Optiv & BTK are Ed Holmes, known as Optiv, and Brazilian producer Vinicius Honorio, who performs as BTK. The drum-and-bass partnership brought together BTK’s breakbeat-focused production and Optiv’s work with sounds and bass, complementary strengths they discussed with Optical in an interview. Before partnering with Honorio, Holmes had risen to prominence in the group Cause4Concern. He founded Red Light Records and began releasing music under the Optiv name.
The duo released three albums together, including Dirty Tricks and Blackjack, both on Virus Recordings. In a 2014 interview, Optiv & BTK described their music as dancefloor-oriented and discussed their album Shredder. They also released the Bad Attitude EP, issued on Blackout Music NL. Their track “Kingpin” appeared with “Gateway” on Virus Recordings, and they collaborated on “Crowd Control / Supernova” for the label. The duo also released “Let It Hit ’Em / Mind Over Matter” and “Zero Hour / Beserker.”
Optiv & BTK joined Bailey’s BBC 1Xtra drum-and-bass show for a guest mix and interview. They also appeared on the lineup for a Playaz event at fabric in London.