With carnival fast approaching, it’s high time for Mixpak Records to release another forward thinking power soca record. “Soca Road”, the new EP from Montreal’s Poirier, is set to drop right before the Caribbean’s biggest street party.
The EP finds its unity in Soca’s high tempos and its diversity in its numerous influences and styles. Thatʼs par for the course for both Mixpak and the veteran producer, who has a slew of genre-defying releases and worldwide collaborations already under his belt.
The opening track, “Who Got Di Riddim” (give it a listen and we think youʼll know the answer) is a playful and melodic piece of soca that breaks down just to explode again, while “Work That” is an inventive rhythmic workout propelled by complex island drums that border on techno brutality. Collaborating with Cape Town’s EJ von Lyrik, “Bring It On” mixes the anthemic with the frenetic, while the closing track “Sak Te Gen Tan Gen La” features Haitian vocalist Imposs and a peak time carnival vibe.
If you can’t get to the carnival festivities and find yourself in a wintery hellscap, let Soca Road be your savior. Drop it in the club or in your apartment and let carnival come to you.