Alpha Steppa

[Review] Trigram Six: Musai Soundworks – “Hoinar” / Alpha Steppa – “Ro Heath” (Steppas Records)

[Review] Trigram Six: Musai Soundworks – “Hoinar” / Alpha Steppa – “Ro Heath” (Steppas Records)

Alpha Steppa, who has already announced his next LP, in the meantime continues the Trigram series with tribal bass music.

Taoists believe that there are two opposing yet complementary forces in the natural world: yin and yang. Many natural dualities such as male and female, light and dark, high and low, hot and cold, water and fire and life and death are thought of as physical manifestations of the yin- yang concept. This ancient Eastern paradigm parallels the concept in modern physics of positive and negative forces creating the proton, the electron and the neutron. The Eight Trigrams of Steppas Records derive their inspiration from the ancient Book of Changes (The I-Ching), which states that the forces of yin and yang create the eight primordial features of the universe represented by the Eight Trigrams. Each Trigram is depicted as a symbol comprised of three lines, a straight line symbolises yang and a broken line symbolises yin. These eight symbols are representations of all naturally occurring processes, they represent movement and change. The Eight Trigrams of Steppas Records are an interpretation of the ever changing, myriad sounds of the universe: Forward thinking bass music with a deep roots foundation.

This is the idea behind the series and from the very beginning, it explores a vast universe of sounds; from one side connected to a mystical, tribal spirit, but delivered through modern musical forms on the other side and this is exactly what  Romanian artists Musai Soundworks and Alpha Steppa are doing on this release. Deep vibes derived from genres you know, but with a big part of raw, mysterious force.

Trigram: ☵
Artist(s): Musai Soundworks / Alpha Steppa
Title: Hoinar / Ro Heath
Cat: Trigram06
Label: Trigram
Format: 10″ Vinyl / Digital
Release Date: Spring 2017
Origin: Cluj-Napoca / London

https://www.facebook.com/pg/musaisoundworks

https://www.facebook.com/pg/musaisoundworks

Posted by yarecki in Recenzje
[Release Info] Alpha Steppa ft. I-Sarana / HPS – “The River” (Steppas Records)

[Release Info] Alpha Steppa ft. I-Sarana / HPS – “The River” (Steppas Records)

Finally! This track has hit me strong when I was listening debut album by Alpha Steppa. Brazilian singer I-Sarana with her majestic vocal and lyrics on a wonderful, rich riddim with blazing horns. On the release we have previously unreleased versions and additional two heavyweight remixes by Sao Paulo’s High Public Sound. Tune!

Buy: Steppas Records shop

https://soundcloud.com/alphasteppa/sets/as1416-the-river

Posted by yarecki in Release Info
Dub Dynasty – “Holy Cow”

Dub Dynasty – “Holy Cow”

Holy-Cow-Album-ArtDub Dynasty, combined forces of Alpha Steppa and Alpha&Omega, returns with the third album full of music – on their double LP  we have 16 tracks and digital versions contain bonuses. What can we expect from the dub family this time?

Let’s start from guests, because there is a lot of them. We have Cologne, who fits in with solid riddims very well, but we’ve already heard this on “Rooted & Grounded”; we have Steppas Records veteran Ras Tinny. Woman voices are represented by Kiangana and Sista Jane Warriah. The list is finished by Iyano Iyanti and Violinbwoy.

Musically we get what’s best from Alpha&Omega and Alpha Steppa. Hypnotic, tribal riddims, many times filled with etno-style elements and dub magic – just listen to “I Am Dub”. Tunes with women vocals are fantastic – firstly we hear beautiful, slow and heavy anthem “Material Things” and next comes fast, dark “Oh Father” with Kiangana – if you like the style of Alpha&Omega’s tracks like “Rastafari”, you will be satisfied. By the way the second one with Kiangana is in the same mood and the result of slow singing based on a massive and fast bassline is great; a similar thing is with melody played by Violinbwoy in “The Orchard”. In the middle of LP we hit my favourite, dub massacre called “Rig Veda”, which I guess is the best combination of two styles sitting in the heads of this album’s authors. Below this track in a dubplate version played by Iration Steppas:




Cologne has taken my liking on “Rooted & Grounded”, here again he sounds excellent on steppers riddims perfectly suited for a soundsystem session; the same thing is with tunes with Ras Tinny.

