Rice moved to New York City in 1985 to attend Manhattan School of Music, where he received his BM and MM degrees in orchestral performance under Homer Mensch and Linda McKnight, respectively.
He continues to perform with a live band The Victor Rice Septet and also as a solo artist under the Strikkly Vikkly pseudonym,[3] using an analog mixing desk and tape machine.
After graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, Rice decided not to pursue a career as an orchestral musician and instead gravitated toward Jamaican Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae.
His instrumental music is based mostly on simple juxtapositions between melody, harmony and bass line, and he is passionate about the realization of what he calls samba-rocksteady.
Rice is determined to move in that direction, saying, “The results are already proving to be viably danceable.” He cites Béla Bartok as a major inspirational figure, in both his work in general and also his Mikrocosmos series in particular.
It was only when he began producing for Stubborn Records at their Version City studio that Rice assumed the role of engineer out of practical necessity.
[1] Created over a span of three years (1996-1998) during Rice’s tenure as a producer for Stubborn Records, At Version City is more of a compilation of individual productions than a conceptual album.
[8] Strikkly Vikkly is the first full-length LP under that name, released 15 years after the debut of the self-titled single on the Version City Dub Clash compilation.
The album reaffirmed Rice’s commitment to the Samba-Rocksteady style with more music in that vein, specifically the song “Arouche.” The production of Drink is very similar to that of Smoke, with some changes in personnel: Buford O’Sullivan replaces Mr T Bone on trombone and many Brazilian and American musicians are featured as guests.