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NEW AGE STEPPERS

New Age Steppers

Action Battlefield

    The quickfire follow-up to the New Age Stepper’s self-titled debut, this set was also issued in 1981. A perhaps more melodic and accessible record than its predecessor, the bulk of the album is versions of tunes sourced from reggae imports of the period, featuring radical interpretations of songs by Bim Sherman, Horace Andy and B.B. Seaton.

    Ari Up of the Slits takes more of a frontwoman role here, singing lead on most tracks, and bringing a lot of her own indomitable personality to bear on the material, even breaking briefly into German for her take on “Problems”! It also features the vocal debut of a very young Neneh Cherry on “My Love”. The rhythms are rock solid, laid down by the crack team of Eskimo Fox, Crucial Tony and George Oban, having honed their skills on sides by Creation Rebel and Aswad, with everything expertly dubbed through the mixing desk of Adrian Sherwood.

    First time available on vinyl for 40 years, includes download card and printed inner featuring new sleevenotes and interviews by Oli Warwick. 


    TRACK LISTING

    A1. My Whole World
    A2. Observe Life
    A3. Got To Get Away
    A4. My Love

    B1. Problems
    B2. Nuclear Zulu
    B3. Guiding Star

    New Age Steppers

    Foundation Steppers

      The third New Age Steppers arrived in 1983 and marked a sea change in approach, a warmer sounding record than the two thrilling-but-abrasive LPs that had preceded it.

      Part of this was down to frontwoman Ari Up moving to Jamaica and instigating proceedings with a session at the legendary Channel One with Style Scott and a JA horn section, before bringing the tapes back to London for Adrian Sherwood to work on. The other big factor was bringing in Bim Sherman to step up to the mic on several tracks, after interpreting some of his material on the previous albums. His distinctive croon works as the perfect foil to Ari’s own vocal takes, and the resulting album is perhaps the closest the collective got to laying down an album that is identifiably roots reggae, albeit still breaking tradition with colourful synth tones and a post-punk production sensibility.

      First time available on vinyl since original release, includes download card and printed inner featuring new sleevenotes and interviews by Oli Warwick.



      TRACK LISTING

      A1 Some Love
      A2 Memories
      A3 5 Dog Race
      A4 Misplaced Love

      B1 Dreamers
      B2 Stabilizer
      B3 Stormy Weather
      B4 Vice Of My Enemies
      B5 Mandarin

      New Age Steppers

      New Age Steppers

        The landmark first album on the On-U Sound label, this self-titled debut announced a gathering of the tribes: producer Adrian Sherwood bringing together members of the Slits, the Pop Group, the Flying Lizards and the Raincoats and getting them to collaborate with the likes of the Roots Radics’ Style Scott, Creation Rebel’s Crucial Tony, and Aswad’s George Oban to form a potent post-punk/dub fusion.

        The albums two highest peaks are brilliantly realised interpretations of Jamaican classics - Junior Byles’ “Fade Away” and Bim Sherman’s “Love Forever”, Ari Up’s vocal transporting the dread warning and lovers rock vibes to the icy hallways of early-80s London squatland. Elsewhere Mark Stewart marshalls an early version of his “Crazy Dreams and High Ideals” (later re-versioned with the Maffia), music journalist Vivien Goldman voices caustic album closer “Private Armies” (originally a b-side to her Launderette single), and all sorts of strange noises and rhythmic murk bridge the gaps, the instrumentals falling somewhere between a late night studio session at Channel One and the kinds of experimental soundscapes being explored at the time by Industrial Records.

        A certified classic of the era back on wax for the first time in 40 years and an essential addition to any post-punk record collection. Includes download card and printed inner with new sleevenotes and interviews by Oli Warwick.



        TRACK LISTING

        A1. Fade Away
        A2. Radial Drill
        A3. State Assembly
        A4. Crazy Dreams And High Ideals


        B1. Abderhamane’s Demise
        B2. Animal Space
        B3. Love Forever
        B4. Private Armies

        New Age Steppers

        Avant Gardening

          Rare dubs, version excursions and unreleased tracks from the vault 1980 - 1983.

          In the tradition of archival On-U Sound compilations of recent years such as the Return Of The Crocodile and Churchical Chant Of The Iyabinghi sets for African Head Charge; and the Displaced Masters LP of early Dub Synidcate rarities, we’ve gone through the tape vaults to put together this special record of unreleased versions and rarities from the white hot early days of the New Age Steppers, the group that launched the On-U Sound label by appearing on both the first single and album.

          Highlights include a restored track from their infamous and long-lost 1983 John Peel session (an ebullient cover of Atlantic Starr’s “Send For Me” featuring a beautifully spirited vocal performance from the much-missed Ari Up), the Jah Woosh deejay cut of “Love Forever”, some rare dubs previously only available on Japanese import CDs, all bookended by two very different takes on Chaka Khan’s “Some Love”. An essential set for collectors of post-punk, dub and other outernational sounds. 


          TRACK LISTING

          A1 Aggro Dub Version
          A2 Send For Me
          A3 Izalize
          A4 Unclear

          B1 Singing Love
          B2 I Scream (Rimshot)
          B3 Avante Gardening
          B4 Wide World Version
          B5 Some Dub


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