Steve Bug — Minimal DJ & Label Boss

Steve Bug, born Stefan Brügesch in Nienburg, Lower Saxony, began his DJ career in 1991 at a small after-hours bar near Ibiza's Space club. He soon became resident DJ at a leading club in his hometown of Bremen, a residency that established him within Germany's early house and techno scene before he moved into international bookings that included Germany's Love Parade. Steve Bug founded the label Poker Flat Recordings, which grew into a platform for his own DJ-focused releases alongside those of other minimal and deep house producers, and he also runs Dessous and the earlier Raw Elements imprint, both used as outlets for his sets' repertoire. His DJ mix series Da Minimal Funk, released in two volumes, along with Steve Bug Presents The Flow on Cocoon Records in 2001 and the Bugnology compilation, documented his studio-to-turntable approach across the 2000s. Known for a minimal, tech-house-leaning DJ style built on stripped-down grooves, dirty retro basslines and late-night house selections, Steve Bug has remained a touring fixture of the German electronic scene since his Bremen residency days, carrying that sound to clubs and festivals internationally for more than three decades.