I had a small soca breakthrough this week. In the past I have been pretty vocal about the dangerously high production values of soca, at least the kind that gets blasted out to non-Trini DJs like myself. Apparently the soca-industry machine, such at is, can’t wrap itself around the idea that hipsters and hangers-on would want to hear the same stuff that dominates Brooklyn pirate radio and drives people mad on Eastern Parkway: all percussion, whistles and chants, heavy on the bass and effects, easy on the song structure and home training.
I had pretty much accepted the idea that my only way to overcome this disconnect was to drive around the boroughs scanning the pirate dial until I caught a good one and then cold-call the station. But then I looked over my small collection of new soca one more time and realized something key. Everything good—ie prate/Eastern Parkway-style—contained these magic words somewhere in the title: 1) road 2) mix. Add those two modifiers to any conversation, email or google search and suddenly polished production and saccharine arrangements become frenetic, no-behavior chops over kuduro-mad drumlines. And so I proceeded to Fete on:
GP86 Road Mix Blend
Skinny Fabulous f. Machel Montano, “Fetting On” (Repack)
Fay Ann Lyons, “Iron & Steel” (Scratch Master Road Mix)
Fay Ann Lyons, “Get On” (Carnival Day Razorshop Road Mix)
Machel Montano, “Wild Antz” (Precision Road Mix)
Machel Montano, “No Behaviour” (Extended Road Mix)
Skinny Fabulous, “Leggo De Beast” (Scratch Master Road Mix)
Download: Ghetto Palms Road Mix Blend
It’s time to stop believing in winter anyway and start booking tickets for carnival destinations. Beaucoups thanks to Poirier, Chief Boima, Max Glazer, Walshy Fire from Black Chiney and everyone else who has contributed to the socification of this space with mp3s, recommendations and insights.