What? Huh? A new album by the New Age Steppers? We left the New Age behind us a long time ago. What are they still doing here? A little research brings it to light: With the album released today "Avant gardening“It is of course not new material. Rather, here are rare ones Dubs, versions and unreleased tracks gathered from the On .U vault. Date of origin: 1980 - 1983. Warning: We are dealing with some extremely experimental musical assets, for which it spontaneously makes sense why it has remained unpublished until now. On the other hand, from today's perspective it is absolutely amazing to see how avant-garde Mr. Sherwood gardened in the past and what crazy plants he grew. I also vaguely remember the slightly disturbing album "Spaceship Africa" - also by his hand - which was undoubtedly the forefront of the previous one Dub- Vanguard marked. “Avant Gardening” is hot on his heels. Pretty cerebral, but real, die-hard On-U fans (like Lemmi) will of course still have fun with it.
If you want to know exactly: “Aggro Dub-Version "is a version of" Some Love "from the third New Age Steppers album" Foundation Steppers "from 1983. The track was released in 2004 on the Japanese CD reissue. "Send For Me" was recorded on June 12, 1983 at Southern Studios for a previously unreleased BBC Radio 1 John Peel session. "Izalize" was recorded in 1980 and released in 2003 on the Japanese reissue of the Steppers' self-titled debut album. This rhythm also formed the basis for the track "Snakeskin Tracksuit" on the African Head Charge album "Environmental Studies". "Unclear" is one Dub-Version of the track "Guiding Star", which is on the second Steppers album "Action Battlefield". A version of this rhythm also appeared on the album "Threat To Creation" as "Eugenic Device". “Singing Love” is a Jah Woosh DJ cut of “Love Forever”, which was originally part of the 12 ″ discomix that appeared on the back of the “My Love” maxi in 1981 and for the first time in this edited form in Japanese CD reissue of the debut album was re-released in 2003. "I Scream (Rimshot)" was the B-side of the single "My Love" in 1981 (but was not included in any of the later New Age Steppers releases). By the way, the vocals are from Ari-Up. "Avant Gardening" was recorded in 1980 and originally released on the Japanese CD reissue of Steppers' debut album from 2003. "World Wide Version" is a Dub of "My Whole World" from the album "Action Battlefield", recorded in 1981 and originally released on the Japanese reissue in 2004. The clavinet on it was played by Kishi Yamamoto. "Some Dub"Closes the album and is a quite different take on the" Some Love "rhythms recorded during the 1983 sessions for" Foundation Steppers ". Concentrated information - thanks to discogs.
5 responses to "New Age Steppers: Avant Gardening"
I just have to add a few bars to it. The reggae community split into ON .U Sound Lovers & Haters around 40 years ago. That was extremely strong stuff, what the English Dub-Guru Adrian Sherwood then advanced. Listen to the first album of the New Age Steppers of the same name under this aspect. That the recordings are already over 40! Years under your belt is hard to believe. It is understandable, however, that many, rather most, reggae /Dub Enthusiasts completely disengaged from these bulky or, as René says, “disturbing” sounds.
11 years after the far too early death of Ari Up (Ariane Forster), Avant Gardening sounds almost melodic. For my part, I longed for the day of this release and was not disappointed. As I expected: beautiful, classic, slightly weird ON .U sound. A very fine part from the ON .U sound archives.
By the way Ras Vorbei. I was briefly wondering why you always write On .U Sound the way you do. I always broke one off because of a hyphen in front or in the back and where does the point go?
Well, if I had memorized the logo even better, then I would have always spelled it correctly ;-) And that for me ……. I don't think I'll ever get to heaven like this.
I'm just imagining that I would have had that tattooed the wrong way ...... ;-)
On .U sound !!! …………………………… .. I dont like it! I love it! …………………… lemmi
:-)) What a horror idea!
9 stars !!! ;-) I agree with this assessment without hesitation. The fact that the five stars cannot be seen in front of the four stars is probably due to the "display problems" of a computer program, which can never do justice to the inexhaustible framework of an on-U.Sound production. On-U.Sound is simply too savvy for that, too aloof and simply cannot be grasped rationally. I see it the same way Ras Vorbei. This on-U.Sound production under the name New Age Steppers sounds almost melodic for the most part.
Even at the risk of coming across as a profiling addict, but that just sticks too much into my notch. If this is where most of the reggae /Dub Unplugging enthusiasts, he starts Dub for me, of course only really ;-)….
