Weak or No Signal

In his solo work as dBridge, onetime Bad Company UK member Darren White polishes drum ’n’ bass until it’s the texture of brushed stainless steel—a far cry from the gravelly crunch of his former group. After the half-tempo cadences and ambient atmospheres of 2020’s *Inhibited*, 2021’s *Weak or No Signal* punches up the groove again, settling back into the lurching, spring-loaded syncopations of classic D’n’B. Tunes like “Tear in Vain” and “Violent Circuit” move with fiercely controlled fury, knife’s-edge synths slicing carefully above diamond-tipped drums, while ultra-low sub-bass hints at untold turmoil. But even at their gnarliest—like the bassline of “Things Change,” twisted like the trunk of an ancient tree—dBridge’s tracks are astonishingly clean, leaving acres of empty space yawning between each laser-guided hit. The crystalline high end of “Last Nerve” sparkles against a velvety low-end backdrop; “They’re Listening,” one of the most powerful tracks here, suggests vintage tech-step that’s been frozen in amber. But even though dBridge has his style down to a science, he’s not above the occasional curveball—like “Worst Impulse,” whose atonal synths offer a teasing glimpse of what Jeff Mills’ Detroit techno classic “The Bells” might sound like translated into drum ’n’ bass. It’s a remarkable moment, distilling decades of dance-music history into one potent elixir.