ENTITY · PERSON

Dave Kelly

Probable

Dave Kelly is a Jamaican producer and engineer, widely regarded as one of the architects of 1990s dancehall, who honed his craft at Donovan Germain's Penthouse before launching his own Madhouse Records with partner Janet Davidson in 1991. He built many of the era's defining rhythm tracks, including the Pepper Seed, Bogle, Joyride and Showtime riddims, which carried hits for Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Terror Fabulous, Spragga Benz and others. His records topped both local and international reggae charts throughout the decade.

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At a glance

Type: person →
Era: Clash and 1990s spectacle →
Confidence: Probable

Connections

In stories

Story · ProbableThe digital riddims that ran the dance

When producers like Steely and Clevie, Dave Kelly, Tony Kelly and Don Corleon began building rhythms on drum machines and keyboards, a handful of their tracks came to run entire dancehall seasons.

Story · Well supportedFrom Sleng Teng to the laptop

The digital riddim turned the producer into the star of the record - and the story runs from a Casio preset to the modern hit factory.