Akae Beka
Polarities

Austudy Records is proud to present it’s debut release Burning It Up: Australian Reggae (1979-1986). Acompilation surveying the influence of Reggae on Australia’s preoccupation with Rock, Pop and New Wavebetween the years of 1979-1986. This selection of 8 obscure tracks originally issued on 7” records representsome of the earliest examples of Reggae sounds in Australian recorded music.

BRWM1 - DE - 1987/2006RP

Akae Beka's inimitable style, developed over decades performing with St. Croix based band Midnite and countless recordings (including 2014 iTunes reggae album of the year BEAUTY FOR ASHES and RIDE TRU). At the point of his untimely passing in 2019, he had released over 70LP's. He is without a doubt one of the most prolific reggae artists ever known and his quanity is always matched with quality, with his albums consistently featuring in the top 10 on the billboard charts reggae LPs.A unique contribution to the sea of Akae Beka titles, this LP showcases Vaughn Benjamin in a stripped back, raw accoustic fashion. An LP which will not be easily confined to any one genre, but for the fans of Vaughns uniquly rich, deep, textrued songwriting, uncompromising devotion to RasTafari and soulful healing melodies an absolute must have!

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

2021 repress.The legendary movie soundstrack based out of Kingston, Jamaica in April 2008, telling the story of the original vocalists and musicians involved. The sixteenth release on the Moll-Selekta label shares its title with a wonderful film, a heartwarming homage to the golden age of rocksteady. It documents the recordings being made for this very album at the Tuff Gong studios, Kingston, Jamaica in April 2008, telling the story of the original vocalists and musicians involved. Excerpts from an all star reunion concert staged in Kingston and older archive material complete the picture. Never before in the history of Jamaica, which already occupies a unique place on the world map of song, its sound embraced by western popular music, has such an illustrious collection of singers and players been assembled. The album showcases 15 rocksteady classics in sparkling, deeply inspired new versions, recorded in the studio which also played host to album sessions of a certain Bob Marley. Under the musical direction of Ernest Ranglin, a guitarist of considerable renown not only on the reggae circuit, but also on the jazz scene, mixed by legendary engineer Errol Brown - in Duke Reid's employ at the Treasure Isle studio in the sixties - and freshly arranged by Lynn Taitt.

Originally released in 1988 ‘Hot Rock’ was the final single from Pennsylvanian based roots reggae band House Of Assembly. The band, comprising main songwriter Norman Bailey, Marc Campbell, Claver Campbell and Louis Putman, grew up in the Water House area of Kingston, Jamaica bonding over their shared love of Dub & Reggae. The 4 members moved to Pennsylvania in the US in the early 80’s and released one album ‘Confusion’ on the local Meadowlark label, touring throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and becoming stalwarts of the Pennsylvanian roots scene.The band started their own Concrete label in 1988 releasing ‘Hot Rock’ complete with a Dub Version possessing a potent combination of punchy 707 drum programming, killer rolling bassline, stripped back lead guitar and a rising synth line. For the official reissue there’s an added ‘Rockapella’ version not found on the original 12” and a new full sleeve jacket designed by Bradley Pinkerton.