Selector’s Choice: Dawg E. Slaughter (X-Caliber International/Trinidad)

In this week’s Selector’s Choice chair, we have Trinidad’s Derek Pereira aka Dawg E. Slaughter, a man who is in the middle of everything when it comes to soca. As a producer (under the name Tron) he is behind the year’s biggest soca riddim, the brass and iron-fueled RR Riddim featuring Blaxx, M1, Orlando Octave, DunDeal, Salty and Bunji Garlin. He’s also an artist and, first and foremost, a DJ. His sound system, X-Caliber International, recently won the first annual International Soca DJ competition.

We called him up in Trinidad to get his picks for the biggest soca tracks for this year’s Carnival season.

My name is Derek Pereira aka Dawg E. Slaughter aka Tron aka X-Caliber International. We’re Trinidad & Tobago’s No. 1 touring sound. If you look at my IG, you can see some more of my accomplishments. I also represent Team Start It, a group I’ve put together with the RR Riddim. I’m gonna give you the Top 10 Soca songs, the People’s Choice, the results from Soca Monarch 2016 and also the riddim of the year.

1. Voice – Cheers to Life

(#1 at Soca Monarch.)

2. Third Bass – Bum Bum

3. Ricardo Drue – Bet

4. Kes – People

5. Bunji Garlin – Take Over Town/Touch D Stage

6. Machel Montano – Waiting on The Stage/Temperature/Human

7. Angela Hunte – Mon Bon Ami

8. Olatunji – Oh Yay

9. Shal Marshall – Party

10. (tie) GBM Nutron – Scene/Jaiga TC – Anyway

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

1. Cloud 5 – No Behavior

2. Teddyson John – Allez

3. GBM Nutron and Shal Marshall – Friends

4. Hypa Sounds – How She Like It

5. Preedy – Veteran

(No. 2 at Soca Monarch)

Blaxx – Masters of Mas

(tie-No. 3 at Soca Monarch)

Patrice Roberts – Money Done

(tie-No. 3 at Soca Monarch)

RIDDIM OF THE YEAR:
R.R Riddim featuring Blaxx, M1, Orlando Octave, Fantom DunDeal, Salty with Tron + Brass, Bunji Garlin

Every year, there is a riddim that wins the Carnival season. It’s the most played riddim. Last year it was the Kan Kan riddim, and the Patrol riddim which features a big Machel Montano tune, “Pop Ah Bottle,” was huge. What makes a riddim a hit? When the people hold it, and go with it. There is no secret recipe. All you gotta do as a producer is make sure you put your best foot forward. Timing is everything, and feel is everything

What I did different was, everyone was going fast, and I just went slow, for more groove. Everyone was 100% electronic. I went the more expensive approach, which was actually playing live music. As a matter of fact, I mixed the two of them. That’s it.