Bobby & Steve

Bobby & Steve

Bobby & Steve are a UK dance music duo made up of twin brothers Robert Lavinière and Steven Lavinière. They begin DJing in East London and develop a long career around soulful house, garage, disco, funk and classic soul.

Early background and DJ work

Raised in London’s East End, they are influenced by soul artists including Teddy Pendergrass, Loose Ends, The Chi-Lites, Leroy Burgess, McFadden & Whitehead, Barry White, Thelma Houston and The Jones Girls. In 1984 they play their first regular DJ job at Simpson’s Wine Bar in Forest Gate. They then start hosting warehouse parties in London, sharing bills with DJs including Norman Jay, Linden C and Trevor “Madhatter” Nelson.

Radio and club nights

After Gordon Mac offers them a slot, they launch the Zoo Experience on Kiss FM, later described as the station’s longest-running specialist show. It airs on Friday nights between 10pm and midnight. They also run Klub Zoo, first at Munkberry’s in 1988 and later at the Soho Theatre, where the night mixes classic soul, disco and early house music. Klub Zoo helps establish UK club culture around house and garage.

Following a trip to New York and Paradise Garage, they focus on garage music and launch Garage City, a long-running Saturday night event built around soulful, funky and uplifting house and garage. The night runs for 12 years and features guests including Louie Vega, Tony Humphries, Eric Morillo, Todd Terry and Danny Tenaglia. Garage City also has two seasons at Es Paradis in Ibiza, and later a 10 Years of Garage City album mixed by the duo on Defected Records.

Other events and residencies

They organise Summervibes, a two-day weekender made in association with the Southport Weekender team at Pontins in Camber Sands. They also launch Soul Heaven with Oli White in 2001 at the Ministry of Sound, with Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez at the opening event and later guests including DJ Spen, Terry Hunter and Louie Vega. Soul Heaven later becomes a monthly fixture at the Ministry. The duo also holds a five-year exclusive residency at Mazoon in Italy, performs for 13 summers at venues in Ibiza including El Divino, Pacha, Es Paradis and Amnesia, and appears at clubs and events in the UK and abroad.

Labels, releases and production

In 1988 they launch Zoo Experience Records, on which they release two tracks with Leroy Burgess. In 1992 they release their own production “Love’s Gotta Hold of Me” featuring Destry on Cooltempo Records; it reaches number 66 in the UK chart. That same year they issue the first of four Garage City compilation albums on Telstar Records. Their Klub Zoo International label sees their act Overjoyd nominated for Best Gospel Group at the 1997 MOBO Awards.

In 1999 they remix Puff Daddy’s “All Night Long” on Arista/Bad Boy with Faith Evans. They also produce Johnny Fiori’s “You Will Survive”, which attracts interest from major UK labels. After leaving Soul Heaven in 2003, they launch Zoo Groove Stereo Records and continue releasing monthly material through the label. Their later compilations include a double mix release on suSU and Bobby & Steve & Friends on Bar Grooves.

International appearances and legacy

Bobby & Steve represent the UK at the Miami Winter Music Conference, host major parties there, and play events in Hong Kong including the MTV Asia Music Awards and the Chiver Regal Party. They also appear at the Alfred Dunhill launch party in Hong Kong. Their work is closely associated with the development of soulful house in the UK and with the long-running club and radio culture around garage and house music.