Dirty Beatniks

Dirty Beatniks emerged as a raw, grubby big beat outfit that channels acid house and old-school rap sources through breakbeat techno textures. Friends Neil Higgins and Rory Carille, who first connected in Dublin amid the late-'80s acid house peak, launched the project. They relocated to London in 1990, recruited bassist/producer Justin Underhill, and launched their career with remixes for Cujo, Ruby, Akasha, and Marxman. The trio then joined Wall of Sound, London's favorite beat-specific label, where they cut the EP Bridging the Gap before delivering their first album, One One Seven in the Shade, in 1996. Following an extended hiatus and multiple lineup shifts, the group resurfaced chiefly as the duo of Higgins alongside newcomer Mau, previously the vocalist for Earthlings, and issued Feedback in 2000. Early the next year they released the single "Whores, Freaks, Saints and Angels."