Prior to their formation, Badmarsh (whose name means 'rascal' in Hindi) worked at the reggae studio Easy Street; which was hiring PA equipment to a nightclub called Labyrinth. After a visit to Labyrinth, he became interested in DJing, and almost immediately went out to buy DJ turntables and records; he later secured a residency position at the club, where he remained for five years. Shri, on the other hand, had spent five years touring with Nitin Sawhney, who later produced his debut solo album Drum the Bass. The album was well received in Europe. The duo came together through Shabs, head of Outcaste Records, who thought that the pair's individually different sounds would complement each other in a group.

The duo released their debut album Dancing Drums in 1998, which contained a culmination of drum and bass, hip hop, Indian classical music and jazz.