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.
lol dis Stats guy, hes good u know lol. this might be the first time ive read anyone mention how much more exciting it is to get a road mix than an original! He aint neva Lie….checking inbox now
I was so surprised to see this on your site. LOVE IT!!! Soca is finally starting to be recognized in the states, by people other than West Indians. It’s a beautiful thing.
Large up Stats!!
hey how do you download the songs?
Meka / just click the link marked download: Ghetto Palms Road Mix blend to download the 19 minute blend with all these songs. The individual songs are not available for download but you can find most of them online by googling the sing title.
cheers // Eddie STATS
Great stuff – I’ve never seen anyone mention Road mixes before. I came across them a few years ago for exactly the same reason, but have no idea of the story behind them – why ‘road mix’, when did they start etc. Any knowledge would be much appreciated! Greetings from a cold London, England!
Hi Tom
A road mix is a soca song that is re-mixed/ re-worked to be played off the trucks at Carnival which drive along the carnival route. generally popular soca songs ( at a slower bpm ) are often simplified and sometimes sped up so that when it hits the road it’s fast and frenetic.
Road Mix is just giving the people chippin behind the trucks something faster and harder to dance to when they’re on the road at Carnival.
as a soca starved trini living in the U.S., and in a desperate search for a 2010 fix… i happened upon your story.. thank you! as a return favor, i later found another good site with a number of road mixes, here it is: http://www.myfreemixcd.com/index.php?order=search&srch_txt=soca