The Prototypes is a British drum and bass duo consisting of Chris Garvey and Nick White. Founded in Brighton, England, in the late 2000s, by 2010 they had released their first singles on labels such as Formation Records and Viper Recordings, and from 2011 to 2013 were signed to Shogun Audio. They have released a number of EPs, and have received radio and live PA support from DJs such as Matrix & Futurebound. Signing exclusively to Viper Recordings in 2014, in the following months the duo released a number of promo singles for a debut album. Their resulting single, "Pale Blue Dot" ranked as Beatport's second top selling drum and bass track of the year. The track was also nominated for Best Track at the Drum & Bass Arena Awards, with The Prototypes also nominated for Best Producer, Best Music Video, and Best DJ.
UKF Music called their 2015 promo single "Pop It Off" "one of the most unanimously unifying cuts in D&B of the year so far," and they officially released their debut album City of Gold on 17 May 2015. They supported the album with an international tour with performances at festivals such as Urban Art Forms and Tomorrowland, and they also performed at Nocturnal Festival in 2012. Featuring vocals from artists such as Ayah Marar and Amy Pearson, the week of its release City of Gold reached No. 22 on the UK Dance Chart. Robin Murray of UKF Music called it "a relentless, incendiary journey through a range of genres and tempos." Beyond original production, as of 2015 the duo had released remixes for artists such as Avicii, Ed Sheeran, Bingo Players, Hadouken!, Modestep, AlunaGeorge, and others.