Remix)
25. Drake - Worst Behaviour (Thugli Remix)
26. Skinny Fabulous - Behaving the Worst (BTW)
27. Machel Montano - Happiest man Alive (HMA)
28. Bunji Garlin - Truck on di Road (Q-Major Trap Remix)
29. Machel Montano - The Fog (Major Lazer and Grandtheft Remix)
30. Bunji Garlin - Differntology (Major Lazer Remix)
31. Boneless Party - Paris & Simo, A&G (Mashup)
32. Buni Garlin - It's a Carnival
33. Swappi -Jump Out
34. Lil Rick - Shut you Mouth
35. Mr. Renzo Ft. Aidonia - Bend ya Back (Remix)
36. Skinny Fabulous - Pon Grung
37. Major Lazer Ft. Laidback Luke & Ms Dynamite - Sweat
38. Major Lazer Ft. RDX & Moska - Lose Yourself
39. Diplo & Tai Ft Busy Signal - Booty Drop (Stamma Gal Dem Medley Mashup)
