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Post by Charlie on Jan 7, 2021 16:11:57 GMT
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Post by Charlie on Jan 7, 2021 16:41:56 GMT
From On-U Facebook: NEW AGE STEPPERS - STEPPING INTO A NEW AGE 1980 - 2012 Long awaited reissues of post-punk classics coming in March! Pre-order → newagesteppers.ffm.to/steppingintoanewageA loose studio collective centred around the musical partnership of Adrian Sherwood and Ari Up from The Slits, New Age Steppers existed on and off from 1980 to 2012. Notable for bringing together musicians from the post-punk and reggae scenes together, their records feature contributions from members of The Pop Group, The Raincoats, Flying Lizards, Roots Radics, Aswad and Creation Rebel. - This reissue campaign features all their first 3 classic studio albums back on vinyl for the first time since original release in the early 80s - New Age Steppers, Action Battlefield and Foundation Steppers. - A first time vinyl pressing of the posthumous 2012 Love Forever album, with sleeve by Vaughan Oliver collaborator Chris Bigg of v23. - New sleevenotes for all LPs by Oli Warwick featuring interviews with Adrian Sherwood and other key players. - A new LP of outtakes and rarities, Avant Gardening (in the On-U tradition of albums such as Return Of The Crocodile, Displaced Masters and Churchical Chant Of The Iyabinghi). New sleeve design by Andy Martin aka Bill Bell who designed the sleeve to the first album back in 1981, bringing things full circle 40 years later! - A 5CD + 32 page book boxset anthology of all their work for the On-U Sound label, Stepping Into A New Age. - First 500 copies of each album pressed as special clear vinyl editions, exclusive to the On-U Sound bleepstore, bandcamp and Rough Trade. New Age Steppers tote bags also available with bundle orders on the On-U Sound store and Bleep. - Unreleased track "Send For Me" available to stream or download now. This is a track from the long-lost 1983 John Peel Session, big up Patrick Dokter for finding this! New Age Steppers launched the On-U label as the first artist to release both a single and album on the label, and it's fitting to have these brilliant records back out in the world as the label celebrates its 40th anniversary.
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Post by Charlie on Jan 7, 2021 16:58:44 GMT
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Post by swamp on Jan 7, 2021 19:46:54 GMT
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Post by Ras Berry on Jan 7, 2021 21:52:51 GMT
Own up - who bought the bundle just to get their hands on the tote bag?
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Post by Charlie on Jan 7, 2021 23:12:34 GMT
Guilty. I ordered the CD boxset + tote. It's a disappointing re-release package though. The "Avant Gardening" LP is mostly made up of tracks that were on the Beat Records CD re-issues and the 7" "Some Love" single, with only "Send For Me", "Some Dub" and "May I Version (Bonus track)" previously unreleased (I think). I'm assuming the latter is not the same as the "May I" track on the Beat CD re-release of the first album. I can only assume that there isn't much more archive material available that's worthy of release, so rather than include the Japanese extra tracks on the album re-issues themselves, as they've done previously, they have decided to amalgamate them on the "Avant Gardening" LP.
I've never had a copy of the first LP on vinyl, so I could be tempted to buy that as well, on clear vinyl.
All in all though, there's not much there for those that already have the previous releases.
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Post by Ras Berry on Jan 8, 2021 15:32:52 GMT
I agree. It seems like a missed opportunity. I would've liked to have seen more of the early mixes that Patrick uncovered released, rather than tracks that are already available. Does anybody need to hear I Scream again? Did anybody need to hear it in the first place? It's a shame more of the Peel session couldn't be found, or wasn't included, if it was. I know The Riddle was only a remix of Socca, and the other two tracks weren't exactly earth-shattering, though Not A Nobody did feature an early Neneh vocal I've never been convinced that Aggro Dub Version wasn't something concocted for that Japanese 10" release* - the use of samples of old reggae records is unlike anything Adrian was doing at that time - and I'd rather have seen Some Love Dub and Lol Coxhill on 5 Dog Race from the second Reggae Archive CD made available on vinyl It will be interesting to hear what May I Version is. The latter version of the rhythm as This Assembly on Staggering Heights is quite possibly my favourite On-U track of all time And I do like the artwork - that would make a fine t-shirt - and the return of Bill Bell, and I did learn that Send For Me was originally by Atlantic Starr! *It's not the only track I have my doubts about
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Post by Jethro on Jan 15, 2021 13:48:46 GMT
I tried to get better of the Peel session but failed. The only person I knew who had an analogue copy from the day died (Owen McShane), and his low quality encoding of it that was on the dub.org.uk site is possibly the seed for the all the versions of it doing the rounds. I used Send For Me in my Bim rhythm mix stuff in Nov.
I haven't closely looked at the extras package yet but was aware several had already been re-issued. It does seem a bit surprising there aren't more version in there; perhaps not for the first album, as it was early days and time was of the essence and tape was expensive and whatever could be long gone, but you'd think there'd be more for later album stuff. Pats must have played a few things on those early Sunday Roast shows. But I don't know the ins and outs of why they haven't appeared.
To be honest I don't really need yet another copy of the first album either, but I will get the CD boxset because I like them. I won't bother with the bag.
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Post by Ras Berry on Jan 15, 2021 22:13:53 GMT
I won't bother with the bag. I think you just need to leave. And leave your membership card by the door too
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Post by itsonu on Jan 16, 2021 13:45:45 GMT
Mmm totally forgotten 'bout Owen's passing away. Sad, now more than 2 years ago.
I guess Owen had his copy of the peel session of NAS from me, i uploaded them to him (seems a thousand years ago) together with life recordings of Mark Stewart in Rotterdam and some other stuff. Anyway I still have a cassette with the Nas-sessions. Must be a copy (of a copy...) got it from a friend in those days together with four Pop Group Songs live from Helsinki opening with a nice Liberty City (which appears on the album The Boys Whose Head Exploded under the title of 73 Shadow Street. Other versions of this life recording appears on various bootleg records from the Pop Group: Karen (Silkwood's) car, Feed the Hungry and Entertain your life away (Work, work, work). Last one is a 'humorous' number very catchy and danceable.
While typing this i'm re-digitizing the NAS sessions. Any place it can be reuploaded if desired? three songs: Not A Nobody, Send My Love and The Riddle
Cheers Alex
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Post by Charlie on Jan 16, 2021 16:19:16 GMT
I'm sure swamp would love to post them on his blog. I still have those three songs from Owen's site as 128kbps MP3 files. If you can improve the quality in any way when re-digitizing them, that would be fantastic. Changing the subject to T-Shirts, I see Beat are offering them with the new CD Boxset. Sadly not with the new Bill Bell artwork though.
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Post by swamp on Jan 16, 2021 16:51:12 GMT
I'm sure swamp would love to post them on his blog. indeed! alreddy sent pm
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Post by Jethro on Jan 18, 2021 10:49:04 GMT
Ah excellent I didn't know he'd got them from your Alex! Well that's one step nearer to a cleaner source at least ... Levi had a go at remastering Not A Nobody. I'm sure he'd like a go at all of them if there's a higher quality copy available.
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Post by Ras Berry on Mar 19, 2021 8:52:46 GMT
DPD man just arrived... It's tote bag time!
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Post by Charlie on Mar 19, 2021 17:02:49 GMT
So what's the scoop on Alex's Peel Session tape? Has it been passed on for some serious remastering for a possible 10" release .
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