Stereo 8’s connection with Finger Lickin’ can be traced back in the sands of time to when they invited Soul of Man and Plump DJs to play at their legendary Bristol breaks club BlowPop. As confirmed party animals, the cider-swilling Bristol boys knew they had found some fellow cohorts, and the rest, as they don’t say, is best left censored. Excursions to BlowPop became the norm and the two gangs have since stuck together like Velcro Fasteners.
The three members of Stereo 8 are bred from different musical backgrounds. Simon and Julian were born out of the early 90s House era whereas Tom’s passion for hip-hop and funk had inspired him to develop compulsory scratching skills akin to every head-nodding beat freak. His style carves a serious groove into Stereo 8’s sets at every party. The threesome has residencies at the world famous Blue Mountain club and now the vast confines of Bristol Academy. Stereo 8 have exhibited themselves at festivals including Glastonbury, Essential, V, and headlined the BlowPop tent at the Ashton Court Festival. Guest spots in London’s Mass, Brixton, Fabric and Headstart at Turnmills have been their home away from home.
Joining forces in 1996, the trio launched their first promotion and residency at Club Loco in Bristol. The night was a reflection of then emerging big beat, bringing Cutmaster Swift, Krash Slaughta, Athletico, Danmass, and Bolshi Records as their guests of honour. Early in 1998, the trio formed BlowPop with Bristol’s dope funk and hip-hop man of plastic, John Stapleton. The long running and hugely influential club night can claim responsibility for the large nu-skool and tech-breaks scene that has evolved in Bristol since its humble conception.
Hearing the calling to make the transit from DJs to producers, Stereo 8 turned their attention to the dark recesses of basement studio life. Laying out all combined past influences and present inspirations the lads sequenced their very first record, released in November ’02. ‘Groove Diggin’ and ‘Get Above Yourself’ were instant wildfire, getting the boys play from Plump DJs, Ali B,Tayo, and a guest mix on Annie Nightingale’s show. This was followed by the track “Can’t Stop” which got to No.1 in the DJ Mag Beats and Breaks chart and also in the Capital Radio club chart – and it was only their second release! 2004 has seen the boys climbing up the DJ ladder with gigs all over the world including Australia, Europe and Japan. They have just completed a remix for the kings of cool – Orbital which has already received rave reviews from some of the world’s top jocks. Hernan Cattaneo immediately charted it and is banging it out around the globe. With these promising beginnings, these boys look set to go far.
TO BOOK STEREO 8 CONTACT ABEL@FINGERLICKIN.CO.UK
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Stereo 8 Singles
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Stereo 8 Remixes
- Orbital – One Perfect Sunrise
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