Words by DJ Arems
This week’s #MixtapeMondays brings reggae from Trinidad, dancehall and soca from one of Brooklyn’s finest and a new one from Chronixx and Federation Sound that is set to be one of the biggest mixes of the year.
Chronixx and Federation Sound, Roots and Chalice: We did a feature on this mix last week right when it dropped but it’s so nice, we have to run it twice. Federation Sound teamed with Chronixx for this must-have mix, and began leaking some of the songs from last month. All of the tracks are brand-new originals, some on classic reggae riddims, and each one has you anticipating the next. It’s only February but this is already a sureshot as one of the biggest mixtapes for 2016. Stream and download below.
Lion Twin Meets Buzzrock, Live at the Ministry of Dub: Although thoughts of Trinidad always evoke the sounds of soca and calypso, reggae is also huge on the island and Lion Twin are one of the biggest reggae sounds outta TnT. For this mix, they teamed up with Buzzrock, a reggae band also from Trinidad, for this session recorded live at the Ministry of Dub studios. Buzzrock has been bubbling as of late, opening for the likes of Chronixx and Protoje, and you can clearly see why from this excellent project. Expertly hosted by Lion Twin, this mix displays Buzzrock’s fortitude with powerful vocals and skillfully-built songs. Buzzrock are definitely one to look out for in 2016 and you can find out more about Lion Twin in an upcoming Selectors Choice column. Stream and download below.
We Chief, The Joint DHSN Takeover Mix: Dancehall Saturday Night, the only dancehall show on Sirius XM, is known to select DJs from around the world to guest host their one-hour weekly show, and this time we find Brooklyn’s We Chief at the helm dropping big chunes and more fiyah. The first half of the mix contains some of the biggest recent soca chunes and will have you looking to teef a likkle wine. On the latter half you’ll find We Chief running dancehall with shellings from the likes of Vybz Kartel, Alkaline and Kranium to name a few. Peep this mix to start your week off right.