Interview By: Justin Duhr(dy)

December 2007: everydayjunglist.org

1. So give us a bit of background info. Where'd you grow up? What were your main influences musically?

I grew up in southwest Germany, between the cities Mannheim and Heidelberg. In the 1991/92 an unknown music style from the UK started making a big noise in Mannheim. It was a unique mix between old acid house elements and high pitched breakbeats, with mickey mouse vocals, pianos, crazy sub-bases and other great mixed samples - the UK breakbeat rave era had just begun and I had the chance to experience the very beginning of it. Mannheim was the fist city in Germany to really embrace the music. It was THE place in Germany to get down. Ask any big UK dj and I guarantee you they know about mannheim!

But before I got in contact with that fresh music style from UK, which grabbed me immediately, I was mostly listening to various hip hop groups like Run.Dmc, Onyx, Naughty by Nature, NWA.... stuff like that.

2. How did you get your start in the jungle/drum-and-bass scene?

Well, the breakbeat era automatically developed into the jungle era in 94 and i was with it. You can say I grew up with this music evolution. From UK-breakbeats, to jungle/drum-and-bass; from child, to a teenager, to adult. I loved it from day one and still do!

3.Tell us a bit about your label, Steppasoundz recordings.

Well, I'd been spinnin records for years and just started to write my own beatz with friends in 1998. The idea of an independently owned label was born soon after that. I launched Steppasoundz Recordings in 2001. The first vinyl release was entitled step001. After that it just went it's own way. More and more international artists got signed to the label and it grew very well. Nowadays the Steppasoundz camp consists of great international artists like Muffler, Heist, CABLE, Noah.d, Burner Brothers, Garon, Noxious & Deadman, Royce, Krasqn, and of course me, myself and I. Im workin on step009 and step010 for late 2007 / early 2008.

4. You're coming to the states in February/March, correct? Is this your first time? And if not, how were your past experiences and what are your plans this time around?

That is correct, it'll actually be my 6th annual tour! I did my first US gig way back in 2000 in Austin, TX, at a big warehouse called Pulse. It was a great experience to play on a different continent and for such great people. I've managed to get back stateside pretty consistently ever since. I love the USA. It's such a great country, and always goodtimes!

As for this tour, it looks like I am playing again in Minneapolis on 2/22 and 2/24; New York on 3/14 and 3/16; w dates in Miami, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and hopefully, many more. It's still a work in progress, so if you're interested in having me, get at me.

5. How does the jungle/drum-and-bass scene in Germany compare to what you find in the US?

When I played the states for the first time in 2000 the scene reminded me of the early 1994 scene in Germany/England. I'd say in the last few years the gap has become less evident. Europe has an older jungle/drum-and-bass history. That's essentially it. The more time that passes, the weaker senior they become. One big difference is the club laws. In Germany the clubs and raves are open from like 11pm till 5am and even longer, whereas most clubs in the states get closed at 2am. This is still weird to me!

6. Any tips for aspiring jungle/drum-and-bass djs/promoters/producers/label owners?

You gotta really love this music and you gotta work really hard to make something out of it! Belive in yourselves, never give up, and you'll make it! Nowadays with the digital revolution and all the internet connections there are more chances than ever to get in touch with the right people.

7. What should we expect from DJ Freesteppa in 2008?

First of all you can expect to see me touring around the states in February/March 2008. Then I'm working on new Steppasoundz releases for the next few months. Also, in 2006 I started to play more and more UK nuskool breaks in addition to my jungle/drum-and-bass sets. So you'll probably see me spinning more nuskool breaks at events as well...

8. Where can we buy Steppasoundz releases?

You can buy the vinyl directly at my distribution partner, nu-urbanmusic (UK) directlink:
http://www.nuurbanmusic.co.uk/shop/index.php?oscsid=b369f0a68aaffeaa7c8bbd4d2f2b6718&cPath=336_468

High quality mp3s of all releases are available through beatport (US) directlink:
https://www.beatport.com/enUS/html/content/label/detail/3240/steppasoundz_recordings

9. Any last words?

For more infos about me and the label feel free to visit the official pages:

www.freesteppa.com
www.steppasoundz.com

or check out the myspace(s) and add me as your friend:

www.myspace.com/freesteppa
www.myspace.com/steppasoundzrecordings


Big-ups to the US DNB massive - I ll see ya soon ...