Master Stepz
'Drive time' radio
shows; a DJing diary that's almost fully booked with dates for here and
abroad;
studio-time producing
future hits and mixing a forthcoming mix CD/DVD for Zoo Enterprises...
you have
just entered the world
of Master Stepz! Master Stepz is officially hot property and the smoke's
only just
started rising! With
a nomination for best newcomer at the Ericson Musik Magazine awards 2000
firmly
under his belt and
the eagerly anticipated launch of his mix album "REAL GARAGE" (released
March
2001 on the Ministry
of Sound label) he has burst on to the scene with real presence and has
left
everyone asking, "where
has he come from?"
But Stepz is definitely
not new to this. He started out as a Hip-Hop dancer and as his name implies
this
fifteen-year old was
a master of the dance floor. It was during these days that he and Tim Westwood
became friends; going
to hip-hop jams together. From hip-hop he moved on to Drum and bass after
some encouragement
from his cousin and Drum & Bass producer, Shy FX. In '95 Stepz made
the
switch to the Garage
scene, which was still in its early stages. Stepz, confident in his DJing
skills,
established himself
as a DJ and his name began popping up on a few flyers. 1999 & Y2K saw
Stepz
make an indelible
impression on the UK Garage scene and there's no doubt that 2001 will that
a few
more feathers are
added to Stepz cap . . . possibly even a 'best newcomer' award!
If you go to a rave
to hear Master Stepz play you can defiantly expect to have a good time.
Stepz has
become known for playing
a good mix of 'old-school' tunes, cutting edge 2-step grooves and lively
4/4
beats. You may even
hear an R 'n' B track but definitely no gimmicky tunes here! His versatility
may be
the reason he was
chosen to mix the front cover CD of Mixmag's May edition. Perhaps the secret
of his
newfound success is
that Stepz just plays what he would like to hear if he was on the dance
floor.
Whatever the reason,
his following is fast growing! Stepz is one of the few DJ's to get a mention
from
the Dreem Teem's DJ
Spoony who believes Stepz is one to watch for the New Year! (See Touch
magazine, DJ magazine
and Loaded)
A radio show on Choice
FM, the UK's largest urban music network, was something Stepz had only
dreamt about. But
in May 2000 Stepz was offered a 2-day drive time slot on Choice 107.1 and
his
dream became reality,
allowing Master Stepz to increase his fan base and air his productions
(The
ever popular 'Melody'
and club smash hit 'R U Ready' featuring Richie Dan). Stepz's show is full
of
variety and often
includes live guests who have included Wookie, Mis-teeq and the Genius
Kru. Stepz
is committed to his
show and has been known to turn down a few dates in Ayia Napa and Rhodes
to
make sure he is able
to do his show. His dedication and preparation are paying off, and as the
figures
show that Stepz's
show is a success!
Besides mixing the
album for Ministry of Sound, he has been busy in studio working on single
featuring
the vocal talents
of Celicia entitled 'sorry (you lied to me)', which will be on the well
respected 4 Liberty
label. This is just
the beginning, Stepz has been offered album and single deals from major
record
labels, and he is
just waiting for the right opportunity. To some it may seem as if Stepz
has just
appeared out of no-where,
and won't be around for long. But to those in the know it is quite obvious,
Stepz is a Veteran
in the making who's going to be around for the long haul.
It is only a matter
of time B 4 Stepz will have everyone moving to his 'melody'; the question
is 'R U
Ready?'
MASTER- STEPZ First
gracing the decks at the
tender age of 11, by 16
Master Stepz was already
playing out on a professional
level. At this time he was a
hip-hop and R'n'b specialist
who branched into production
even then, prefering to create
his own blend of UK R'n'B
rather than buying in all the
American imports. As a
professional dancer between
1990 and 1993 he could regular be seen on tour with the
likes of Public Enemy and Silver Bullet, in stage shows
and in numerous pop videos for stars such as Soul II
Soul.
It was in 1995 that he made the move to garage. His first
production 'Melody' featuring Splash became a firm
favourite in the boxes of all top jocks which put him on the
map, as did his second club hit 'R U Ready' featuring
Richie Dan - a 1999 carinival stormer which led to over 40
P.A.'s nationwide. Both Tracks were later featured on the
best Pure Silk compilation album. More recently, Stepz
has been drafted into remix for Bad Boy no less, and for
a pop group called pleasure.
Now a regular at all the main garage promotions
throughout the summer seasons in both Ayia Napa and
Ibiza and more recently in Germany as the sound of
underground UK spreads ever onwards. Currently in the
process of setting up his own label, Masterstepz will be in
the forefront once again in the new millenium with further
realeases sheduled in the near future with other new
vocal talents and look forward to a new track alongside
Miss Kelly Le Roc.
