Leonard "Santic" Chin
What More Can I Say

Akae Beka's inimitable style, developed over decades performing with St. Croix based band Midnite. At the point of his untimely passing in 2019, he had released over 70LP's. His prolific output coupled with his uniquely rich, deep, multilayered songwriting and uncompromising devotion to RasTafari has earned him a place amongst the reggae legends.The production trinity, Zion I Kings have been involved collectively and individually in co-creating some of the most highly regarded contributions to the vast Akae Beka catalogue.Now available on 12" vinyl courtesy of Before Zero Records, Portals was originally released on CD and Digital in 2016. It garnered critical acclaim and held position in the billboard charts top 10 for 2 weeks. Produced collaboratively between Zion I Kings and Vaughn Benjamin (Akae Beka), who co-produced & arranged 5 of the 13 songs himself, alongside the ZIK players in St. Croix's Aqua Sounds Studio. The album's sound continues a trajectory of textural, guitar-driven roots reggae that Zion I Kings and Padraic Coursey first explored on the track "Weather the Storm" on 2014's Beauty for Ashes.

The third New Age Steppers arrived in 1983 and marked a sea change in approach, a warmer sounding record than the two thrilling-but-abrasive LPs that had preceded it.Part of this was down to frontwoman Ari Up moving to Jamaica and instigating proceedings with a session at the legendary Channel One with Style Scott and a JA horn section, before bringing the tapes back to London for Adrian Sherwood to work on. The other big factor was bringing in Bim Sherman to step up to the mic on several tracks, after interpreting some of his material on the previous albums. His distinctive croon works as the perfect foil to Ari’s own vocal takes, and the resulting album is perhaps the closest the collective got to laying down an album that is identifiably roots reggae, albeit still breaking tradition with colourful synth tones and a post-punk production sensibility.creditsreleased January 1, 1983Drums - Style ScottPercussion - Bonjo IElectric Percussion - EskimoLead Vocals - Ari - Bim ShermanHarmonies - Cooper - Jay - Bim Sherman - Eskimo - Joseph - Sis Judah - AriBass - Crucial Tony - Errol Flabba Holt - George ObanLead Guitar - Dwight - Crucial Tony - DerekRhythm Guitar - Crucial Tony - Bingy BunnyPiano - Bubblers - SteelySynth / Organ - Bubblers - Kishi - Nick Plytas - Doctor PabloHorns - Vin Gordon - BammyChinese Lute - KishiProduced by Adrian Sherwood & New Age SteppersRecorded at Berry Street Studio, London E.C.1,Channel One, Jamaica and Southern Studios, London N.22Overdubbed & mixed at Berry St. and Southern StudiosMastered at Utopia by Kevin MetcalfeTracks 1 & 7 - Recorded in Jamaica in early 1982.Special thanks to Scotty & Roots Radics.Cover Design & Photography by Kishi

Doug Payne is a graduate of LaGuardia High School of Music & Art (also known as FAME) in Manhattan NY, and Howard University in Washington D.C. He performed as a member of the Sister Sledge tour ("We are Family") has produced several recordings for quite a few East Coast acts and worked as the Music Director for The Dreamlovers, Eddie Holman, The Coasters and the house-band for the Atlantic City television show Chat-24.We are happy to present two of his self released singles in full on one long 12". She Is On The Money is a A+ Boogie floor filler this previously unreleased in this full version massive 15 Mins long mix direct from master tape. On the flip we have Doug's first single "Holiday" which was previously 45 only and very hard to find, plus some other mixes of "She is On The Money" from a second tape, HEAT!