Little is known about Manchester based Stephanie Sykes. Not one for sharing insignificant details on social media or shouting out about bookings or projects… Don’t be fooled though. Artists of this form are few and far between. Those who know and follow her will testify and speak of an underlying characteristic or attribute that could quite easily be summed up by common words such as Passion, Dedication or even Obsession for Techno music.

Stephanie Sykes spends the majority of her time in the studio creating her own ever evolving unique style. To pigeon hole her sound or give it a specific label would undermine her flexibility and creativeness. Her productions consist of slower, atmospheric and hypnotic pieces as well as driving and relentless 4/4 Techno, with some tracks even carrying a variety of styles to give them that unique and unusual character.

Perhaps this concoction of complimenting sounds is due to a hunger for traveling, exploration, culture and seeking out new experiences across the continent. Stephanie regularly visits Berlin, a city where Techno culture was born with the fall of the wall. A place where she can soak up the atmosphere be it in some of the most iconic clubs in the scene, or simply relaxing in coffee shops and speaking to likeminded people. It’s no surprise that Stephanie takes inspiration from all aspects of her life, not just a single element or particular artist…

Projects are a continued theme throughout Stephanie’s musical conquest. Her involvement in Manchester based brands Adapt and Komme reflect her maintained focus on creating an environment for Techno heads alike. Both brands strive to be different, offering sometimes obscure and innovative line-ups at intimate venues where she can absorb herself in her preferred atmosphere. Stephanie would not consider herself to be a typical feminist, far from it in fact. However she has always been keen to support female artists in her scene and plans to embark on new ventures that promote female talent and their strength in the scene.

To better understand and interpret this unusual and mysterious artist, one would do right by seeing first-hand the kind of captivating presence she has playing live, no doubt enhanced by the fact that her preference is playing records on turntables…