A raw, grubby big beat act who filter influences from acid house and old-school rap through breakbeat techno, Dirty Beatniks was formed by friends Neil Higgins and Rory Carille, who met in Dublin during the late-'80s glory days of acid house. After moving to London in 1990, they added bassist/producer Justin Underhill and made their debut remixing for Cujo, Ruby, Akasha, and Marxman. After signing to Wall of Sound, London's favorite beat-specific label, the trio recorded the EP Bridging the Gap, then their debut full-length One One Seven in the Shade for a 1996 release. After a long break and several personnel changes, Dirty Beatniks returned as (mostly) a duo of Higgins and new member Mau, formerly the vocalist for Earthlings. They released Feedback in 2000. The single "Whores, Freaks, Saints and Angels" followed in early 2001.