Lincoln Barrett (born 18 September 1979), better known by the stage name High Contrast, is a Welsh electronic music producer, DJ and record producer. He produces

drum and bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...

music, and his 2009 album '' Confidential'' reached BPI gold certification (100,000 units sold in the UK).

Career

Early work

Barrett was born in

Penarth Penarth (, ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg), Wales, exactly south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay. Penarth is a weal ...

, near Cardiff, and grew up more interested in

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

s and film soundtracks than rock or pop music; he cites Wendy Carlos's ''

A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...

'' soundtrack album and the Vangelis soundtrack for '' Blade Runner'' as defining musical influences. Whilst studying film making in

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

, he heard J Majik's ''Arabian Nights'' which turned the then 17-year-old Barrett on to drum and bass music. Barrett used to work in Cardiff's only electronic record shop, Catapult. A short time after he began to make music, he was given a DJ residency at Cardiff's drum and bass night, named Silent Running. During his residency at Silent Running, Barrett played alongside artists such as

Grooverider Raymond Bingham (born 16 April 1967 in Streatham, London, England), better known as Grooverider, is a British drum and bass DJ. He and DJ partner Fabio are regarded as "originators" of the scene.

and London Elektricity.

2000s

In June 2002, Barrett's debut album, '' True Colours'', was released on

Hospital Records Hospital Records is a British independent record label based in South London. Primarily releasing drum and bass, the label was started in 1996 by Tony Colman (London Elektricity) and Chris Goss, and has grown in recent years to become one of t ...

, with "Return of Forever" and "Global Love" finding their way into the UK Singles Chart. His second album was '' High Society''. On 6 April 2003, High Contrast was featured on the BBC Radio 1 '' Essential Mix'' show. His mix included liquid funk mostly from the Hospital Records label. On 9 January 2005, this Essential Mix was replayed on Radio 1 when another drum and bass artist, Andy C, was unable to deliver his mix. In October 2005, Barrett launched his own record label, The Contrast. The first single, "Days Go By" / "What We Do" was released in early November 2005. In 2007, he delivered his second effort, selected as "Essential Mix of the Year" by Pete Tong. His third album '' Tough Guys Don't Dance'' was released in October 2007. The second single from the album, "If We Ever", was supported on

Radio 1 Radio 1 or Radio One most commonly refers to: *BBC Radio 1, a music radio station from the BBC ** BBC Radio 1Xtra, a digital radio station broadcasting black music *CBC Radio One, a talk radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...

Annie Mac Annie Mac (born 18 July 1978), is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, including hosting her AMP (Annie Mac Presents) ...

, Zane Lowe and Jo Whiley helping it to reach number 1 in the DnB chart, number 1 in the dance chart and number 4 in the Indie chart. In 2008, High Contrast remixed the #1 single "

No Way to Say "No Way to Say" is the thirty-first single released by Ayumi Hamasaki and her eighteenth number-one single. It came out November 6, 2003. The video won the award for "Best Pop Video" at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards Japan, and the single won the ...

" for

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki's remix album, '' Ayu-mi-x 6: Silver''. He also made successful remixes of " Hometown Glory" by Adele and "

Pjanoo "Pjanoo" () is a keyboard-based house track by the Swedish DJ and producer Eric Prydz. It received moderate airplay amongst British radio stations, being heavily used by BBC Radio 1 in advertisements for their " Radio 1 Big Weekend" and "Weeken ...

" by Eric Prydz, which were later included on the album, '' Confidential''. He played them during his take over for the Rob Da Bank show on BBC Radio 1 in January 2009.

2010s

He played at the 2011

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...

. Barrett currently is a resident DJ at the following clubs: Aperture at Clwb Ifor Bach (The Welsh Club) in Cardiff; and at Roxy in Prague. He was also on regular rotation at Fabric in London. High Contrast played a key role in selecting and producing the music for the Athletes Parade at the

2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony The opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics took place on the evening of Friday 27 July 2012 in the Olympic Stadium, London, during which the Games were formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the pr ...

. Half a dozen tracks by High Contrast were played and are present in the event's official soundtrack, '' Isles of Wonder''. In July 2014, High Contrast's new single with

Clare Maguire Clare Rita Mary Maguire (born 15 September 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. She was signed to Universal Music Group, Polydor Records in 2009. She was rated in fifth place in the BBC Sound of 2011 list of the top 15 most promising new art ...