Epic moment with Blackboard Jungle & Little Omara skanking on the stage!!! International Dub Gathering is a must!!!

Opublikowany przez Dub Academy na 30 marca 2016

The basslines traditionally performs a massage of listener’s guts during loud listening, but what has entranced me the most is diversity, glued with this dark, mythical, hypnotic aura.  Like from a magical forest, full of elves with their fabulous instruments and suspicious mushrooms, letting you connect with spirits…Besides, in many tunes we hear twittering birds – check “Footsteps” or “Holy Cow”. And if we’re talking about this title track, a cow story – the title sanctifying these animals can be understood in many ways; the cow was and is an object of worship in a lot of religions. In the context of civilisation she can be our warning, how negative impact on the environment we make by factory farming and how human beings could sink to such depths, if we look to cruel practices of this procedure – “gentle” details of animal treatment you can find on Compassion In World Farming.

To summarize – Dub Dynasty feels very well, is close to nature and still works on mastership in dub and wizardry.

Links:

http://www.steppas.com/steprec

http://alphaandomega.co.uk

Posted by yarecki in Recenzje
Trigram 05 – JahYu / Alpha Steppa

Trigram 05 – JahYu / Alpha Steppa

trigram05-A-inbagAlpha Steppa presents the 5th one from the Trigram series and I have to admit, that it’s the most beautiful one. On the A side of this release we hear JahYu, known from other records for Steppas Records. The track “To the End of the Earth and Sea” is stunning, tribal, hypnotizing bass music with oriental flute and string melodies. It’s like a journey to a unreal land from a dream, hidden deeply somewhere at the end of the civilization. The B side blends perfectly into this vibe, because Alpha Steppa’s music also creates majestic, beautiful atmosphere filled by bass and etno-flavoured melodies.

Wonderful disconnection from the present, so needed sometimes.

https://soundcloud.com/alphasteppa/sets/trigram05

Posted by yarecki in Recenzje
Alpha Steppa – “Rooted & Grounded “

Alpha Steppa – “Rooted & Grounded “

alpha steppaWhen I first saw the info about this album I thought – it’s gonna be really good. Why? Because all the previous releases of Alpha Steppa were introducing me into this feeling, especially the last LP by Dub Dynasty. “Rooted & Grounded” is Ben’s first full solo album and it did it well. After the first sounds of “Catharsis” with Chazbo I had a feeling of vibe, which I know from many sound system sessions. The title “Rooted” for the first part is very accurate, because it has this beautiful rootical flavour – just check “Mix Up Fix Up” with Prince Jamo or “Teachings” with Sis Awa, so nice sound! Yet still you can hear Alpha Steppa’s unique flavour – hypnotizing basslines and a lot of musical inspirations, especially these coming from East. Also one of the best musical discoveries of this album is – for me – the singing of I-Sarana in “The River”, so majestic and magic in conjuction with the powerful riddim with massive horns section! There are also many other interesting artists invited to this album: Cologne, Cyp, Kiangana, Ras Tinny, Wellette Seyon (beautiful “In The City”!).

Now, let’s go forward to the dub versions on the “Grounded” vinyl. Here the bass and the rhythm come to the foreground. These tunes, which on the “Rooted” sounded so rootically and melodically, here are moved to a wild, raw dub killers with resonating bass and effects flying around your head. They are perfect illustration what the dub is, what can you do with the vibe of a tune when you know how to use all the sound and musical expression tools, all the dub techniques.

An excellent album, for loud and perceptive hearing from the beginning to the end.

And looking forward for Dub Dynasty’ next album, scheduled for this Spring!

Links:

http://www.steppas.com

https://soundcloud.com/alphasteppa/sets/rooted-and-grounded

Posted by yarecki in Recenzje
Dub Temple 8th B’Day Bash! // 29.01.2016 // Kraków

Dub Temple 8th B’Day Bash! // 29.01.2016 // Kraków

Sorry, this entry is only available in Polish. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

plakatDUB TEMPLE 8th B’Day Bash!

