D Bridge

D-Bridge AKA Darren White's first introduction into the music scene was in 1992, when he formed 'Sewage Monsters' with his older brother (signed to MCA and Island Records as 'Steve Spacek'). After releasing one 12" on their own label, they disbanded; and Darren went on to work with 'Armshouse Crew' of 'We Are E' fame... this was to last for a further two years. In 1995 Darren met Jason Maldini through a mutual friend and was soon to be working alongside him at Trouble On Vinyl.

In 1995 Darren met Jason Maldini through a mutual friend and was soon to be working alongside him at Trouble On Vinyl. In 1996 whilst experimenting with beats the pair wrote their first release on Renegade Hardware - which had been set up purely as a result of this new symbolic sound. This 12? was Flash Gordon/Jeep Beats. During this period, many such anthems were to emerge including Dead By Dawn, Constant (a collaboration with the infinitely naughty DJ Fierce), and The Germ (under the guise of Genoforce with fellow ex-Hardware artist Genotype).

It was during this period that Daniel Stein AKA Fresh was beginning his apprenticeship in the camp, and similar ideas were leading to collaborations with the pair, the first and last of which to be released on Hardware was The Code and Fugitive before differences with management led all three leaving Hardware for new beginnings. It was here that Fresh introduced Darren and Jason to Michael Wojcicki AKA Vegas and Bad Company UK began in earnest.

Founded in the summer of 1998, Bad Company UK began on the philosophy of re-energizing what was becoming an increasingly minimalist musical genre and convey through their music the same spirit and intensity which first drew them to the sound. Thus one of Drum & Bass' biggest anthems The Nine was born on the (then fledgling) label BC Recordings. Five years on this seminal release still maintains its mighty status.

Propelled by the success of The Nine, the four members soon found their collective gaining momentum with releases on prominent labels including Prototype, Virus, DSCI4, Ram, React and Formation. Within two years Bad Company UK had cemented their name in the foundations of Drum & Bass with the release of their first of several long players, titled Inside The Machine. This album received world-wide acclaim, not only based on the strength and individuality of the music but also the unique concepts behind it.

From this point Bad Company UK (the group and the concept) began to snowball into heights of musical notoriety never before reached by a drum & bass artist, featuring in such notable periodicals as The Face, NME, DJ Magazine, Musik, Dazed and Confused and Mixmag. During this time the foursome insisted on bypassing the path leading to mainstream success, instead opting to fuel the underground. This way of thinking was embodied in the birth of flagship internet forum www.dogsonacid.com. This gave fans and fellow artists alike the opportunity to express opinions, contribute ideas and greatly strengthened d&b's global community. This web forum has become an important (and previously) unheard voice of the scene. With an average of 2 million visitors on a typical weekend it is a mighty voice indeed.

Fast forward 3 albums, 11 singles, 3 weeks at the top of the UK dance album charts, countless remixes, 4 world tours and uncountable late night studio sessions spent creating d&b classics such as The Pulse, Planet Dust, Spacehopper, Dogs on The Moon, Mo' Fire, Seizure, Torpedo and Hornet and you arrive-somewhat exhaustedly-at the present.

2003 has seen many major changes within BC camp and more notably in D-Bridge's musical direction. Whilst the most recent album Shot Down on Safari was in production Darren was also busy at work co-producing Spacek's second album 'Vintage High-tech' on high-profile label !K7. Heralded as the Radiohead of soul and described by Rolling Stone as "a group that gives new meaning to the phrase space funk?, Spacek define a new generation of British soul music, harnessing the power of today's electronic mediums to create a vintage sound. Vintage High-tech has since gone on the receive rapturous praise from the US Hip Hop/RnB scene, celebrated by artists such as Mos Def, Dwele, The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jay Dee and Vikter Duplaix. D-Bridge's contribution to this album spawned a new direction for him and led to the founding, alongside his brother and Spacek co-member Morgan Zarate of The Istickz, a self-described 'futuristic/simplistic' soul group consisting of 5 Producers, 3 DJs, 2 Vocalists and several MPC2000's and laptops.

Hosting an increasingly popular monthly at London venue Plastic People, collaborating with high profile artists like Dwele and an album currently in production on burgeoning Hip Hop label Curvatia Music, Istickz are well on their way to achieving world-wide recognition for their unique brand of UK Soul.

The latest venture in D-Bridge's (now somewhat eclectic) career is the fruition of a lifetime goal in the form of drum & bass label Exit Records. Exit came about as a result of Darren?s desire to be able to express his own individual qualities as a producer, rather than being a contributor to a greater whole. Embarking on a solo effort seems like a natural progression for Darren, who through the success of Bad Company UK, Spacek and more recently with Istickz has managed to create a diverse and inspirational release catalogue of enviable proportions. With a history as varied and colorful as this, who knows what to expect next from D-Bridge?