The entity known as Dirwood was originally conceived as a concept album named Darren in the year 1977. Though popular rumors abide that he was raised by wolves, Darren’s shaggy appearance and roguish charm are actually the result of an idyllic childhood spent indulging a deep, abiding love for music and practicing pick-up lines.

From an early age, he was a classically trained trombonist and certified band geek. After a time, young Darren grew- and grew- into a lanky lad of the world, shedding his pubescent geek chic for the seedy underbelly of Buffalo’s punk rock scene. Inspired by such musical acts as The Misfits and Dr Teeth and Electric Mayhem, after graduating high school Darren joined up with the local punk outfit To Be Announced, playing trombone for the writhing masses in a manner that could hardly be described as classical.

In the spring of 1999, Darren experienced an event that would completely change the course of his life, one that touched his soul and played deeply upon his mental tapestry:

He went to his first rave.

Clearly, the heavy bass emanations and piles of wide-eyed, wide-legged kids left an impression on him- within the year, Darren found himself behind the decks with one hand pressed to his headphones, playing out at assorted venues around the city of Buffalo. Moreover, mild-mannered Darren had become Dirwood- a devoted DJ providing deep, chunky, funky house beats to the local electronic music community.

In 2002, Dirwood released his first mix CD, 4 am. In October of that year, he joined forces with Buffalo breaks DJ Flux to start a weekly club night called Drop The Beat. The night, which later became known as Thursdays at the Lounge and included well-known local DJ Jubei, became a prominent fixture in the electronic music scene in Buffalo and attracted a faithful audience each week. Over its year and a half run, the Lounge showcased a variety of local talent as well as feature names such as Eric Davenport, Vitamin D, and Robb G.

Following the success of Thursdays at the Lounge, Dirwood was courted to a new gig playing Friday nights at Iberia, a sophisticated, dimly lit locale with expensive drinks and expensive women. Disproving the theory that you can have too much of a good thing, he invited his close friend Twist to join him on the decks, and Buffalo house music history was made. Together, Dirwood and Twist established a tag team that would become one of the most sought-after duos in the region, playing parties, drinking heartily, dropping impromptu sets at exclusive after-hours events, and generally leaving a trail of merrymaking, revelry, and funk in their wake. In the midst of all the tomfoolery, Dirwood somehow managed to crawl into the studio and record a 2004 mix, Sloppy Seconds.

As Iberia came to an end in 2005, Dirwood was asked to join old friends Ryan Lidell and Jubei as a resident at Jade Nightclub in downtown Buffalo’s popular Chippewa District. At Jade, Dirwood played to large crowds alongside major names such as Johnny Fiasco, Jason Hodges, Slater Hogan, Q-Burns Abstract Message, and Robbie Hardkiss.

After playing in, around, and all over the region, as well as recording and releasing his third mix, Soul Searchin’ Vol 1: Far Past Obsession, Dirwood set his sights on a larger goal: conquering the rest of the country. Though Buffalo was reluctant to bid him adieu, Dirwood departed for Orlando, Florida to pursue his career.

After attending the Recording Arts/Music Business Program at Full Sail in Orlando FL, he moved across the country and now resides in the Los Angeles area where he works in the film and television industry. Time permitting, he is heavily involved in lowercasesounds.com and also writing music.