Official East Europe UNOD Weekender 2016 launch party.

Czas płynie nieubłaganie, kluby znikają, publiczność się rozrasta, a my konsekwentnie staramy się comiesięcznym cyklem serwować Wam to co w światowym dubie najlepsze.

Pomimo trudnego okresu jakim bezwątpienia jest zamknięcie Fabryki udało nam się „wziąć w garść” i na nadchodząca, będącą ósmą rocznicą cyklu sesje przygotować dla Was solidna muzyczną ucztę.

W tym roku postanowiliśmy zorientować się na nową szkołę UK dub’u i zaprosić do nas artystów, którzy naszym zdaniem wprowadzają najwięcej świeżego powiewu w tamtejszą scenę i są obecnie lokomotywą rozwoju i podejścia „Forward thinking” czego wypadkową są świetne single/albumy w klimacie „future reggae/dub”, które rządzą zarówno w domowych głośnikach wszystkich szanujących się dubheads jak i na potężnych sound systemach czołowych imprez dub w Europie. Odwiedzi nas ekipa REGGAE ROAST z Londynu w reprezentacji: ADAM PRESCOTT i VIBRATION LAB oraz podbijający świat genialnymi albumami i singlami ALPHA STEPPA! Line up uzupełni nasz topowy rodzimy producent i multiinstrumentalista z Wrocławia VIOLINBWOY o którym również robi się głośno na świecie!

Podobnie jak w zeszłym roku kontynuujemy partnerską kooperację z największym dubowym festiwalem na świecie: UNITED NATIONS OF DUB WEEKENDER 2016, którego będzie to tradycyjnie już oficjalne „launch” party na Europę wschodnią. Zapraszamy serdecznie i do zobaczenia 29.01 pod sound systemem!

29.01.2016, Kraków, Rotunda (dolna sala) ul. Oleandry 1

Start: 21.30

ALPHA STEPPA (UK)

ADAM PRESCOTT / REGGAE ROAST (UK)

VIBRATION LAB / REGGAE ROAST (UK)

VIOLINBWOY ( dj set & live Violin ) / Wrocław

Warm up, support & power:

DUBSEED SOUND SYSTEM

+ guests

Wstęp: 30pln

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250768501615369/

United Nations Of Dub Weekendem web links:

http://unodweekender.com/

https://www.facebook.com/United-Nations-Of-Dub-Weekender-339432076147174/?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/events/268377486689395/

Posted by yarecki in Imprezy, Patronaty
Steppas Records – “Monsoon Come/Contraception”

Steppas Records – “Monsoon Come/Contraception”

AS1215-Art-(A)After having some troubles with neighbours Steppas Studio gives us next 12” with the retake of thundering “Monsoon Come”. The track remixed by Cranky General & Dutty Hands now get an excellent, rootical flavour a with a magic melodica flowing through the riddim. Previously played as a dubplate, now is available for everyone.

On the B side we have a powerful track by Zentash Gigawatt, known from the previous Trigram release. A deep and tribal riddim carries serious, responsible message from Ras Tinny about contraception and his voice perfectly matches this vibe. This is the second release with Zentash in Steppas Records and I’m definitely waiting for more!

Links:

http://steppas.com/

https://soundcloud.com/alphasteppa/sets/as1215

Posted by yarecki in Recenzje
Alpha Steppa Meets Don Fe featuring Reality SoulJahs

Alpha Steppa Meets Don Fe featuring Reality SoulJahs

AS1114-in-bag-562x562Don Fe returns to Steppas Records! Together with Alpha Steppa and vocal duo Reality Souljahs they take us to mystical dubwise valley. And each version will move you further and deeper, from dubwise to harderwise – 4th one is truly dangerous… Beautifully sounding tracks contains a lot of tasty dub space and – as usual – low frequencies will not let your bass speakers stay idle. Check out Steppas Records webshop for 12” & downloads.

Links:

http://www.steppas.com

 

Posted by yarecki in Recenzje