Richie Loop Teams Up With JP Backhouse For ‘Spacehall Vol 1’ EP

Jamaican singer Richie Loop, known for his 2010 hit My Cupp, has a fresh collaboration with Dutch Caribbean producer JP Backhouse, which sees the duo shoot their listeners into orbit with an 8-track EP of synth-heavy dancehall grooves to jump up and wine to.

Coining the term “spacehall,” this sci-fi-themed EP contains seven original tracks, one clean radio version, and a couple of short audio sketches that set the scene for an off-world dancehall adventure. The artwork is a luxurious nod to the early days of dub, when comic book art was king, and album art dripped with imagination and interstellar adventure. This is definitely not a dub record though, with beats sitting firmly in the 90-97 bpm range for dancehall and reggaeton.

Unlike many of Richie Loop’s past collaborations with techno producers, this release lacks the epic build-ups and drops of tracks made with the likes of Hardwell, Banx and Ranx and Mr. Black. Instead, Spacehall’s steady and rolling riddims speak more closely to 2000s period dancehall. 

The Spacehall EP ultimately delivers on its promise with a consistently playful and polished dancefloor experience full of retro-futuristic synthesizer sounds and flawless vocal performances. Listen out for the catcall samples in the lead single: P2F (Pussy Too Fat)! It’s a dark and driving dancehall brooder with a heavy reggaeton beat, loaded with sexual energy. A clean version is also included for radio DJs and young ears.

Tesla is my hot pick for a second single as it showcases Richie Loop’s balanced gifts for toasting and melodic singing.

Boom Pon Di and Narnia both swing to reggaeton beats, while the latter features surprising strings that riff off classical music. Come back is dark and intense, with some digital rubadub moments and a sharp performance by Richie. The signature of Rock it is its spooky buzzing synth, and ghostly harmonies. Wickedest Wine shows Richie’s range with a floating r’n’b style vocal performance over a slower dancehall beat.

JP Backhouse and Richie Loop clearly share gifts for melody and harmony, and the arrangements are full of tight vocals and varied musical motifs played on contrasting synthesizer voices.

Spacehall Vol.1 is one of those rare releases where its entire contents are dancefloor-ready. If you’re a dancehall or reggaeton DJ, snap this one up right away and watch this space for volume two.