Stephani B On Her Latest Single “Blade” (Interview)

Hailing from Manchester, UK, Stephani B is carving out a unique place in the industry. She seamlessly blends live drumming, sampling, and DJing to create performances that are as innovative as they are captivating. Her hybrid approach, originally unveiled on socials during lockdown, has since earned her a devoted fanbase of over a million, and an ambassador role for Roland’s SPD-SX Pro Sampling Pad.

Stephani B’s rise in 2024 was nothing short of extraordinary. A standout year saw her gain immense traction on BBC Radio 1 and break into the Shazam UK Top 100, while her electrifying performances took her to Tomorrowland’s Freedom Stage, Victorious Festival and Space Ibiza, cementing her status as a rising star in dance music.

Her 2023 debut single, the club-ready “Sober (La Da Dee)”, helped set the stage, and only a short while later, her growing success was nothing short of extraordinary. From gaining immense traction on national radio, spinning electrifying performances at Tomorrowland, Ministry of Sound London and Eden Ibiza, and receiving such heavyweight support on productions from Steve Aoki, Lucas & Steve and Oliver Heldens, Stephani B has cemented her status as a rising star in dance music.

On the release of her latest single “Blade”, a thrilling rework of the cult-classic “Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction)” by New Order, we found time to get to know Stephani B.

Nocturnal Times: Congrats on your remake of the all-time classic ‘Blade’. How does its sound reflect your evolution as an artist and the current trends in hard techno?

Stephani B: I’ve always loved this record, and I’ve always played the original in my DJ sets. I wanted to make a fresh version, specifically for my sets. I wanted that classic 303 sound with a punchy baseline and drums which were full of energy and hit differently to the original on the drop.

I think as an artist I am always evolving and pushing the boundaries of dance music and its genres, which is what I’ve done with this remake. I think it fits right in with today’s trends as a fast paced, energetic and pretty aggressive production which I think would make a moment to remember in live shows.

Nocturnal Times: It’s been getting support from Steve Aoki, Lucas & Steve and Ferry Corsten. How does it feel to have such heavyweights support your music?

Stephani B: Yeah, it’s great! These are the artists I look up to and it’s mad to think they’ve actually wanted to play my tune. Feels good to have such support like that in this stage of my career and I hope Blade will continue to push onto more and more DJs within the scene!

Nocturnal Times: How did you get into music – where did your journey begin?

Stephani B: My journey goes all the way back to my school days. I remember getting my first laptop at 12 and straight away downloading Logic and began learning how to produce. My dad was a rock here with supporting me in these early days with getting me my first bits of equipment. I think he was soo happy that I was actually pretty decent at something as I wasn’t great at much and really struggled in school. He really helped to encourage everything in the early days.

I then went onto having drum lessons in school as well which helped to progress my understanding of music. I spent years in and out of bands, I used to say yes to everything as I just wanted to play music no matter what was involved. I then went onto study at LIPA University in Liverpool and this is when I believe I really found myself more as an artist. I went onto producing a lot more dance/electronic music and started to incorporate drum sampling into my DJing.

Nocturnal Times: Your live drumming adds a unique touch to your DJ sets and production. Where did you learn to drum like that?

Stephani B: I have always been a drummer and since starting lessons at school I also went through all my grades and got to grade 8 when I was 15. I have such a love for the instrument, and it will always be a part of what I do in some way. The idea to add it to my DJ sets felt a bit rogue at first, but dance music is all about the heavy four-to-the-floor kick drum with rhythmic beats – so why not just take that further in my live shows? I still continue to do my drum rudiments every day to keep my speed up and push my skills on the pad.

Nocturnal Times: As a female musician with hundreds of thousands of followers, do you see yourself as a role model to the next generation of artists?

Stephani B: Yeah, I would love to think so! I think the power of social media nowadays means the opportunities for female musicians are endless. I do get a lot of messages from really young female musicians and parents of which are inspired by what I do and are buying their daughters drum pads which is mad – it’s such a massive compliment. I mean, when I was in school and even through uni there were no female drummers or DJs that I really knew of at the time, so it’s great to see more of that now and I do think social media has really opened the doors up more for that.

Nocturnal Times: What was it like stepping onto Freedom Stage at Tomorrowland? Talk us through that experience.

Stephani B: It was an incredible feeling, and full of many different emotions. For nearly every DJ, Tomorrowland is like a bucket-list moment, and I felt like I got to achieve that goal pretty early in my career. I do suffer with a bit of imposter syndrome, so I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t really emotional but it was the best experience of my life and I’m forever grateful to Tomorrowland for giving me not only the opportunity to play there, but actually on the Freedom stage which was just crazy.

I wasn’t even able to see the crowd and stage until I was actually changing over from the DJ before me – I came up through the stage lift and straight on to the stage, which was a bit mad! It will take a lot to top that gig. And the response from the arena was just insane. I thought it might be quite empty with me having quite an early slot, but it really wasn’t – it was such an overwhelming experience!

Nocturnal Times: You’re signed to Perfect Havoc, the label famed for breaking Joel Corry. How has your relationship with Perfect Havoc impacted your career and artistic growth?

Stephani B: I am so happy that I met the guys at Perfect Havoc. It’s really nice and refreshing to have people believe in your project just as much as yourself and always be available, never mind the time or the day. I know they support me a lot and most of all, I feel that they believe in what I do, the project, and fully support my wishes and views; they’re all-round great people. They have opened doors that I didn’t think were possible and given me opportunities to work with so many amazing people. I’m always bouncing ideas off them and pushing the projects’ boundaries every day.

Nocturnal Times: What advice would you give to emerging artists looking to make their mark in dance music?

Stephani B: I think be true to yourself and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. There’s a massive power in social media these days and there’s nothing stopping anybody from showing what they can do creatively and build a fanbase. Hard work is a given in this industry as well as being consistent in what you are trying to achieve. You want to always be ready as well. You never know when certain opportunities are going to arise, so you want to be ready with tracks, building social presence and being skilled in what you do.

Nocturnal Times: Looking ahead, what can we expect from Stephani B in 2025?

Stephani B: You can expect a lot more music from me. I have got a string of releases on Perfect Havoc and other labels this year which I can’t wait to share with everyone. I’ve been working hard on so many tracks so this year you’ll see more music releases than ever from me!
I also have some cool festivals this year, including the likes of Lost Minds Festival in Newcastle UK and Stalyfest in my hometown, with more to be announced!