Road Fever: New Generation Carnival Riddims from St. Lucia and Dominica

There’s a storm coming and it sounds like Road Fever. Compiled by Amsterdam-based, Curaçao-raised sonic explorer Rozaly and mixed by DJ Intl Prostyle in Saint Lucia, Road Fever is a blistering, 55-and-a-half-minute ride through the raw, rhythm-forward heart of contemporary Caribbean music. Released by Soundway Records, the compilation is a powerful testament to the evolving sounds of the region, built on riddims designed for movement, sweat, and release.

At the core of Road Fever is a bold idea: to strip back the Caribbean party track and let the riddim speak for itself. These instrumentals, born from the streets and carnivals of St. Lucia, Dominica, and Guadeloupe, are usually foundations for vocalists. Here, they’re presented raw and unfiltered - standalone expressions of rhythm that punch, pull, and pulse with life.

Rozaly, a DJ, curator, and researcher known for his previous work with Patta on our recent Marshall collaboration is committed to challenging the limits of Caribbean musical memory, describes the experience best: “Once you hear it, you can’t unhear or unfeel it.”

And what you hear on Road Fever is nothing short of a sonic collision. Built from FL Studio percussion packs, chopped DJ samples, distorted vox clips, and synth riffs that could cut steel, these tracks sit at the intersection of trap, drill, dancehall, sped-up Haitian konpa, and Angolan kuduro. The BPM rarely dips below 150 so the energy never lets up.

With contributions from both established and underground production crews - including Krome Productions, Viral Riddims, Ransum Records, Veaygel Productions, Shazdown Mmw, DJ Demafidem, ScarnX, Slaughter Arts Media, and a poignant appearance by the late trailblazer G6 Productions (RIP) - Road Fever is as much a celebration as it is a time capsule of a regional sound on the rise.

The compilation zeroes in on two of the most electric genres coming out of the Eastern Caribbean: Dennery Segment from Saint Lucia, and Bouyon from Dominica and Guadeloupe. Both styles are defined by their fierce minimalism, DIY ethos, and relentless drive - music best heard through walls of speakers on carnival trucks or blasting from a cracked phone speaker with the volume maxed out.

“This is a musical movement with an entire history,” Rozaly says. “And so many relevant reasons why it still exists, and why it exists the way it exists right now.”

Road Fever is out now on vinyl, digital, and a limited cassette edition mixed live by DJ Intl Prostyle. It drops alongside a short IG reel-formatted film created by Rozaly and filmmaker Selwyn De Wind offering a visual companion to this urgent, body-moving release.

Whether you’re a fan of Caribbean music or just looking to feel something different-louder, faster, rawer - Road Fever is essential for all collectors.