Producer aims to start new year with a bang
Published:Monday | December 28, 2020 | 12:12 AMShereita Grizzle/Staff Reporter
Richard Roache is a name most synonymous with artiste management, but what is not so well known is the fact that he is also an experienced producer. Last year, when he released his latest riddim, Believe, Roache wanted to be a source of inspiration and hope for music lovers across the globe. With promotion in full swing, the project, which featured acts such as Jah Vinci, Zamunda, G Whizz and Patexx, was well on its way to achieving that mission when its momentum was cut short by COVID-19 at the start of 2020.
Roache, who had plans to keep his producer juices flowing, was set to release a follow-up riddim this year, but with the inactivity in the music industry, decided against the latter. But with a trying year coming to a close, Roache is looking to make up for lost time come 2021 as he gets ready to drop a double riddim. In another few weeks, the producer is looking to release two projects, dubbed the Penultimate riddim and the Strings riddim.
“I had plans to do so much this year, but most of those had to take a backseat because of COVID, and so for next year, I am going to start with a bang. I am going to be putting some of the ideas I have had on the back burner out there, because I really want to do more production come 2021,” he told The Gleaner. “There are a few artistes I would definitely like to work with, and that’s my aim. I have this collaboration in my brain for almost half a decade, and next year is the year I am going to see how I can make it a reality. I’m sure when people get a taste of these two riddims, they are going to want to work with Digital One productions.”
GOOD FEEDBACK
Speaking of the double riddims, he is hoping to release next year. Roache said he has already tested the waters with the release of a few singles from both projects and has so far been receiving good feedback. “Both riddims have some singles out. TheStrings riddim is one I have had for a while, and so there are a few artistes who already voiced on it. It is probably about five to six years old, but it got a new lifeline earlier this year when Tanya Stephens recorded Alone Together on it for her project in April, and so I decided the timing was good to get it out there. I also have G Whizz on it, and Julian Marley also gave me a superb track on it called So High. It’s a nice love, acoustic type of vibe,” he said.
“The Penultimate riddim, on the other hand, came about a few months ago when a security friend of mine called Johnny Bravo, from Trinidad, hit me up about this young producer who is creating waves over there. He introduced me and I told him to send me a few riddims. His name is Kelly Beatz. He sent me the Penultimate riddim and for some reason it just grabbed me. We worked on it together and I got artistes such as Wayne Wonder and Mojo Morgan to voice on it.”
With some notable music figures having recorded on each riddim, Roache says his only expectations for the projects is for them to go as far as they can. “It was a joy just being able to get back into that creative space this year, and so to be quite honest, the only expectations I have are for the riddims to be marketable and go as far as they can. I have expectations for different singles off each project because I want them to hit mainstream radio, but overall, I just want the compilations to do well.”