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Interview with Mark Iration (Iration Steppas)
Reggae | Thursday 14th November 2013 | Noam
So, as far as I know, you started playing your sound in the 1990s, how did it all come about?
Before Iration Steppas, I had a sound called Ital Rockers in the 1980s. We used to do loads of dances and dub. You know those years were about dancehall. I just found a batch of cassette tapes the other day, I’ve got a lot of Ital Rockers on there from the 1980s. I’m gonna release them on Talawa. Those days I was strictly vinyl and strictly good MCs and a vibe thing you know. People were saying: ‘Yeah man, release them!’ So I will! Iration Steppas came from Ital Rockers. In the 1980s, Ital Rockers Hi-Fi, it was a Hi-Fi situation. Because I used to love music and play music and I had a good kind of audience and a good kind of crowd. Then I just had to go up a step! We won trophies and cups back in the late 1980s as Ital Rockers, so… it was time to step up and be a big sound system. That’s when we came up with the name Iration Steppas, because I was a dub man, you know.
The 1990s was difficult times for reggae, how did you overcome the fact of starting a sound system in the most perilous times for the genre?
Well, it was a struggle. It was definitely a struggle. Because a lot of dem sound systems died out in the 1980s. The music changed, because that’s when we changed to digital. People started do that, and then the elements of live crew; live musicians were dying as well. Because it was digital stuff that you could do in your house. So at that period in time there, the sound system thing was between Iration Steppas and Aba Shanti.
I’ve seen ‘the vanguard of dub’ and ‘spiritual steppin’ warriors’ on flyers, leaflets. Which title do you think reflects you guys the most?
Both do. Because, I tell you why: the vanguard of dub means we’re soldiers on the front line. So we actually revolutionised dub itself, because we weren’t scared of breaking barriers, trying out new things in the dub market. And because we’ve done that, it opened doors for everybody else. We were the first sound to introduce the D.A.T machine (Digital Audio Technology). In another way, we were the first sound to break that barrier of just vinyl. So in other words, we were the one that broke it in that you could play CDs, cassettes… and using computers. So we broke that barrier! Spiritual steppin’ warriors means that we were spiritually, warriors, putting our souls into action and skanking away.
You’ve witnessed the revival of dub in the early 2000s, how pleased are you about the direction the genre is taking?
The 2000s. That opens another door. That opens up the European door, because those doors now… are those really keeping this dub thing alive as well. Because they’re really into it, hard! And they’re also building the sound systems, to compete with the English way of life. So, we’ve opened the doors for a lot of sounds, not to be afraid of doing things in the way they wanna do it. People are using computers now and USB sticks and iPads. That wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t broken the ice in the 1990s.
Your music is innovative, powerful, conscious and especially very very heavy, I’m thinking of tracks like Reminiscence Dub. I mean, I can only think of a few names that dare making such heavy steppas. Amongst them, probably, Russ Disciple, King Earthquake. How did your sound become so distinctive, where are you coming from?
The influences definitely comes from Tubby’s and Scientist. Those were definitely the years where the mix was at its greatest. I got a lot of influence from The Disciples, Russ Disciple. People like that. But when me and D. Rootical linked up together… then the inspiration between me and him bounced back and the feedback between us, as bredrins. It just worked really well because we bounced off each other. We weren’t afraid to break the barriers, and we got a lot of bad press at that time. For a little while. But when they realised: ‘oh right… let’s try this’. The guys who knocked us, back then, ended up doing what we were doing, but 10 years later. We can laugh at that now. Back in the day, I didn’t care, it didn’t hurt me what people were thinking. We believed in it and that it was needed for the dub scene to uplift, because at that time the dub was strugglin’. Then you have people like Zion Train, Conscious Sound, Disciples, Jah Warriors. It really evolved and stuck. We’re all friends! We all just kind of stuck together and did what we had to do! I was into the house music in the 1980s. Chicago house music and hip hop. It was a big influence for me. My first released rockers’ was with Ital Rockers and it was called: ‘The Itals’ Anthem’ which was a house/jungle/dub tune. We also had another project called Kitachi, it was trip hop. We fused sounds. I like sounds. I like to fuse certain sounds. When we linked up with Rootical, it was Kitachi, it worked. We did two albums ‘A strong unit’ and ‘Stay of Execution’. We’ve had some influence from that. The dub side of things was our main focus, so we carried on the dub. We’re still in today, after 24 years next year!
