STACEY JAMES
Some people are born into music, It runs in their blood before it runs in their fingers.
Stacey James grew up with a father and uncle who played blues guitar and sang with the kind of
honesty that only comes from a life fully lived. Before he could read music he could feel it.
His father played records from legends like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Fats Domino, BB King, Rollin Stones, Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Jerry Lee Lewis and Status Quo and something in the boy
recognised what he was hearing as the most truthful language he had ever encountered.
Then came the tapes.
Early recordings of Dr Dre, NWA and Snoop Dogg arrived and hit differently. West Coast
hip hop production precise, powerful, built from the ground up with nothing but vision
and dedication. That collision of blues soul and hip hop created something in
Stacey James that could not be categorised.
Then Marbella.
In the early 1990s Stacey James arrived on the Spanish coast and did something nobody
had done before, he brought rhythm and blues to a scene that had never heard it
presented that way. He became a pioneer before the word meant anything to him. He just
knew what he loved and he played it.
What followed was a career that took him across the world.
Estonia, Spain, Morocco, The United Kingdom, Stages and venues that most people only read about. Ministry of Sound, Nikki Beach Ibiza., Funky Buddha Marbella, Opera Room, Aqwa Mist, Mirage. Night after night, city after city,
building something real through pure consistency and craft.
Stacey James has performed alongside some of the biggest names in the music industry. 50 Cent, Pharrell Williams, Chris Brown, Jason Derulo, Tyga, Ne-Yo, Kid Ink, Omarion, DJ Snake, Kano, Lethal Bizzle, Tinie Tempah, Black Eyed Peas, Ice T, Rudimental, Clean Bandit, Mario, Amerie, Norris Da Boss, Pide Piper, Funky Smith, Heartless Crew, Mc DT, Mc PSG, Mc Creed, Mc Sparks and Mc Kie artists who filled arenas and defined eras.
Stacey James stood on those stages and held his own because he had earned the right to be there.
Whilst in Marbella he would attend music production courses at Audiotematica and Muziluz with teachers Alex Gomez. Miguel Picasso and his piano teacher Simon Coles. Labels came. Cr2 Records. Safir Muzik. Asane Records. Radio stations followed, Beach Grooves Marbella, Supreme FM London, his music reaching across airwaves to people who did not yet know his name but felt something when they heard the sound.
Then he built.
After his DJ residency at Nikki Beach Ibiza, he spent six months on the island hanging out with DJs and producers, learning about the music industry. He then played his last residency at Mirage Marbella and performed a set at the Weekend Festival in Estonia, before flying back to England to set up his music studio. He decided to get locked in with music production, spending years producing different genres, with rappers, singers, musicians and engineers, learning, failing, starting again, and getting better, quietly and consistently.
During his time in England Stacey James studied music theory, blues, song writing and poetry at the Open University and now has fused blues with deep house and electronic dance music, creating a unique sound he truly loves, and one that aligns perfectly with his musical journey.
The journey has come full circle.
The blues was always the beginning and the end.
LYP
LYP, that’s an unusual name! How did that come about? Well ...
Stuart Braybrooke (artist name LYP) was playing as part of Fatboy Slim’s Palookaville tour. In the green room Norm was looking through the list of artists playing that evening and asked “who is Stuart Braybrooke? That’s a rubbish name, nobody will remember that”. He had a point. In a long search for an original name with meaning he chose to use Lemon Yellow Pea which came from a friend’s child who would sing Lemon Yellow Pea instead of LMNOP when singing her ABC alphabet song. Lemon Yellow Pea has evolved into a record label while LYP is one artist’s name used by Stuart.
As a producer he has progressed his style into a sound which best reflects his life journey and intentions. Moving away from the typical club sound and into the realm of the deeper and emotive side of house music. The music is reflective and submerssive for the listener, with each track heavily based in emotion and thought, rather than logic and cliché. Allow your mind to go deep with the music. Bridge the gap between logic and emotion.
Don’t get me wrong the dance floor is still a home to LYP, but the artist is creating music as art, which means something different to each person, rather than focussing on how to move the masses.
FLIPSTATE
Born out of decades of DJing and production, Flipstate emerged in the 90s playing breakbeat under another alias, influenced by Stanton Warriors, DJ Wally, DJ Icey, and Felipe Volumen. Rooted in the UK Breaks scene and shaped by time spent in the south of Spain raving at festivals like Satisfaxion in Granada with friends the love for electronic music ran deep long before Flipstate took form.
That foundation shows. Over 100 original productions ready to release, remixes for LYP and SOTE that demonstrate versatility and technical understanding built from years of genuine craft. Now releasing through Misneach Recordings, an independent label built from the ground up.
Flipstate carries the electronic underground breaks, precise and built for ravers.
S.O.T.E
S.O.T.E — Salt of the Earth — was born from a lifelong journey through music, culture, and connection. Founded by James Padovani and Stuart Braybrooke, it's more than a project — it's a story of experiences, people, dancefloors, and moments shaped by sound.
James's journey began in the late 90s in London, immersing himself in the UK's underground music scene garage, drum and bass, house, and pirate radio. Club nights ignited his passion, creating unforgettable feelings of connection, energy, and movement that would shape the course of his life.
At Rapture Records in Colchester, James's understanding of music deepened, leading to a role managing garage distribution. Surrounded by vinyl and immersed in emerging sounds, he developed an instinct for what moved crowds. This environment cultivated his DJ career, which quickly expanded across the UK and internationally, with performances in Ayia Napa, Marbella, and Zante, forging lifelong friendships and connections through shared musical experiences.
Years behind the decks inspired a natural progression into music production. Partnering with Stuart Braybrooke, they created S.O.T.E, blending UK Garage foundations with house, liquid drum and bass, soulful vocals, and modern electronic influences. Their sound gained recognition for its energy, emotion, and authenticity. When Covid-19 brought live events to a halt, the duo dedicated themselves fully to production, collaborating with artists and refining the sound that defines S.O.T.E today.
Today, S.O.T.E embodies connection, emotion, energy, and storytelling. While rooted in UK Garage culture, their passion extends into liquid drum and bass, soulful vocals, and emotionally driven electronic music. Through headphones, vinyl, clubs, festivals, and intimate listening sessions, they strive to create moments that resonate, inspire, and unite.
For S.O.T.E, music is about losing yourself in the moment, dancing freely, rediscovering forgotten tracks, fusing genres, and creating lasting memories with others. It is about the connections formed on dancefloors, through speakers, and across generations of music lovers.
The journey continues, and the future of music is limitless.