I mean ... let's just take “Aggro Dub Version". All those who have "read my comments carefully" ;-) have to plead with aggro Dub still have in mind. I just don't always like it to be "honest" and well-behaved. That's not true, I'm honest and well-behaved myself, but maybe I need music in aggroDubThat's why style so much. It's just my way of tearing down the walls of Babylon in my head. There may also be something like patos of reggae /Dub Fans for reggae and Dub I do the flag bearer in the front row.
aggro Dub starts for me exactly like one of the very best pieces of the Dub Syndicate. Perhaps I had set my amplifier here to be "too loud". Anyway, aggro hits me Dub from the very first note just completely out of your socks! This is my undisputed favoriteDub !!! (“If you don't have a stand, please go upstairs and take one down“ is just a joke - not from me “/ there are reggae forums, that's too indecent again, but there are / were also SoundSystem concerts with Adrian Sherwood , where by the way very tightened flawless porn, on the big screen to the music ran / that's why I would say, always stay relaxed ;-) ……… ..)
Without really knowing it, I would say, here we have that again DubAboutDrummer Style Scott with one of his unmistakable drum introduction with the MegaDrumSound set by "Adrian von Sherwood". Sorry if I again fail to even halfway express my enthusiasm for it in words. The vocals that make the Dub then again verbally introduce themselves sound like an aggressive form of the legendary mountain predict. As I said, I'm just trying to put my enthusiasm into words. Even if I don't think much of the "old Fuzzis" (Göthe and Co.) but at this moment I would like their talent for poetry.
"Send For Me" shows that Ari Up really wasn't the most gifted singer, but Adrian and the band easily make up for it. Nevertheless, I always thought Ari Up was great because she is
"Aggro".
"Izalize" !!! What bass and drum deliver here together, I can only do as a DubCall it world class. And then Adrian Sherwood spices up this indestructible foundation of Schmackes and Riddim with sound and effects that make On-U.Sound what it is for me. Aloof, surrealistic and uncompromising like nothing else. Yes, if we were to talk about Lee Perry, I would possibly express it very similarly ... Compromise is just another word for defeat (I've learned).
“Unclear” is a monster for me in the truest sense of the wordDub !!! I already know it from a Creation Rebel album (I think it's called "Threat To Creation"). Always
belonged to this Dub, as well as the entire disc for me for the very special moments in Time and Space. Adrian Sherwood even went one better here and the vocals from Monster with additional very unusual ones DubEffects coated and refined again. In contrast, King Tubby was really just a children's birthday party. Which shouldn't diminish his performance now. Just a little subordinate clause. The sound of the riddim guitar with the unmistakable On-U.Sound effect, which I only know from Creation Rebel, is also the measure of all things for me. It's just cheeky, always fresh and, above all, beautifully aggro !!!
“Singing Love” is simply On-U.Sound Roots Music with classic On-U.Sound cutting-edge technology. “Music” like “I scream” only works (“) for me with On-U-Sound. Adrian Sherwood has the ability not only to make something audible for me, but also to trigger a certain fascination.
"Avant Gardening" goes in the same direction, but with the fantastic piano "tinkles" in the last third, it creates an additional magic that creates a very mystical mood in my head. The "Wide World Version" creates one or the other stressful moment here and there, because the snare then maybe rattles a little hard or because I feel a moment of disharmony every now and then.
"Same Dub“Has a great bassline (like almost all of On-U.Sound…. It's a matter of honor) but about the saxophone by Deadly Headly (if it is) I would have something to say but another time.
For me, the "Mary I Version" is one of the most experimental attempts by On-U.Sound to go far beyond the normal musical experience and expand the horizon of music and Dub Lovers not only to expand, but to get rid of all limits. No Compromise Just DubWise!
Yes, On-U.Sound !!! As I said, for some it goes too far beyond the edges of a plate, but I've always been most interested in what is going on between heaven and earth in the Twilight Zone. That's why I was always so hard to follow normal school lessons.
But I got one thing! … “Aggro Dub Version “rules the universe !!!
This was just a small sample of my enthusiasm for On-U.Sound. Another great disc and the time has come. Then I get the On-U.Sound logo tattooed in the middle of my forehead!
"Dub Me Crazy “Crazy In Dub“Crazy Crazy Daisy in Dub"………………………… lemmi (spelling is overrated)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1AGSrWbGpc
If you like it only half as much as I do, I'll be completely satisfied ………………… .. lemmi