Drum and Bass has had an unhappy past. Whilst the likes of Pendulum have been peddling a commercial and accessible, but somewhat diluted, version of the genre, the perception of hard core DnB has unhappy associations with intense frenetic beats that leave the listener soothing a sore head. But DJ du jour, High Contrast, has become the happy medium – keeping pop fans happy with his accessibility and giving hard core fans heavy beats and big bass.
Since the crossover success of his remix of Adele’s Hometown Glory, the man behind High Contrast, Lincoln Barrett, has been bringing a style of drum and bass that has the elements to give it deserved mainstream success. Whilst most DnB DJs seem to love a messy assault on the ears, High Contrast injects his tunes with a key ingredient; melody.
But despite how listenable High Contrast has made his style, the genre is still limited by what makes it unique; it’s frantic pace. “DnB stands alone in dance music for a number of reasons”, explains Barret “It’s around 170 BPM, which makes it unmixable with most other genres. House, garage, breaks, and techno are all around 120-130!.”
Although gaining a more mainstream following, the image of Drum and Bass still remains inherent with a darker side. The perception of DnB has always been linked to a heavy drug culture and a night in Fabric is more than enough to confirm this suspicion. Far from embracing the culture though, Barrett has remained teetotal, “I am an anomaly. For me, drugs have nothing to do with what I do. Of course, I recognise that every musical movement is intertwined with a particular drug movement. But I think less and less drugs are being taken in the club scene, I try to make uplifting music so you don’t need drugs to get a rush.”
And perhaps this is the key to High Contrast. Whilst much of Drum and Bass could be considered only listenable on drugs, High Contrast infuses an accessibility into his tunes that has been rewarded with mainstream success, “People don’t feel they are getting bashed over the head with dark beats when they come to see me. There will be melody and vocals. Plus, I rather like bootlegs of popular tunes, which is always good for the crossover.”
Benefitting from being brought up in a musical household with eclectic influences from 50’s rock ‘n’ roll to movie soundtrack, by 17 High Contrast was beginning to find his calling in heavy beats, “I was just consumed by the Jungle scene”. The early years were spent MCing in various groups, as a means to an end, “I was even MCing in a metal hard core band!”
But Barrett soon realised he wasn’t cut out for a career behind the mic and returned to the decks.
Since then, Barret’s career has gone from strength to strength. High Contrast is a world renowned DJ and a highly sought-after remixer for the likes of Missy Elliot and White Stripes – plus his own tracks are getting regular radio air play. Whilst his signature sound may have created a worldwide fan base, there is no danger of High Contrast going stale, “I think people associate me with an uplifting yet melancholic sound. But I try not to repeat myself. I forget how I made certain sounds, sometimes that’s annoying but it keeps me fresh.”