Since the disbandment of drum and bass powerhouse Bad Company, Darren White – aka D-Bridge – has been refining his personal vision of the genre. His signature fusion of emotive melodies, cracking breakbeats and dirty bass have cemented his reputation as a formidable solo producer. A slew of releases on Soul:R, Metalheadz, Bingo and his own Exit imprint have since found their way into the crates of junglists worldwide. ITM’s Citizen caught up with the man prior to his impending Australian tour.

Bad Company was formed with the intention of bringing the excitement back to the music. To what extent has that ethos contributed to the high-impact sounds which dominate the genre today?

I think it’s pretty obvious, a lot of new producers around at the moment reference Bad Company and Inside The Machine as the reason they started or what got them into making beats. I think the energy that we brought as a group is something that is being copied somewhat to this day. We also have a lot to answer for too…

Given the hyperactive nature of much of today’s releases, where do you see your current material fitting into the picture?

Nicely. I’m the alternative, which is exactly what I want to be.

What does depth in music mean to you personally?

A sense of soul and integrity, staying true to the craft. I think I, like most other producers, can tell when something is made for the wrong reasons or is a cop out, which I suppose can be a hindrance sometimes. The obviousness in some music makes me cringe sometimes.

What is the biggest problem with drum and bass in 2006?

Apathy!

The roots of jungle were based firmly in the sound of manipulating breakbeats. Considering the simplified rhythms which typify much of today’s music, has DnB forgotten its essence somewhat?

Far from it, I think that you’ll find that there are two schools of producers in DnB nowadays. With the advent of the digital domain the soft synth has come through as an important part of people’s setups, and there are those who are still more sample based. I’m from the sample side of things, [and I] always have been from my first Akai S950 to this day. I love crate digging and also I haven’t got the patience with soft synths, I’d end up just using presets – and I don’t like the idea of someone else having the same bank of sounds as me. With samples, I’ve searched them out and manipulated them to my liking, that’s half the fun for me; getting different sounds from different sources and making them fit. Also it’s like putting together the ultimate bands, the drummer from The JBs playing alongside Vangelis, Roy Budd, Quincey Jones, my brother on vocals and me.

Sadly drum and bass is an increasingly conservative art form. In your opinion, who is truly pushing the envelope within the genre?

Conservative? What do you mean by that? I’d say Steve Survival, Break, and Instra:mental are reminding people of what this genre is capable of.

Throughout your career you have worked in tandem with a number of different people within the scene. Which artist would you like most to collaborate with in the future?

Krust and Thom Yorke.

What criteria do you use to select a track for release on Exit?

Hard to say. I’m a fussy git – I only know when I hear it. It has to trigger an emotion of some kind, either utter disgust at the naughtiness of the bassline or bliss from heartstring tugging chords

Clearly you live and breath drum and bass. After over a decade of DJing, producing and running record labels, how do maintain your enthusiasm for the genre?

It’s been hard; I get frustrated with it as much as anyone else. In times like that I usually look for my brother to work with. He has this ability to remind me that I’m not bound by my genre. It’s been at those times when I helped on the Spacek – Vintage-Hi-Tech album and formed the Isticks along with Spacek members to get me away from DnB and open my ears to the beauty of music as a whole.

Beyond the sound of drum and bass, which producers are inspiring you at the moment?

Jay Dilla, my brother (Steve Spacek), Interpol, Stone Roses and Roy Budd.

Tell us about your own productions outside of the sphere of jungle.

As I said before I helped on the Spacek’s – Vintage Hi-Tech album. I also did a track on my brother’s solo album Space Shift, which was a big thrill for me as I fulfilled a dream by being on the same album as J Dilla. More recently I produced a couple beats for N’fa from 1200 Techniques’ solo project. I haven’t really done too much stuff outside of DnB recently; I’ve been having too much fun of late.

Artists such as Tech Itch, Skynet and Juju have experimented with the emergent sound of dubstep. Can we be expecting any future D-Bridge forays into this arena?

It’s not something I’ve considered to be honest, still getting my head round it. I like Burial and that’s about it. I think I need to go out and experience it as it’s intended to be heard for me to fully appreciate it. When I listen at home it doesn’t do a great deal for me, except Burial that is.

Historically drum and bass albums are stylistically narrow affairs – how will your forthcoming long-player differ?

Damn that’s harsh! I hope it’ll be good enough to change your views on DnB albums.

What do you have planned for Australian audiences when you hit our shores this month?

3-4 hrs of deepness, if I’m allowed to play for that long.

D-Bridge visits Australia this month, playing selected shows on the Heavyweight Soundz tour with Andy C and Shimon:

Fri Jan 19 – Brisbane, Empire Hotel (D-Bridge only)
Wed Jan 24 – Sydney, Gaelic Club (w/ Andy C & Shimon)
Thu Jan 25 – Adelaide, HQ (w/ Andy C & Shimon)
Fri Jan 26 – Perth, Metro City (w/ Andy C & Shimon)
Sat Jan 27 – Melbourne, Hi Fi Bar (w/ Andy C & Shimon)