"Who's Loving You" was announced. A double release, 'Part 2' was Special Delivery on

's BBC Radio 1 show, followed by 'Part 1' as "Hottest Record in the World" for Zane Lowe. In 2015, he remixed the R&B track "Muhammad Ali" by the group Faithless. The same year, the mix was included in the group's '2.0' remix album release, and also incorporated into the second half of their live performances of the song. He signed with

3Beat 3 Beat Productions is a British independent record label founded by Jon Barlow in 1989. History 3 Beat Music was founded as a electronic dance music, dance music record shop in 1989 by Jon Barlow, Dave Nicholl, Phil Southall and later joined b ...

in April 2016 and released his first single on the label, "Remind Me". In 2017, a new song, titled "Shotgun Mouthwash", was featured on the '' T2 Trainspotting'' soundtrack. High Contrast's remix of "The One" by Jorja Smith was Nominated for a Grammy at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards

2020s

He released his latest album, titled ''Notes From The Underground'', on 13 November 2020.

Personal life

His father, Paul "Legs" Barrett, used to manage Shakin' Stevens. His mother,

Lorraine Barrett Lorraine Jayne Barrett (born 18 Mar 1950) is a former Welsh Labour & Co-operative Party, Co-operative Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Cardiff South and Penarth (Assembly constituency), Cardiff South and Penarth and an Assembly Commi ...

, was the Welsh Assembly member for Cardiff South and Penarth until May 2011.

Discography

Albums

* '' True Colours'' (2002) * '' High Society'' (2004) * '' Tough Guys Don't Dance'' (2007) * '' Confidential'' (2009) (UK #68), BPI: Gold * '' The Agony and The Ecstasy'' (2012) (UK #45) * ''The Road Goes On Forever'' (EP) (2012) * ''Questions'' (EP) (2017) * ''Night Gallery'' (2017) * ''Notes from the Underground'' (2020)

Compilation albums

* ''

FabricLive.25 FabricLive.25 is a DJ mix compilation album by High Contrast, as part of the FabricLive Mix Series. Track listing # Adam F - 8Ball - ''Breakbeat Kaos'' # London Elektricity - Power Ballad - ''Hospital Records'' # DJ Marky, Bungle & DJ Roo ...

'' (2005) * ''Watch the Ride - High Contrast'' (2008) * ''Hospitality Presents This is Drum + Bass'' (2009) * '' Isles of Wonder'' (2012)

Singles

Remixes

* " Pictures in My Head" by

M.J. Cole Matthew James Firth Coleman, better known by his stage name MJ Cole, is an English garage DJ, record producer and remixer. Career Born in London, England, in his youth, Cole was classically trained on the oboe and piano, and won scholarships ...

* " Edge of Seventeen" by

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...

* " Kaleidoscope" by Tiesto * " Wall" by Enter Shikari * " Baggy Bottom Boys" by

Jokers of the Scene Jokers of the Scene, composed of Linus Booth (also known as DJ Booth), and Chris Macintyre (also known as Chameleonic), are a Canadian Techno/Electronica, Electronic production and DJ duo. History Booth and Macintyre formed Jokers of the Scene in ...

* " Ready for the Weekend" by

Calvin Harris Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums. His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...

* " In for the Kill (Skream's Let's Get Ravey Mix)" by La Roux * " Most Precious Love" by Blaze featuring

Barbara Tucker Barbara Tucker (born March 19, 1967), is an American house and soul singer, songwriter and choreographer born in Brooklyn, New York, US. Tucker had six No. 1 hits on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart in the 1990s and into the 2000s, and seve ...

* " Hometown Glory" by Adele * "

" by Eric Prydz * " Reload It" by Kano * "

Time to Pretend "Time to Pretend" is a song by the American indie band MGMT, released as the lead single from their debut studio album '' Oracular Spectacular'' (2007) on March 3, 2008. An earlier version had been released on their '' Time to Pretend'' EP. The ...

" by

MGMT MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists of ...

* " Something Good '08" by Utah Saints * " Papua New Guinea" by

Future Sound of London The Future Sound of London (often abbreviated FSOL) is a British electronic music duo composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. They have been described as a "boundary-pushing" electronic act, covering techno, ambient, house music, trip ho ...

* " I Found U" by Axwell * " It's Too Late" by The Streets * "

Talk Talk may refer to: Communication * Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people * Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people * Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct ...

" by Coldplay * " Gold Digger" by Kanye West * " Flashing Lights" by Kanye West * " We Run This" by

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

* " My Dreams" by London Elektricity featuring Robert Owens * "

Remember the Future ''Remember the Future'' is the fourth album from English progressive rock band Nektar. Much like their debut album ''Journey to the Centre of the Eye'', it is a concept album which is formally divided into ten tracks but in fact consists of on ...

" by London Elektricity * " Headlock" by Imogen Heap * " Barcelona" by

D.Kay D.Kay aka David Kulenkampff (born 1979, Vienna, Austria) is a drum and bass producer. In 2001 D.Kay came together with Rawfull to form Ill.Skillz, having met him while promoting club nights in Vienna. Tracks from D.Kay were released on Soul:R, ...

