Title
Artist
Label
Format
Date

 Punk Riddim ~ Spyda Web Dancehall Vol. 1
Various
Spya Web Records
CD
January 15, 2007

Track list
  1. Give Me Love - Spectacular
  2. Raw - Simpleton
  3. Mi Bad - Anthony John
  4. Punk - Spydaman
  5. De Gideon - Kulcha Knox
  6. Make Up Your Mind - Conrad Crystal
  7. Dem System - Phanso Black
  8. Never Give In - General Pecos
  9. Deh Pon Deh Alert - Pelican
  10. Ruff In Here - Determine
  11. Deh Pon De Run - Steve Machete
  12. Lovely Woman - Baijieman & Charlie Proverb
  13. Fire - El Pancho
  14. Sensimilla - Glamour Murphy
  15. One Simple Touch - Bunk I
  16. Gaze It Out - Jah Tomic
  17. Nah Watch Nuh Man - Baby Wayne
  18. Punk Riddim Version - Axeman
Rating : from 5 (excellent) to 1 (poor)
Vocals : 4 Backing : 4 Production : 5 Sound quality : 5 Sleeve : -
Spydaman, not really sure whether he's one half of early 80s Jamaican deejay duo Superman & Spiderman, produced this bass heavy electro 'Punk'-riddim for his own Spyda Web Records in 2001, now released on CD, with several tunes by mainly underrecorded and sometimes also underrated dancehall veteran DJs. The first artists to ride it is however someone who rose in the last decade (being more successful in Europe than in his own Jamaica) Spectacular with the strong "Give Me Love", followed by Simpleton, who could easily be mistaken for Capleton here, with the equally strong "Raw" as ever, the beautifully sung "Mi Bad" by Anthony John a.k.a. Mr. Music and Spydaman's own fast rapped "Punk" giving the riddim its name.

Cultural deejay Kulcha Knox, born Knox Dixon, son of great radio broadcasting pioneer 'Free I' delivers the fine "De Gideon" before Conrad Crystal, the singing half of Suga Roy & Conrad Crystal contributes the excellent plea to his girl to "Make Up Your Mind". Resistance against "Dem System" is preached by Phanso Black and also by early 90s DJ General Pecos on "Never Give In". Pelican with "Deh Pon Deh Alert" and Determine with "Ruff In Here" also throw in solid performances, but both are outperformed by criminally underrated chanter Steve Machete with his anti-gun tune "Deh Pon De Run". The to me unknown DJ/singer combination Baijieman & Charlie Proverb delivers the very entertaining "Lovely Woman" followed by Al Pancho's fine "Fire".

Early 90s talent Glamour Murphy pays tribute to "Sinsemilla in very fine style before (I never heard before of him) Bunk I completely over the top delivery gives way for some nice tongue-in-cheek slackness. Jah Tomic back in the days felt fully free to flow his anti-chi-chi-man lyrics in "Gaze It Out", a tune that might not have been recorded these days and then Baby Wayne, a household name in the late 90s, contributes the last vocal across the 'Punk'-riddim with the great anti-informer tune "Nuh Watch Nuh Man" and luckily the great clean "Punk Riddim" version by Danny 'Axe-Man' Thompson is included as well. A very entertaining one-riddim-album, especially recommended for all who would love to hear the 90s dancehall DJs that didn't make it into the next millenium on record.