Stairstep is a singer, musician, beatmaker and Portuguese producer based in London, United Kingdom. Miguel Francisco Esteves, name on ID card, was born in Lisbon and raised in Mafra, a town on the outskirts of the Portuguese capital. In 2014, moved to England, United Kingdom, to study music production and to pursue his music quest.
The creation of an epic sound of analogue and digital instrumentation in an urban backdrop defines Stairstep. His first connection with an instrument was through the classical guitar, but the electric guitar and bass guitar quickly took over as his priority instruments for composing and songwriting. After several sound experiments and influences, Stairstep found his own voice by mixing Rock, Hip Hop, Trip-Hop and Electronic music through guitar riffs, groovy bass lines, drum programming and sampling techniques applied on a cinematographic experience with both ancient and contemporary European and Eastern-Asian cultural influences as a reference. Stairstep seeks to reuse and reinvent endless musical ideas for the purpose of leading the listener to new sound experiences.
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Stairstep, also known as Miguel Francisco Esteves, is one of the co-founders of Monkery Collective. He released several tracks and remixes on SoundCloud from 2015 to 2017 while experimenting and developing his artistic identity. In 2016, Stairstep began working on the foundational concept of Manuscrito, which he finalised in 2025. Stairstep handled every layer of Manuscrito’s production, performing on electric guitar, fretless bass guitar, and drums and sample programming using an Akai MPC Renaissance and a Roland SP-404 MK2. The result is a hybrid sound that bridges analogue musicianship with digital innovation, weaving atmosphere, rhythm, and melody into a timeless manuscript. Drawing inspiration from the experimental guitar work of John Frusciante, the hip-hop/rock-rooted production of Mike Shinoda, and the immersive soundscapes of Massive Attack, Stairstep crafts music that feels intimate yet expansive. His debut captures both the personal urgency of a diary and the cinematic sweep of a soundtrack.