When he's not working or in the gym, you'll find stepz
chilling at home watching videos - he's a film fanatic -
perhaps we'll see him in a starring role sometime soon....
Masterstepz
After ending his 5-7pm radio show down at the
Choice fm studios on a bitterly cold Tuesday
night, a rather tired and slightly irritable
Masterstepz would probably rather go home
and draw some zeds. Instead, this gentleman
saw the need to satisfy this damsel in distress
and therefore obliged me with this interview!
Luvverly!!! You may or may not be aware, but
East London DJ extraordinaire, Masterstepz is
one of the leading Garage DJ's around at the
moment. So, I thought it necessary to go in
search of this young man...and find out what he's
been up to!
Phatmag: What's been happening with you
these days then 'Stepz?
Masterstepz: Working...DJ'ing, producing,
radio show, agency, promotion, everything. I'm
doing a lot at the moment.
(That lot just reeled off the tongue nicely... I was
frothing at the mouth in anticipation waiting to
hear more...)
Phatmag: It looks as though you've reached a
high point in your career right now, but do you
consider yourself to be successful?
Masterstepz: Partly, there's much more room
for Masterstepz. I'm just at the early stages of my
career and I know, things are going to get bigger
and better as time goes on.
Phatmag: What big plans do you have for
2001?
Masterstepz: Well, like I mentioned before the
record label and club promotion. That's what I'm
really focussing on at the moment.
Phatmag: What about the lucrative area of
remixing, would this be something you'd
consider to give you further exposure?
Masterstepz: Yes. Well, I've already remixed
tracks for... Celetia, Kele le Rock, Devante &
Tonto Metro, Sounds of Blackness 'you are the
one'... last year and there are plans to get
involved in some other projects in the future.
Phatmag: '2000' certainly was a good year for
compilations, some of the better comps put
together by EZ, Ramsey & Fen, Artful Dodger...
Would you consider doing a mix album?
Masterstepz: Yes. As it goes...I've just
completed a compilation for Zoo
entertainments, which is due out in February. I'm
doing some mixing on the album along with
Mike 'Ruff Cut' Lloyd and Bobby & Steve. The
content of this compilation is different to what is
usually found on compilation albums these
days. My style is on a UK Garage tip, with more
vocals rather than that dark and hard sounding
vibe. I only really mixed one or two US tracks
because obviously that's more Bobby &
Steve's style on the album.
Phatmag: Wait a minute!!! 'Stepz' has only
gone and secured himself a two album
compilation deal with bloody 'Ministry of Sound'
ennit? There's no stopping him is there???
Come on tell me more Stepz!!!???
Masterstepz: mmmh, It'll basically be a mix
album with dub-plates, jingles and lots of
gimmicks...for example; there's snippets of 'Me
phoning up one of my mc's and chatting to 'em
on the phone. I really want this album to be more
than a mix album, I want people to be
entertained by it.
Phatmag: At which point did you recognise
your love for music and make a decision that
you wanted to pursue a music career?
Masterstepz: I started DJ'ing on two turntables
at the age of 11. But, before that I'd always had a
love for music. I grew up in a family of music
lovers. I used to watch when my uncle used to
play sound system with one turntable... I just
knew from there that I wanted to do music.
Phatmag: A little birdie told me that you once
toured around Europe with Public Enemy as a
dancer, you danced for Silver bullet, the reggae
philharmonic orchestra, Junior Giscombe, and
many more... and I here you earned the name
'Stepz' cos you had some 'bad boy'
moves...ansa mi supp'n, 'yu is superman???'
Masterstepz: Umm...er...no. It's true though,
you done your research ennit?
Phatmag: What style of music did you grow up
on?
Masterstepz: A lot of reggae, yeah
definitely...lovers, 70's and 80's soul. People like
Loose Ends, Temptations, Barry White, the list
goes on...But, all that kind of music, probably a
lot like what you grew up on. (Actually...My first
record was 'Shy boy' by Bananarama...little did
he know!)
(This is where I get a bit faaaas' and start fe pry
'ina 'im business...)
Phatmag: Have you ever worked a boring 9-5
job before or have you always had the luxury of
earning a living from your first love... music?
Masterstepz: Oh, yeah! business admin for a
newspaper called 'Hackney Gazette'...It was
very boring and tedious...Have you seen that
film'Ground Hog Day'? It was like that... Where
you just wake up and do the same thing every
day...I couldn't deal with it! I've also worked as a
sales exec for a cable company...suited up an'
all dat! Yeah...I've done my fair share.
Phatmag: Were you DJ'ing whilst enslaved in
your 9-5 job?
Masterstepz: Only really at the weekend. We
mostly did house parties, sometimes I'd DJ at
my friend Don's Dad's pub and put on my own
gigs.
Phatmag: How did the transition from soul and
reggae to garage come about?
