Dirty Dubsters took shape in Dublin in 2005, when Australian-born Jason Rymer, known as Jay Sharp, met Barry O’Brien, who performs as DJ OBese and Bazza Ranks. The pair began making music together, and from 2006 they collaborated on productions and as part of the Break-Down crew. They adopted the Dirty Dubsters name in 2009. Rymer is originally from Sydney, while O’Brien is from Malahide, Dublin; the duo are based in Dublin. Their reggae-inspired bass music draws on reggae, breakbeat, drum and bass, hip-hop, house and party breaks, with reggae samples also part of their approach.
In 2011, Rymer and O’Brien founded Irish Moss Records, an imprint focused on contemporary reggae and bass music. The label was intended to connect sound-system culture with modern bass sounds, and the duo released music through it. Their first album, Fire It Up, arrived on Irish Moss Records in 2013, bringing together the studio work of DJ OBese and Jay Sharp. The duo said the album led to BBC airplay and tours in Europe, the United States and Canada. Their 2012 Screechy Dan EP also preceded the album. Their collaborators have included reggae vocalists Burro Banton, General Levy and Turbulence.
Dirty Dubsters’ collaborators span producers, DJs and vocalists, including Topcat, Kenny Ken, DJ Vadim, Fort Knox Five, Parly B, LionDub, Marcus Visionary and Zion Train. They also worked with Chip Fu and Screechy Dan on the single “Big Sound”. In a 2015 interview, Rymer and O’Brien described their music as moving between reggae and other styles, with their different approaches complementing each other. That year, they released the album Special Request, which brought together collaborators they already knew; the duo said the familiar working relationships made recording easier than on their first album.