DJ Dara

The fact that drum-and-bass ever gained any kind of foothold at all in the States can largely be attributed to the efforts of a scruffy, lanky Irish immigrant named Darragh Guilfoyle, aka DJ Dara. A chief purveyor of the genre for more than a decade and co-owner of the famed Breakbeat Science label and record shop, Dara (due at Vinyl on Friday, February 10) was part of the first wave of drum-and-bass DJs stateside. Dara, whose mix discs on Moonshine are extremely popular, co-headlines one of the most consistently successful electronic forays, the annual Planet of the Drums tour, with the likes of Dieselboy and AK 1200. Rather than just playing testosterone-infused anthems, Dara infuses his sets with soulful dynamics, which is why he’s among the scene’s most beloved DJs.