As if DJing wasn’t difficult enough, try adding drumming and sampling to the pressure of a live performance. For Mancunian producer Stephani B, it’s the norm, and she’s been doing it effortlessly across stages globally, unsurprisingly, garnering an audience of millions as she goes.
Following the release of her newest single ‘From Paris to Berlin’ earlier this month, we were gagging to pick her brain (because if there’s one thing we rate at Broke, it’s a boss ass b*tch)…
Broke Magazine: Cheers for chatting with us Stephani, to kick this conversation off we’ve gotta know, which came first, drumming or DJing?
Stephani B: Drumming came first! I was actually a drummer in different genres of bands growing up and got my grade 8 drums when I was 15 years old. Drums was the instrument I actually studied in LIPA university, and they’ve always been a part of my musical journey. DJing and getting my own pair of decks was always what wanted to do, and I’d planned to pick this up once my university degree was over. I was always producing dance music and got myself a Roland SPD SX Sampling Pad whilst studying whilst I was making electronic music. After leaving Uni, I developed a full electronic drum act with all samples and triggers and was almost DJing essentially without the decks at first.
Broke Magazine: Thats sickkk, you originate from the Manchester rave scene, what’s it saying up there? Any secrets you can give our readers for a solid night out? (artists, venues, etc)
Stephani B: It’s great in Manchester. I’ve always loved the intimate venues, especially the likes of Joshua Brooks, which is always a good one for a good night out with great house/techno music. I also think Hidden is great, another solid night out, quite a cool venue as well. If there’s a party to go through the night, you’d want to check The White Hotel – it has some cool events, and you can even end up there after for a day rave in the DBA and do a double bill of the two!
Broke Magazine: We wanna know a bit about your background, when did you buy that first pair of
decks, what was your first gig, any mad tour stories you can let us in on?
Stephani B: I have been gigging for over 15 years now, from solo work to bands to duos to trios. I think my first ever gig was when I was 15 and I played at Blackpool Grand Theatre. I remember my friends coming on a coach to watch me and I was so, so nervous. It was a great experience and really kicked off a run of gigs for me in my hometown, Manchester, as I started to play at the likes of Soup, Night & Day and YES I only bought my first pair of decks around 3 years ago. I spent a lot of time in the likes of Pirate Studios in Manchester to really get to grips with bringing my act to the decks and how to incorporate my electronic drums to it. I remember once travelling down in my little Mazda 2 to a gig in East Sussex. It took us 8 hours to get down from Manchester as we got lost and I ended up arriving 10 minutes before my set time – bearing in mind I had not got ready to perform for this gig and needed to do makeup, hair and all that jazz. Anyway, I arrived, and the venue had no dressing room, so I ended up having to get changed in a store cupboard and then get on stage to perform. When returning to the car, my car was leaning on a slant – just my luck that I also had a flat tyre! I then spent the next day driving around the seaside
on the rim of the wheel trying to get a new tyre. Just imagine – a nice seaside townand me driving on a noisy wheel rim haha.
Broke Magazine: You just dropped your new single ‘From Paris To Berlin’ (which is an absolute banger by the way) what made you wanna remix this track specifically?
Stephani B: Ah, thank you! I loved this track growing up, I used to listen to it on the car journeys! With it being like 20 years since the original was released, I thought I could give it a fresh and more up-beat version with a totally new production. I also wanted to give my version a kind of opposite spin to the original with having a softer lead vocal (which is actually my voice) and heavier production, and of course, adding some of my live drums in.
Broke Magazine: We’ve seen your tour dates – you have some great ones lined up! Which top 3 are you most looking forward to dropping ‘From Paris To Berlin’ at?
Stephani B: I think the top one has to be Tomorrowland in Belgium. Still surreal that I’m even playing there this summer and a dream come true – I’m going to be mega nervous but can’t wait for it! Victorious I am really buzzing about; I’m playing on the Beats & Swings stage right by the sea, it looks so sick!! Finally, of course, it has to be
Manchester Pride. There’s nothing better than a hometown show. It’s also nice to be able to get all my mates to it as well with it being local, who will be buzzing when I drop the track!
Broke Magazine: We can’t do a B2B interview with a new face for our readership and not ask them the one question our Brokerz always wanna know, so without further ado, what’s your dream blunt rotation? (Hypothetically, of course…)
Stephani B: Haha, what a question! Okay, let’s make this fun. Let’s throw in the woman dominating the dance music scene right now – Peggy Gou. Then let’s add in the guy making the bangers and giving the real-life humour – Maurice West (aka Mau P). Now there’s no party without the one and only FISHER. And finally, let’s include the
legend, Timmy Trumpet.
Broke Magazine: We’re gonna play a game of two truths and a lie to get our readers guessing, go…
Stephani B: I have done a sky-dive, I once auditioned for X-Factor, my dad was a professional musician.
Broke Magazine: With festival season fast approaching and the cost of living crisis hitting our accounts HARD, we’re asking artists for their god-tier trio (top three festivals) to give our readership some guidance, what’s yours?
Stephani B: Creamfields is one that is in my top spots – I’ve been a couple of times and it’s one that’s full of great dance music. Victorious Festival is a must as well – even though I am playing here this year – it’s great for variety of music and some of the biggest acts to the local ones too. There’s something for everyone and it’s in the most beautiful seaside location. Finally, another great one is Forbidden Forest with some of the best, leading electronic artists on the scene from DnB, techno, tech house with many cool stages in the middle of the forest!
Broke Magazine: Following on from that, what’s something that pisses you off about the state of the world right now?
Stephani B: That there are all these different conflicts going on which don’t seem to be showing signs of stopping soon, and lots of innocent people getting caught up in it. I don’t understand why there are issues like this in the world still and why people can’t just be accepted for having different views and beliefs and can’t just continue their own lives. It clearly doesn’t work like that, but to me, I can’t fathom it.
Broke Magazine: Finally, what words do you live by?
Stephani B: The main reason you don’t succeed is because you give up on the dream, wherever possible, don’t give up and you will succeed.