Epsilon Epsilon (, ; uppercase , lowercase or lunate ; el, έψιλον) is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet, corresponding phonetically to a mid front unrounded vowel or . In the system of Greek numerals it also has the value five. It was der ...

* " Hey U" by

Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe. The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London, UK. They first rose to popularity in the underground house scene ...

* " Thugged Out Bitch" by Dillinja * " Girls & Boys (Aquasky song)" by

Aquasky Aquasky is an English electronic group composed of Dave Wallace, Kieron Bailey, and Brent Newitt. Aquaskyat Allmusic In early 1995 they got together to produce their own music. Shortly afterwards they sent a demo tape to Moving Shadow records a ...

and El Horner * " Renegade Snares" by

Omni Trio Robert "Rob" Haigh, also known as Omni Trio, is a British electronic, ambient and experimental musician. Career Early work (1979–1991) At school, Haigh was in a band called Labyrinth playing original material that was influenced by David B ...

* " Back for More" by Influx Datum * " Karma (Comes Back Around)" by Adam F & Guru * "

No More No More may refer to: * No More (band), a German post-punk band Songs * "No More" (1944 song), written by Bob Russell and Toots Camarata; covered by Billie Holiday * "No More" (1961 song), a version of "La Paloma" recorded by Elvis Presley an ...

" by Roni Size featuring Beverley Knight and Dynamite MC * " No Soul" by ILS * " Spaced Invader" by

Hatiras George Hatiras is a Canadian electronic musician and DJ. He is most noted as a two-time Juno Award winner for Dance Recording of the Year, winning at the Juno Awards of 2002 for "Spaced Invader" and at the Juno Awards of 2006 for "Spanish Fly".T'ch ...

* " This Feeling" by Blue Sonix * " Born Free" by M.I.A. * "

Blue Orchid "Blue Orchid" is the first track by the American alternative rock band the White Stripes from their album ''Get Behind Me Satan'', and the first single to be released from the album. Although it was suspected that Jack White wrote the song about ...

" by The White Stripes * " Show Me Love" by

Robin S. Robin Stone (born April 27, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter, who scored success in the 1990s with such house music singles as " Show Me Love" (which was her debut single) and " Luv 4 Luv". She has had three number ones on the ''Bi ...

* "

Run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

" by Joel Compass * " California Love" by

2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

featuring

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

* "

Let Go for Tonight "Let Go for Tonight" is a song by English singer and songwriter Foxes from her debut studio album, '' Glorious'' (2014). The song was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2014 as the album's second single. It entere ...

" by Foxes * "Love On a 45" by MJ Cole * "The One" by Jorja Smith * "So Many People" by Two Door Cinema Club * " Ultraviolet" by Freya Ridings * " Leave a Light On" by Tom Walker * "Sometimes the Going Gets a Little Tough" by Finn * "Savage" by

MIST Mist is a phenomenon caused by small droplets of water suspended in the cold air, usually by condensation. Physically, it is an example of a dispersion. It is most commonly seen where water vapor in warm, moist air meets sudden cooling, such a ...

* "The Difference" by Flume * "Freedom" by

Sub Focus Nicolaas Douwma (born 13 April 1982), better known by his stage name Sub Focus, is an English DJ, record producer, songwriter, musician and sound engineer from Guildford, Surrey. He has been releasing records since 2003. On 12 October 2009, ...

Wilkinson Wilkinson may refer to: People * Wilkinson (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places in the United States * Wilkinson, Illinois * Wilkinson, Indiana, a town in Hancock County * Wilkinson, Minnesota * Wilkinson, Mis ...

featuring Empara Mi (Remix vs. Sub Focus & Wilkinson) * "Mine Right Now" by Sigrid * " Better Off Without You" by Becky Hill featuring

Shift K3Y Lewis Shay Jankel (born 27 May 1993), better known by his stage name Shift K3Y (pronounced "shift key"), is a British DJ, record producer, singer and songwriter, from London. He is best known for his 2014 singles "Touch", which peaked at number ...

* "24/7" by NOISY * "Lord It's a Feeling" by London Grammar * "Paradise" by

James Vincent McMorrow James Vincent McMorrow is an Irish singer and songwriter. Career McMorrow's debut album, ''Early in the Morning'', was released in Ireland in February 2010, and in the United States and Europe in 2011, to widespread acclaim. He made his UK te ...

* "Foreign Things" by Amber Mark

References

External links

High Contrast official biography
at

.com
High Contrast blog
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:High Contrast 1979 births Living people People from Penarth British drum and bass musicians Hospital Records artists Welsh record producers Welsh DJs Electronic dance music DJs