It was a moment of bliss for me when I discovered your version of Roman Stewart’s all-time classic: Rice & Peas. Which I’d say is really well interpreted and executed. It brings me to a central question, which role does Roots play in your productions?
Roots is the big part of it, because it all extends from the roots. Of all music, 1970s is my favourite. Say I’m playing a dance (a session) in England with my sound system. I always start off with a 1970s sound. Always! We’re going to the year 3000 style, but roots is a very strong part of my life. The 1970s was part of my life and the influences are so vast, I can’t explain it. If you saw my record collection, you’d be shocked! My 1970s collection is massive! My 1980s dancehall collection is massive! My 2000s collection is massive! I burn vinyl onto CD. The roots music is in there. When we build a tune, we build it in that mode, but it’s updated. To digital, you know? check out our new album: 'Iration Steppas meets Tena Stelin in The Dub Arena' (Separate Vocal & Dub album), we’ve fused it with live: guitars, bongos, etc. We’ve moved it up a gear again. First album was digital style. Now it’s another ball game again.
I’ve attended a few of your gigs and you really have the capacity to get the whole crowd jumping up and down, which is quite an achievement when it comes to a reggae crowd! What’s the secret?
Well, we’ve got a name. People come to hear Iration for what we deliver. So it’s all about the deliverance. I’ve got a certain technique and how I like to keep the crowd rocking. If I was a customer, I’d wanna be jumping up and about. So as far as I’m concerned, if I can jump myself, I want the crowd to dance and jump as well. I don’t only play for myself, I play for the crowd. I want the crowd to enjoy the sound to its fullness. And then go home and say: ‘I had a good little dance there, mate!’ Sometimes some crowds are harder to juggle. When I’m on my sound system it’s easier because they love to hear the bass drop and the quality of the sound. So it’s easier that way. When you’re on a certain PA (sound), on a PA abroad, sometimes it’s harder because it’s not delivered to the right standards.
What’s your message to the people, especially young generations?
If you like dub music then stick to it. To us it’s the best music in the world, you know what I mean? If you love it stick to it mate, we are there for you. If you don’t, get into it, you will one day! ‘Stay loyal, stay unified’? ‘Stay loyal’, that’s the one!
Do you have a dream for humanity?
The world is not a nice place right now. There’s all this war and fightin’. Too much blood spilling, too much blood money. I’m not into politics and all that stuff. For me it’s about music. I don’t let myself get involved in politics. Music isn’t about politics, it’s about unification: black, white, Asian. Reggae music is the top of the league for that, because it’s a spiritual steppin’ music for people to get into. It’s so spiritual and so touching that I don’t know why we have to get involved with that fuss and fight business. In reggae music, we are defending stuff. It’s not about guns and shit. It’s about peace and love and live good, feel good! Especially the 70s style has got a particular vibe and a feel. Without music I don’t know what we’d do. Music is life, it can make you happy, it can make you sad, it can make you lonesome. But overall a healer to our soul.
Any amusing stories, at a gig, on tour, in the studio, for our followers?
Maybe a bit too personal, but I can tell you that after growing up listening to people like Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, Black Uhuru, Sly & Robbie, Scientist. For me, when I actually met those guys directly and ended up being friends. That for me, I would say, is amazing! I’ve been on tour with Johnny Clarke many times. He’s been at my studio many times. Horace Andy, Michael Rose, Michael Prophet. It’s amazing! As a youth, you listen to these guys on vinyl and you love them. When you meet them, that, to me, is the story!
