The Prototypes

The Prototypes are a British drum and bass production and DJ project founded in Brighton, England in 2007. The act began as a duo — producers Nick White and Chris Garvey — working primarily within drum and bass and adjacent bass-led styles.

They entered the scene with early singles on Formation Records and on Viper Recordings, building a catalogue of club-focused releases that led to a label signing with Shogun Audio from 2011–2013. Their first full-length, City of Gold, was released on 17 May 2015. In 2014 the single "Pale Blue Dot" hit No. 1 on Beatport’s drum and bass chart and finished the year as Beatport’s second top‑selling drum and bass track.

As producers, The Prototypes favour production that places clear emphasis on punchy, tightly edited drum work and layered bass design. Their tracks commonly combine a solid low‑end sub layer with mid‑range bass movement and clean top‑end processing so vocals and synth leads sit clearly in the mix; that clarity in the mix is one reason their material has crossed into EDM playlists and attracted remix work for mainstream artists. They use vocal-led arrangements on a number of singles and balance those hooks with club-ready drum programming — rollers and halftime‑tinged sections appear alongside faster DnB passages where appropriate.

On the DJ side, The Prototypes perform material drawn from their studio output and from wider bass music and drum and bass catalogues, blending vocal-led tracks with heavier bass sections for club sets. Their production choices — purposeful sub/mid layering, tight transient control on kicks and snares, and polished mixdowns — translate to sets that read well on sound systems and digital platforms alike.

Career highlights are specific and verifiable: early releases on Formation and Viper Recordings; the Shogun Audio period (2011–2013); the Beatport success of "Pale Blue Dot" in 2014; and the debut album City of Gold on 17 May 2015. The Prototypes have also produced official remixes for high-profile artists, including Avicii and Ed Sheeran, and have released music on Viper and other labels.

The project operated as a duo (Nick White and Chris Garvey) until May 2023, when Chris Garvey announced he was stepping down to pursue a solo project under the name Circadian. Following that announcement, Nick White continues to record and perform under The Prototypes name.

Public detail on specific early musical influences is limited; verifiable connections in their history are label relationships (Formation, Viper, Shogun Audio), the 2014 Beatport chart performance of "Pale Blue Dot," the 17 May 2015 release date for City of Gold, and the 2023 lineup change to Nick White continuing the project while Garvey works as Circadian.