New Age Steppers
★★★★
Stepping Into A New Age
ON-U SOUND. CD/DL
First three studio LPs and more in boxed anthology of the loose-knit collective. BEYOND A few reverential covers (and a certain Bob Marley song), punk’s natural affinity for reggae yielded only occasional audio treasure until revolving-door dub innovators New Age Steppers gate-crashed the party. Held down by the rhythmic interplay of Style Scott (Roots Radics) and George Oban (Aswad), 1980’s unabashed self-titled debut saw Ari Up stretch out her range on messed-up lovers rockers laced with Adrian Sherwood’s inspired cut-ups, collages and dub manipulations. If coverheavy sequel Action Battlefield was less inspired, the magnificently sweet-voiced Bim Sherman’s path-find through
Foundation Steppers made full reparations. Completed by a typically warped re-fashioning of rarities (Avant Gardening) and 2012’s vivid, valedictory
Love Forever, sprint-finished after Up’s cancer diagnosis, file this crossbred treat alongside Creation Rebel’s wonderfully window-rattling dubs.