The multi-faceted drummer, DJ and producer, Stephani B teams up with melodic house producer, Taim for new single ‘Insane’ on the always on-point London imprint, Perfect Havoc. Combining Taim’s rough but restrained balance of soul and energy with Stephani’s percussive skills, ‘Insane’ is an explosive house cut ready to smash up dancefloors everywhere. Stream it now https://perfecthavoc.lnk.to/txs.insane.
Stephani B has captivated an audience of millions through her online remixes and hybrid approach of live drumming and sampling whilst DJing. A poster girl for Roland’s SPD-SX Pro Sampling Pad, Stephani’s electrifying, live mash ups have bowled over crowds at Ministry of Sound London, with the Ibiza Music Orchestra, and now she’s winning over fans as a producer too.
Her 2023 debut single ‘Sober (La Da Dee)’ – in collaboration with Movada – served up the club ready energy that saw spins on BBC Radio 1, a sync on Love Island UK, and a swelling following of over 880k followers on TikTok and Instagram alone. With forthcoming appearances at Victorious Festival and Blackthorn Proud 2 Bee, get ready to be captivated by the mind-blowing, Stephani B.
Hello Stephani, welcome to House Music With Love! Where are we speaking to you from today?
I am currently sat in a hotel room in Guildford ahead of a student gig I am performing at tonight!
For those who are unfamiliar with you, can you introduce yourself?
I am Stephani B – a DJ, drummer and producer from Manchester, UK. I have a hybrid approach to live drumming and sampling whilst DJing. I create a lot of edits, mashups and remixes, which over the years has significantly built up my following to thousands on social platforms. I am now releasing music with more ready to go!
How did you get into electronic music production?
It all started properly when I was studying at Uni at LIPA in Liverpool. I had a mini set up at home through high school, but properly got to grips with the art of production once I started Uni. A lot of my course was heavily production based and I spent a lot of time in the LIPA studios there working with other producers too. I absolutely loved every element of it and at the time, I was taking a lot of inspiration from the likes of Avicii and Zedd before I then started to develop my own sound and really delve into the electronic dance scene.
You are an incredible drummer. Do you remember the first time you picked up a pair of drumsticks?
Thanks!! Yes of course, it was when I was in high school and the school did a rock school kind of night, every Wednesday after school. I had only ever started dabbling on the guitar at this point and decided to go and join a band. We were put into different groups, and I remember being put with 4 other members and we were asked what instrument we wanted to play, to which we all said, the guitar. Nobody wanted to play the drums, so I decided to put myself forward and give it a go. I actually really struggled to begin with, specifically with the coordination. From this moment on I had found my new love. I got lessons in school, got my own drum kit, joined loads of projects, and by year10 I was sitting my grade 8 drum exam! I have never stopped playing since and even though things have adapted now over the years, drums are a massive element in what I do today.
What or who were your inspirations to get into drumming?
My biggest inspiration at the time was actually jazz drummer, Buddy Rich. His playing was insane, and I wanted to do rudiments just like him! My grandad showed me a video of him playing when I was just starting out at school, and it gave me all the inspiration needed to improve my skills, better and better.
You’ve just dropped your new single ‘Insane’ with Taim on Perfect Havoc. Can you talk to us about this release and what the writing process was like?
I wanted to work on a more club/underground record and asked my management if there was anyone suitable/brilliant to collaborate with. They actually had received a demo from Taim, and he kindly agreed to let me add my magic to it and work with him on it. It was excellent and I can’t wait to play this record out at all my upcoming events this year!
Last year you released your debut ‘Sober (La Da Dee)’ with Movada. What did that release mean to you and how was it received by your fans and the dance music world?
I was buzzing when I released this record with Movada; to get such an iconic sample cleared to do this was a dream come true. I have always loved the original Gypsy Woman track by Crystal Waters and as I am always doing edits and remixes, I really wanted to switch this one up. I loved working on this with Movada and bringing all the visions to life. My fans loved it, and on release day, it actually landed straight into the dance charts at number 12 and the top 50 main charts, which was all down to the fans. The track actually went viral on Instagram hitting over 5M views on one of my promo videos! It gained incredible support from, BBC Radio 1, Apple editorial, KISS Fm, ITV Love Island as well as being playlisted on multiple international stations.
There are so many incredible videos of you online, mashing up tracks on the Roland SPD-SX Pro Sampling Pad. Can you walk us through your creative process in reimagining beats?
I’ve always wanted to put my own spin on things, and I love adding more beats to tracks. I love electronic dance music, but I do miss some pure live elements within the instrumentation, so I do this by introducing some live percussion bits and samples. It all starts with taking some of the best elements of one record and mixing it with the best elements of another. I take some of the drums away and build my own in by changing some of the arrangements and making the drums a more prominent aspect. I also might take sample hits and vocal chops and incorporate them into my edits in a different way to the original.
You’ve got a slew of UK festival appearances ahead this summer, including Victorious – that’s a biggie! How do you prepare for a live set – what goes into crafting one? Is it all pre-planned or do you also improvise on the day?
I want to build a journey in my live sets including heavy beats and samples throughout. Some prep goes into my live sets as I like to plan what samples etc. work with different tracks, so there’s some planning element there, but as far as drum samples and percussion bits go, this is pretty much improvised on the day. I do what I feel and bounce off the crowd really. In terms of set list, I have an idea of certain tracks I’d like to include but some I throw in on the day – it’s important to read the crowd at times.
What challenges have you faced in your musical journey so far, and how have you overcome them? Any advice for aspiring artists who might be facing similar challenges?
I think the biggest challenge is staying motivated all the time as this really is a long haul. I think it’s really important to focus on what you are doing as an artist and even though being aware of those around you, to not let any comparison stop you from pushing on. Your time will always come if you stick at your craft. There have been down moments along the way but I then reflect on how far I have come and this has always kept me on track in the past.
How do you approach collaboration with other artists, and do you have any dream collaborations in mind for the future?
I tend to touch base with the majority of the artists I have collaborated with on Instagram direct message! I recently released a track on Love & Other label with singer/songwriter/producer, Jessica Hammond and that all started with an Instagram message saying how much I loved her voice, and would she be up for getting on a track. I like to get in the studio with the artists I collaborate with, however, sometimes I do work with other artists online. My dream collabs would be the likes of Sonny Fodera, Tiësto, Dimitri Vegas and I’d love to do a track with Fred again.., reckon we could cook up some right beats in the studio haha!
Production wise, what should we look out from you, next?
You can expect more music from me! I have a new single which should be dropping before summer, and I can’t wait to get it out. It is one of my favourites to date and I’m really excited to drop it at all my UK summer festival dates this year also.
Thanks for your time, Stephani.
‘Insane’ by Taim x Stephani B is out now on Perfect Havoc. Stream / buy here: https://perfecthavoc.lnk.to/txs.insane.
Follow Stephani B
https://www.instagram.com/stephanibmusic
https://www.facebook.com/StephaniBmusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZLryIPfE_8ow27mc13zizw