Masterstepz: Just listening to music really. My
cousin Shy-Fx used to DJ in a reggae sound
and he knew I could DJ, so we hooked up and
formed a sound called Diamond Touch It was
really a reggae sound. He had it in his head that
he was going to be a big time producer one day
so he started to make jungle and by this time, I
thought it was the worst music ever, but you
know what? He proved me wrong. The jungle
scene became big and then me and my mate
Don (also sitting in the studio nodding in
agreement) went to our first big jungle rave
'Desert storm' Which was at Roller Express in
North London. It was so different from the regular
raves like Bel Air, Roseberry's...Roller Express
had the most amazing lights, back drops and all
that... Me and Don used to go into the small
garage rooms on the sly, where it was empty
and take in the music... But really, the interest
started from a fairly young age, so I wouldn't say
that I jumped on the bandwagon.
Phatmag: How do you view the UK Garage
scene at the moment?
Masterstepz: In London it's a bit messed up,
because where it got so popular... everyone
was talking about it and everyone jumped on it.
Then all the bad guys came and they would
start fighting and bring their problems to the
clubs.
Phatmag: How do you think we can turn it
around? Do you think it's possible?
Masterstepz: I can see it moving on already,
definitely. There's absolutely nothing going in
London at the moment. There's nothing
happening on Friday nights... Now, I'm DJ'ing a
lot outside of London because that's my job. I
have to travel. I really don't think people are up
for jumping in their cars and travelling 110 miles
to rave. I don't think so. These bad elements are
going to realise that there is nothing going on in
London so they'll go and look for another scene
to move onto.
See...people say that the problem is Garage.
The problem isn't garage. The problem is the
'bad element'. These guys have gone from
Rampage to Tim Westwood to reggae to Jungle
to garage...It happens on every scene at some
point. I do think that some promoters get lazy,
slack and greedy. They let anyone through the
door. It used to be stricter... where they wouldn't
let you into a club if you were wearing jeans,
trainers, caps or hooded tops, it doesn't seem
important now. I think you're less likely to get
trouble from a guy dressed in a suit, another
suggestion could be changing the music policy
to a more vocal, uplifting style of music and
tighter door control. Who knows?
Phatmag: Was there one track that smashed it
for you in 2000?
Masterstepz: There isn't just one tune because
there were so many excellent tracks throughout
the year. But there is one track that was out the
year before last and I was still playing it last
year, that was the Wookie remix of Angel that
was one of the best garage tunes' of all time ...It's
musical and it's such a sexy record.
Phatmag: Which garage producers do you
enjoy listening to?
Masterstepz: Artful Dodger, Wookie, Club
Asylum, yeah MJ Cole's good, he's very
musical. I like anyone that comes out with a
good musical track that doesn't sound as though
it's been put together in two hours. I'm not really
down with the 007's, all dat stuff' is too dark for
me...
Phatmag: Are you off to that little 'Garage
haven' Ayia Napa again this year then?
Masterstepz: Yeah. Ayia Napa in the summer
and also the Miami Music Winter conference in
March. I was DJ'ing in Amsterdam on New years
eve in a seven arena conference centre. There
was a crowd of about 40,000 people in total and
it was a nice vibe. The people were cool...
Phatmag: With a hectic schedule like yours,
how do you like to wind down?
Masterstepz: I don't really rave, because
where I play music all week...the last thing I want
to do is go to a club. I prefer to go to the cinema,
stay at home and chill or work in my studio. I
sometimes work out at home doing press ups,
sit ups and weights, although one of my New
Year resolutions is to start going to the gym...
Phatmag:...and the other resolution?
Masterstepz: Organise my days better!
Definitely.
Phatmag: Do you enjoy the female attention
you're getting and is there anything about your
DJ life that surprises you...?
Masterstepz: Nah...not really. You see I've got
a girlfriend and no one compares to her...
(dat's what we like to hear ennit sistrens!!!???)
Yeah. There was one occasion where I was
DJ'ing at a club and a girl stepped up to the DJ
box, opened it up and grabbed me...she
wouldn't let go! That shocked me! And the fact
that people ask me for my autograph! Surprises
me...Although, that mostly happens out of
London. I must admit it makes me feel as though
I've achieved something when that happens. I
don't really get much of that kind of attention in
London. People from London are different.
Phatmag: Have you made any television
appearances? Like some of your counterparts,
would you give presenting a shot?
Masterstepz: Yeah. I'm going to be DJ'ing
alongside Lonyo on Nickolodeon, I've made a
few appearances on MTV select already with
Richard Blackwood, Rapture TV, Clubavision. It
would be nice to do my own show one day,
yeah.
Phatmag: Who are you going to be producing/
collaborating with on your new label and what's
the concept?
