As a follow-up to the African Head Charge mixtape we put together a few years back which put their releases into a wider context of influences, collaborators and intersecting sounds, we’ve done the same thing for the New Age Steppers. Check out the playlist, mixed version and detailed track-by-track notes.

An interview with Andy Martin

ONULP1 was released in 1981, the debut album by the New Age Steppers. The striking collage sleeve (featuring a hula-hooping Elvis and a football playing baby) was designed by the mysterious ‘Bill Bell’. Although there was mention online of him having done some illustrations for the NME in the early 1980s, not a lot else could be found out about him and no-one knew of his whereabouts.

Fast forward 40 years and, after a chance meeting in a Kent art gallery, Bill was revealed to in fact be a pseudonym for one Andy Martin, who after his brief entry into the nascent On-U Sound story, returns to On-U Sound to complete the art circle 40 years later and design a companion sleeve to ONULP1 for the Steppers rarities set Avant Gardening.

In 2018, On-U Sound sat down with Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, the percussionist, singer, and mulit-instrumentalist behind African Head Charge.

Joyful Noise! A Spotify playlist available to stream now, read the track-by-track guide …

To celebrate the gold vinyl reissue of Creation Rebel’s Starship Africa and the band’s recent return to the live stage after a break of over 30 years, we’ve compiled this little selection of highlights from their various On-U Sound releases.

Jeb Loy Nichols writes about his days spent behind the counter and shares a cracking reggae-meets-country DJ mix.

To celebrate the first four crucial African Head Charge albums being back on wax for the first time in 30 years, we’ve compiled a special AHC-themed mixtape. This is a two hour night flight through the strange and wonderful world of African Head Charge, putting their early music in a wider context of influences, collaborators and intersecting sounds. Featuring Count Ossie, Brian Eno & David Byrne, Psychic TV, Don Cherry, Jah Wobble, Sun Ra, Pere Ubu, Tortoise and more.

On-U Sound are proud to unveil an epic 14 minute visual journey through the Science Fiction Dancehall Classics compilation created by Trevor Jackson. Using a mixture of hands-on analogue techniques and modern digital technology, the film stretches and blurs manipulated video, abstract animation & found footage into a trippy, hypnotic interpretation of the music on the album. The attention-to-detail and immersive flow of the edit reward viewing in full.

An expanded feature-length version of the recollections by band members Bob Harding and Chris Joyce that were edited down for the Pay Attention! sleevenotes. It not only relays the trials and tribulations of the band, but captures vividly the music scene of the North of England in the early-80s, with connections to Factory Records, Roger Eagle, Suns Of Arqa, the Public Spirit theatre group, and more.