Steppas Records
Steppas are a UK record label and dub-shop, specialising in dubstep, dub, UK dub, reggae, roots and steppers. All of our releases are distributed physically (7″/ 12″ vinyl) and digitally worldwide. Via the Steppas dub-shop we offer exclusive downloads and dubplates and stock limited edition vinyl. All profits from the dub-shop go straight back into the label!
To get in touch contact ben@steppas.com
If you would like us to hear your dubs, send them to us via e-mail or using the drop box below:
Alpha Steppa
“The son and nephew of respected dub heavyweights Alpha & Omega, Alpha Steppa has been surrounded by soundsystem and dubplate culture from a young age. Now a talented producer in his own right, his productions connect the dots between the music which he has grown up around and the new generation of UK bass music of which he is a part. His dubbed out style draws upon the sounds of his musical heritage, filtered through an exploration of the newer sounds of dubstep. In 2010 Alpha Steppa released his debut on Steppas Records, the well-received release features two of his own productions and comes backed with dub remixes of both tracks from Alpha & Omega. The second Alpha Steppa Meets Alpha & Omega release in the ‘Dub Dynasty’ series available in February 2011 featured the legendary Gregory Isaacs, one of the most talented reggae artists of all time.”
KNOWLEDGE MAGAZINE
“This is how to put the dub in dubstep.”
MIGMAG
Alpha & Omega
UK dub pioneers since 1990, A&O have worked with the likes of Greensleeves, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Jah Shaka and Gregory Isaacs. A&O are a roots dub duo that mix both analogue and digital elements, comprising Christine Woodbridge and John Sprosen, both of whom had played in reggae bands previously, Sprosen also having worked with the Roaring Lion Sound System. They began working together in the mid-1980s, splitting their time between their home towns of London and Plymouth, and issued their debut home-recorded cassette in 1988. They were picked up by Greensleeves Records, who acted as a parent company to the duo’s A&O label, and also worked with Jah Shaka, for whom they supplied rhythm tracks. Although they are strongly influenced by artists such as Lee “Scratch” Perry, King Tubby and Augustus Pablo, they have developed a sound that has been described as “uniquely British”. In a review of their Mystical Things album, Rick Anderson, writing for Allmusic, wrote: “This prolific London-based duo is responsible for some of the most convincing old-school reggae to come from the first world.”
WIKIPEDIA
RSD (Rob Smith)
The Bristol bass vanguard also known as Rob Smith (one half of respected dub duo Smith and Mighty), has been pushing bass heavy rhythms for over two decades. Since the late 1980s, Smith & Mighty played a huge part in the evolution of UK bass music. Thanks to their experiments in dub, reggae, drum’n’bass and beyond they are widely regarded as part of the pioneering force behind dubstep. RSD’s sound is an integral part of the dubstep scene which has earned him releases on respected labels including Punch Drunk, Earwax and Tectonic.
Gregory Isaacs
“Isaacs’s slightly nasal voice and intimate, sensual delivery made him ideally suited to the mellow “lovers’ rock” ballad style then popular with reggae fans in Britain, where he spent much of his later life. During the mid- and late Seventies, however, when his popularity in Jamaica began to rival that of figures such as Bob Marley and Dennis Brown, his output was equally focused on “roots reggae” themes concerning the daily struggle for survival in Jamaica’s tough ghettos. Nicknamed “The Cool Ruler”, Isaacs was a dapper-dressed performer who almost always sported a distinctive fedora and three-piece suit on stage. He co-founded his own African Museum label, on which he released much of his prodigious output. To finance such productions, he made many recordings for other high-profile Jamaican producers, among them Joe Gibbs, Barrington Levy, King Jammy, King Tubby, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sly & Robbie, and Steely & Clevie. His commercial peak coincided with an addiction to crack cocaine and a spell in prison after being found guilty on a firearms charge, after which both his health and career faltered. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph in 2007 he declared: “Drugs are a debasing weapon. It was the greatest college ever, but the most expensive school fee ever paid – the Cocaine High School. I learnt everything, and now I’ve put it on the side.”
TELEGRAPH
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Isaacs
Goli & Ashburner
Having spent much of 2010 and 2011 releasing on majors such as Chemical Records, Ministry of Sound and Clandestine Cultivations, Goli and Ashburner are now placed in the centre of the current dubstep explosion. Their energetic mix of grime, bassline and dubstep has won them international fans following tours in America, Belgium, Sweden, Holland and Croatia. With their latest Steppas Records release “Get Up” they demonstrate their commitment to dubstep that is heavy, full of bass and cutting-edge.
www.facebook.com/goliandashburner