Masterstepz: I'll be working with Lonyo, PSG,
Nadia, Kelly, Splash and a few others. I don't
really want to let off too much information just
yet...Only that I want to put out different genres of
music on my label, I just wanna take it to another
level. I've got a track coming out in May, but
again...I can't say too much about that. I wanna
just creep in the back door and surprise
everyone, d'ya know what I mean?
Phatmag: What's this new club night you're
promoting then?
Masterstepz: I decided to put on my own
night...I can't really say too much about it, but It is
a garage/r'n'b night. A classy affair called
'Glamorous' held once a month @ an exclusive/
secret venue. There'll be celebrities and invited
guests only. We've had Audley Harrison,
Richard Blackwood, June Sarpong, Jason
Ewell, Celestine Babayaro, Lonyo, The honeys
and lots of others that have come down....This is
about the third month it's been going now and we
have had a good turn out. It's a good night!
Phatmag: Where do you see yourself a few
years down the road?
Masterstepz: I like to take each day as it
comes. I'm thinking of the long term when I make
decisions and I am lucky enough to have friends
that can advise me on financial and business
issues. 'I intend to make Masterstepz's career
last as long as possible...' ...
So, in addition to building a successful
radio/Club DJ career with his Monday and
Tuesday night 5-7pm shows on Choice fm
107.1fm...he's got the Bobby & Steve
compilation coming out in Feb! Ministry of Sound
compilations, also out in Feb! New record label!
(un-named as yet), remixes! club
promotions!...and television appearances!
Sounds like dis brotha's out to conquer the
world!!!
'Stepz! Thanx for reaching my 'G-spot' it was fun
gassing wiv ya...and all the best to you baby!!!
Anyway, my luvverlies! I'll be back in a fortnight
with a full report on the celeb night 'Glamorous'
(yes! Flashed some flesh...not really...lyrics and
got a VIP, not bad going, eh?) So I'll hopefully
give you the low down (gossip...) from the night,
celeb interviews and more...er...that's if I don't get
totally mangled on the night! Not really Phatmag!
I promise to behave and do what I have been
told and come back with a FULL report and
pikkies, You never know, you never know! Pigs
might fly and I might not drink and make a
spectacle of myself!...yeah Right mate!!! Anyway,
be good and See y'all very soon! Luv ya! Drea
xx.
Heute, mit 25 Jahren, ist Masterstepz einer der derzeit gefragtesten
DJs, Producer und
Remixer. Sein Leben dreht sich fast nur noch um Promos,
TPs, White Labels und 'drive time' Radio-Shows. Sein
DJing-Terminkalender ist fast ausgebucht mit Gigs im UK
und im Ausland, und eine Mix-CD/DVD f?r Zoo Enterprises
steht in den Startl?chern.
Stepz, b?rgerlich Ian Thompson, begann als
HipHop-T?nzer, und kam so zu seinem Pseudonym, weil er
bereits mit 15 Jahren ein Master auf dem Dancefloor
war, der die unglaublichsten Moves beherrschte. In
diesen Tagen freundete er sich mit Tim Westwood an, und
sie besuchten zusammen HipHop-Jams. Vom HipHop kam er
wenig sp?ter zum Drum'n'Bass, ma?geblich beeinflu?t von
seinem ?lteren Cousin, dem ber?hmten
Drum'n'Bass-Produzenten Shy FX.
Ende 1995 begann Masterstepz sich f?r die noch junge
Speed Garage-Szene zu interessieren, und verbesserte
als Teil von ihr rasch seine DJ-Skills. Zwei Jahre
sp?ter erschien sein Name erstmals als Top-Act auf
diversen Flyern in London.
Von einer eigenen Show auf Choice FM, dem gr??ten
Urban-Music-Network
im UK, h?tte er
damals noch nicht
zu tr?umen
gewagt, aber im
Mai 2000 wurde
genau dies wahr:
Er bekam eine
zweimal
w?chentlich
angesetzte Drive
time-Show auf
Choice FM 107,1
angeboten. Sein
Ruf als
Radio-Resident
lie? seinen
Bekanntheitsgrad
und seine FanBase
betr?chtlich
anwachsen, und
verschaffte
seinen
Eigenproduktionen
wie "Melody" oder dem Club-Anthem "R U ready?" (zusammen mit Richie
Dan) hervorragende
Verkaufszahlen.
Masterstepz f?hlt sich daher seiner Show auf Choice FM loyal verpflichtet,
und mu?te einige
Dates auf Ayia Napa und Rhodes absagen, um seinen Sendeterminen in
London gerecht zu werden.
Aber die H?rerzahlen sprechen f?r sich, und belegen, da? seine Show
- ebenso wie Stepz'
T?tigkeit als Remixer - von der Szene ?u?erst gut angenommen werden