I (Steve Stein) started Ralphie's Bop City in the late 1970's. It played on the
world's telephone lines for approximately 16 years. You'll fnd most of the
story in the frst post on the front page.
I graduated from HS in 1969. Dropped out of Temple University, then dropped
out of Franconia College. Never went back.
Worked as an advertising copywriter for 6 years (Doyle, Dane, Bernbach).
Taught at The School Of Visual Arts. Spent all disposable income on records.
Promoted and DJ’ed dances in Brooklyn and Manhattan, hung out at Negril,
the Roxy. Quit the agency life.
With super partner Double Dee (Douglas DiFranco), co-produced the series of
records known as The Lessons: The Payof Mix, Lesson 2 (The James Brown
Mix), Lesson 3 (The History Of Hiphop) for the Tommy Boy label. These analog
tape cut-and-paste collages, with their eclectic samples, are highly regarded in
the world of hiphop and dance music production. Cited as defntive by DJ
Shadow, Cut Chemist, Fatboy Slim.
Freelanced as creative consultant in the early days of cable TV to MTV, VH1,
Nickelodeon, Lifetime, Showtime, The Movie Channel. Wrote and produced TV
commercials, radio commercials, and industrial flms. Spent all disposable
income on records.
As a solo producer, assembled The Motorcade Sped On, turning historic
broadcasts of the Kennedy assasination into a hiphop record. The NME (UK
music magazine) gave away a quarter-million copies of the recording.
Engineered and mixed by Craig Bevan, who also designed this website.
Produced We’ll Be Right Back for Island Records. Music and video of this
advertising satire were licensed to Ovaltine UK for television advertising for 6
months. Go fgure.
Solo productions for Ninjatune include It’s Up To You
and I’m Wild About That
Thing , a satire on sex licensed to Pretty Polly Bras (UK) for TV advertising
campaign.
Reunited with Double Dee to produce Jazz for Tommy Boy’s 10th Anniversary.
Recent audio work at Soundcloud
Other work includes:
Remix of Relax (Frankie Goes To Hollywood) for the flm Zoolander, coproduced
with The Ill Chemist.
Burning Out Of Control, an album length mix of the Sugarhill Records catalogue
for the Antidote label (UK)
12” collage Ain’t No Thing for the Stone’s Throw release of The Third Unheard
(Connecticut Rap) compilation.
Nothing To Fear , a mix CD reviewed favorably by The Wire, Entertainment
Weekly, The Village Voice, URB, Salon.com, Metro, and Hiphop Connection.
What Does It All Mean? , a retrospective 2 CD set on Illegal Art released in the
US in early summer 2008. Extensively reviewed, varying from 8.7 on Pitchfork
to 4 stars in Rolling Stone, Reissue Of The Year in Spin.
Toured 2005 - 2012 as hiphop/electronic DJ, playing club and festival dates in
the UK, Europe, Russia, Africa, and Australia, including WOMAD, Bud Rising,
Coca Cola Urban Arts Festival, Glasgow Jazz Festival, Fabric, Cinefest Italia,
Festival Della Creativita, WOMAD UK, Picnik Elektronik.
From 1992 - 1995, I produced A Rough Mix, a weekly one-hour freeform radio
show for WFMU in New Jersey. I still produce occasional pieces for broadcast
as well as the net streams.
Interviewed in the documentary film Scratch.
Currently with the Serious Acoustics Project, supporting outstanding luthiers in
the world of fne handmade stringed instruments.