Martland first came to the notice of the British music scene with the release of Babi Yar and Crossing the Border for the cult Manchester-based label Factory. This sent shock waves through the ultra conservative classical music establishment. As with anything new and challenging the critics were split, they either raved or scathed.

Martland's compositions attracted musicians experienced in jazz, rock, classical and studio music. These musicians were capable of executing Martland's complex rhythmic structures and energy levels with brilliant accuracy.

The Steve Martland Band is a group of eleven musicians dedicated to the performance of Martland's music. In 1997 it toured in the UK for the Contemporary Music Network (CMN); Performances at the Cheltenham and Bath Festivals followed. 1998 marked the bands debut in Australia at The Brisbane Festival and later in the same year, at the Huddersfield Festival. In May 1999 the band performed as part of BBC's Music Live in Glasgow. The Band is in residence every summer at Martland's composition course, Strike Out. A new CD of Martland's most recent work for the band is due for release in 2000.

Martland is currently working on a percussion concerto for The National Symphony Orchestra (Washington) under Leonard Slatkin. The soloist will be Colin Currie, the marimba player in the Steve Martland Band.

"Instrumental virtuosity, …compositional creativity, ...driving energy, ...think rock meets Reich, ...Grunge is the look but precision is the sound." The Australian

""...the band blasted forth on some adrenalised syncopated autopilot, left us breathless, dazzled and sweating." The Bath Festival