Damian Wilson And Darren Crook Feat The Teddy Love Project – Love So Strong

Darren Crooks’ mother was one of the hardest working Jazz Funk & Disco djs on the southcoast circuit during the 70’s and Darren was born into a musical world based around his mothers’ record collection comprising of thousands of rare and now deleted Funk & disco 7 & 12″s. Growing up with the sounds of Fat Larrys Band, Parliament, Earth Wind & Fire and Imagination to name only a few and always having access to dj equipment it was a completely natural progression for Darren to grown up with a passion for music, djing and eventually production.

At School Darrens passion for music was very apparent. Regulary recording house mix tapes for his class mates!.Much to the career advisors disgust Darren knew that not only did he want to play music to people, he wanted to make it. When school finished Darren signed himself up to study music production at college. At the age of 17, as well as running and djing small low key House Music parties at the weekends in various pubs around the south coast Darren had his head down studying the art of production. It was during this time Darren decided to send a demo of a re-edit he had done of Sandy Rivera’s “Young Hearts” to Simon Dunmore the A&R Director and owner of his favourite record label DEFECTED RECORDS.

The demo impressed Simon so much it lead to a Job at the label which was to be a 3 year house music affair. At Defected towers then based in Soho Darren had the chance to work alongside and for the likes of Roger Sanchez, Bob Sinclar, Full Intention, Copyright, Liquid People & Sandy Rivera (Kings Of Tomorrow) to name only a few. Darren even djed for Defected at the Ministry of Sound!.