ALPHA STEPPA - 3rd Kingdom

LABEL: STEPPAS RECORDS RELEASE DATE: JULY 07 2017 FORMAT: DL/LP

“Music has this power and it has this message, and the sound system is the platform for the message, it gives a voice to the people, a universal voice.” – Alpha Steppa

Following an extensive year touring, Alpha Steppa returns with his second studio album, 3rd Kingdom on Steppas Records. Due for release on 7/7/17 (coinciding with the 7th year of Steppas Records), the album is a product of his travels around the world, and exists as a sort of travel diary that chronicles the people he’s met and collaborated with and the experiences he’s picked up on the way.

With a total of twelve tracks and an extensive list of featuring artists, 3rd Kingdom is an eclectic mix of traditional roots style reggae, UK bass and , future steppas, and world music. The majority of the collaborating artists Alpha Steppa met through travelling and come from all around the world – Russia, Italy/Senegal, Nigeria, Jamaica, Suriname, Brazil, to name just a few. It’s been a genuine attempt, through these collaborations, to pull a global community together – to give a feeling that it’s actually local despite being spread all over the world.

Eastern philosophy (e.g. Tai Chi, and classic texts such as the I Ching) plays a big part in both Alpha Steppa’s music and personal life, and one feature of the album is that with each track a small element is taken and used to initiate the next track. Whether it’s just a hi-hat, a sample, a reverb, or snare, each track is connected and gives it an overall unity and consistency, so as to come full circle:

“when you get to the end of the album, you’re right back at the beginning, in a way…”.

Diversity, multi-culturalism, oneness – these are things that Alpha Steppa is well acquainted with, if originally on a second-hand basis. The son and nephew of pioneering British roots dub duo Alpha & Omega, Alpha Steppa’s been surrounded by soundsystem and dubplate culture from a young age – his mother would attend shows by the likes of Channel One and Jah Shakah while he was still in the womb, and as a child his father would take him into the studio for his first forays into the world of analogue hardware and dubbed out sound excursions.

“Some of my earliest memories would be my dad taking me in and just kind of demonstrating to me the power of the studio. I remember one time he recorded my voice and then played it back to me pitched down, I was like 4 years old or something, to me at the time it was wizardry, totally blown away by it."

For Alpha Steppa it is perhaps a responsibility he feels to promote a truly intergenerational, inclusive scene that unites everyone under the physical and emotional power of sound system culture.

“We call it conscious soundsystem music, which basically means that when we are producing a song or working with an artist, we like to have some kind of a message, it’s as much about the message as it is the music.” Tracklisting

All tracks produced, recorded & mixed by Alpha Steppa @ Steppas Studio, Mastered @ Finyl Tweek, London by Shane The Cutter

1. 3rd Kingdom (feat. Tenor Youthman) 2. Heart Made of Stone (feat. Sistah Awa) 3. Ancient Tribes (feat. Nai-Jah) 4. Concrete Meditation 5. Soulfire (feat. Double Tiger) 6. Mek We March (feat. Cologne) 7. Mycelial Connection (feat. High Public Sound) 8. Jah Jah Creation (feat. Jonah Dan, Ras Tinny & Don Fe) 9. The Time Has Come (feat. Nai-Jah & Ras Divarius) 10. The Gate. 11. Liberation 12. Prophecies Unfold (feat. Cologne)

Further Information

As the youngest flag bearer of a rich musical lineage, Alpha Steppa has come to represent considerably more than just the ‘new school’ dub-roots-reggae hybrid productions he’s become globally known for. Crucially, his relevancy in clubs and festivals around the world is underpinned by a philosophy and ethos that promotes inclusivity and togetherness.

Having spent some formative years in Bristol’s fertile UK bass and dubstep scene circa 2008, coupled with foundations in traditional roots and dub, Alpha Steppa’s music speaks not only with a unique style and relevancy, but also carries a message.

Currently championed by a range of soundsystems and DJs from across the bass music spectrum – from roots veterans like Jah Shakah sound system, to UK steppas pioneers Iration Steppas and household dubstep names such as VIVEK, Caspa and – Alpha Steppa and his label Steppas Records put out what they call ‘conscious soundsystem music’.

Previous Press

“obliteratingly heavy bass” Q MAGAZINE “this is how to put the dub in dubstep” MIXMAG “enough bass to outweigh any dubstep set” WIRE “Album of The Month” MIXMAG (2013 & 2014) “A serious player in the soundsystem world!” MIXMAG “.. dub to worship.” REGGAE ROOTS REVIEW

Album Cover: by Eve Woodbridge (woodblock print)

Links: steppas.com . facebook.com/alphasteppa

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]