Song of the Day: Shadow “D’Hardest”

“D’Hardest,” by Trinidadian Soca legend Shadow is an anomaly in soca music. That is, if you can call it soca at all. From his 1980 EP, Wake Up, it’s a strange, experimental track fusing disco, electronics, violin (?!), and psychedelic synths. A lot of Trinidadian soca artists dabbled in experimental sounds, but this is truly some otherworldly craziness. Of course, the record is crazy expensive (the slightly different 12″ single version goes for even more), but one day I’ll score a copy. The incredible Invisible City crew outta Toronto hipped me to this one (and many other crazy Island jams).

Still (semi) active, Shadow is a true legend in Trinidad. His music career began in 1974 with his single “Bass Man” and has has pushed the soca envelope ever since.