Sidestepper

Sidestepper is a Colombian group formed in 1996 as a studio project for Richard Blair, who works as an engineer at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios and first goes to Colombia in 1993 to work with folk singer Totó La Momposina. It develops from a solo project into a production and writing partnership with Colombian songwriter Iván Benavides, and later into a full live band. The group is active from 1996 to the present and is associated with electro-acoustic Colombian music, combining club, downtempo, electronic, latin, ragga and reggae elements.

Early releases and development

The first album, Southern Star from 1997, includes the Latin drum and bass track “Maine”. Blair and Benavides also write “Logozo” in 1997, described as the group’s first vocal track and a later club classic. In 1999, Sidestepper signs with Chris Blackwell’s Palm Pictures and releases More Grip in 2000, a record inspired by a salsa night in Bogotá.

Live work and international activity

Sidestepper begins playing live after More Grip, with performances in the UK, across Europe, at Glastonbury and Roskilde, while Blair continues DJ work in the UK and the US. The live shows build a reputation for collective, high-energy performances.

3am (In Beats We Trust) and later line-up

Work on 3am (In Beats We Trust) begins while Blair moves between London and New York and Benavides lives there. The album is recorded mainly in Bogotá in 2002, with additional sessions in Jamaica and contributions from Cuban singer Ronald Infante in Havana, plus MCs Rubi Dan and Juxsi D in London. It is mixed in London and released in 2003. Blair then forms a Colombia-based live band, with Janio Coronado, Teto Ocampo and newcomer Erika Muñoz among the musicians who help define that line-up.

Continental and wider influence

After extensive touring, Blair and Benavides make a record written specifically for each member. Writing and tracking take place at a farm outside Bogotá, with mixing in the city, and Continental is released in 2006. By this stage, Sidestepper’s sound extends from salsa and club rhythms to Colombian folk, hip hop, cumbia, dancehall reggae, dub and afrobeat. The group is described as a major force in Colombian music and an influence on a new generation of artists, with former members and collaborators including Goyo of ChocQuibTown, Pernett and Sergio Arias of Malalma.

Current membership

The group is an eight-piece outfit, with Iván Benavides, Richard Blair and Eka Muñoz listed among its members.