DMinds are Bristol producers Jon Midwinter and Alistair Vickery, formerly known as Distorted Minds. Their music has been closely tied to the city's clubs, where testing a dub on a busy floor could matter as much as finishing it in the studio. T10*, released in 2003, became one of their early calling cards.
Their connection with DJ Hazard produced Mr Happy in 2007. Hazard sent an early version to DJ Hype, whose enthusiasm encouraged him to pass it to D*Minds. They rebuilt its sound in a freezing, disused dental surgery, a setting rather less comfortable than the record's eventual reception might suggest. Released on Playaz, it became a lasting jump-up favourite.
The duo also helped build a local platform for new music through their D-Style label and RUN nights. The weekly Bristol sessions gave producers somewhere to hear fresh tracks in a club, with the audience providing a fairly immediate verdict. That relationship between studio and dancefloor has remained an important part of their story.
Their work extends beyond the DMinds catalogue. Midwinter co-produced TC's Evolution album, and their publisher credits the pair with music used in films including Battleship and Captain America: The Winter Soldier*. Those projects sit alongside a drum and bass history rooted in Bristol, collaboration, and records made to be played out.
