dba leave NGM to join Dtox

IN A SURPRISING move British dance popsters dba have split from the New Generation Ministries family that nurtured the band from its ministry beginnings. Signing with Dtox, a new label established by '80s star Howard Jones, dba have moved their studio facility to the label's HQ in Maidenhead. The scheduled release of their debut single "Go With The Sun" before Christmas was delayed. In the meantime, the legal issues surrounding the departure from NGM were finalised. Talking to Cross Rhythms about the release of the single, singer Shaz Sparks stated, "Things can't always be predictable. There were a lot of changes and we decided that we'd wait until the album was finished." Dba's Robbie Bronniman described the departure of NGM's flagship band saying, "It's not something that happened overnight, it was something we'd been thinking about for a long time. It really was just wanting to move in a different direction to where NGM was moving. Instead of staying around and everyone feeling like we were going at cross-purposes, it was better to make a clean break. We wanted to move out of the Christian organisation safety net and be out in the mainstream."

The release of the forthcoming dba album, 'Spectrum', is scheduled for the summer. The band spent most of March touring round the country opening up for their new label boss Howard Jones. Shaz Sparks commented, "It's been quite different for us because the audiences are quite different. It's been really good, we've had a good response and it's been a new challenge." Concerning the changes, Sparks added, "Our message hasn't changed." Bronniman stated, "We really want to see what we're doing as Dba getting into the charts but we also want to keep going with the credible underground club thing".

NGM'S Ray Goudie added, "Shaz and Robbie were a part of our lives for many years so it was with mixed emotions that we saw them leave last year. We feel their move to Maidenhead to be beside their local church, River, and the Howard Jones/Dtox setup is a good move for them. We wish them well for the future and that God blesses them in all they do."