Pendulum, Roni Size, Goldie, London Elektricity, Adam F... only a handful of drum 'n' bass artists have managed to achieve serious commercial success outside of the DnB world. The achievement is not so much the number of sales or money made from their classic albums - but rather the fact that all these artists are loved by people who don't particularly have much interest in DnB music. The awesome High Contrast, aka Welsh production wizz Lincoln J. Barrett, can count himself amongst this elite group, following the massive success and critical acclaim of his two albums 'True Colours' and 'High Society' and his hugely popular remixes of Kanye West's 'Golddigger' and The White Stripes' 'Blue Orchid'.
When he first burst onto the scene with soulful, funk-fuelled bangers like 'Return To Forever' and 'Global Love' the liquid DnB sound (the sleeker, more organic and less dark side of the genre) was really starting to blow up. Here was someone who took the smooth sounds of this newly emerging genre but didn't lose the urgency, energy and driving power of the heavier gear. Part of the much revered Hospital Records roster alongside label boss London Elektricity, and bright young Cambridge hopes like Logistics, Nu:Tone and Commix, and electro 'n' bass enthusiasts Cyantific, he is truly one of the most talented and musically-minded producers in the game. His DJ sets bring nothing but carnage wherever he plays - and it's his headline set at Moondance's NYE event at SeOne that led me to giving him a ring the other day...
Listening to your music, it seems like you’ve been involved with and listening to music since a very early age. Is this the case?
I didn’t really get into music until I was about 17. I was just into films really up until then.
So how did you discover it all?
I guess the music I always liked was film soundtracks, growing up, and then when I first heard drum ‘n’ bass in about ’96, it was the kind of soundtrack element on things like [Goldie’s] ‘Timeless’... it felt like soundtrack music to me that people could also dance to. And there was also samples that Goldie was using that I knew what film he was taking it from, so I was kind of hearing all these tracks sampling bits from films, and I was like “ah, here’s something where I can take things from films that I really like and use it in a different medium to make something new.” So the idea of sampling is something that really clicked with me.
Who were your early DnB inspirations, aside from Goldie?
Tune-wise, J Majik: his ‘Arabian Nights’ tune, that was one of the first tunes I heard that really blew me away. DJ-wise, I think it was like Nicky Blackmarket probably who got me into DJing, aside from the music production. It was like mixtapes of him in the mid ‘90s at the height of ‘Jump-up’. The energy in those sets really inspired me.
You signed to Hospital Records in 2000 with no previous releases under your belt, correct?
Yeah I was a total newcomer.
Did you feel pressure to deliver when they snapped you up with no previous experience as such?
No not really. It was like I always felt that you never know if you can make it until you’ve actually made it and someone has released it. And it was kind of like up until that point, I was working on lots of tunes all the time but never totally with the confidence to say, “well I can do this”. And when they had actually signed a tune, the confirmation psychologically in that... I was just kind of unleashed then and so I just went for it.
You’ve had two albums out which have both received high praise. What’s the plan for number three? And when can we expect to hear it?
The third one I’m still working on. It’s probably about 60–70% done now. It’ll be out April/May, maybe a bit later, we’ll have to see. But yeah, on this one I’ve got some great vocalists: Diane Charlemagne from ‘Timeless’; there’s also a great jazz vocalist. Ian Shaw, who did a vocal on a track ‘Everything’s Different’. which is an incredible vocal performance. So on this album which is similar to what I’ve done before — the fans like their kind of melancholic, uplifting tracks — but there’s also some different things that they might not expect, some slightly techier things, some synth-based things...
So some stuff like your remix of Aquasky ‘Girls & Boys’ maybe?
Yeah yeah a few things like that and even like touches of rock y’know. I’ve been listening to David Bowie, so there’s a whole mix of sounds going on here. It’s hard really to talk about it until it’s all done and you can look back and see really what it is but yeah, looking at the rough line-up of the tunes on there — every track is different from the next one. There’s no real repetition there
So is it all DnB stuff on there or are you working on stuff other than drum ‘n’ bass?
Oh I’ve got a number of little kind of hip-hop tracks and things, but maybe I can put them in on the CD version in between the drum ‘n’ bass tracks. But I think the whole thing with putting non-drum ‘n’ bass on a “drum ‘n’ bass album” — people begrudge if it’s on the vinyl y’know? It’s like a waste of a side to them ‘cos they can’t play it out. So I don’t think they’ll be any non-DnB on the vinyl but maybe some little skits will make it through to the CD...
On that tip — lots of people who aren’t DnB-heads as such dig your stuff. Why do you think this is?
I guess it’s because I don’t really begin making tunes from the start point of building a beat or a bassline necessarily. The initial drive to make a track is usually the melodic element or a vocal element so I think a lot of people kind of y’know, when they start building a tune they build a beat first and see what falls into place on that. However simple it is, it’s the musical element at the heart of a track which is paramount, so I think that way, people can just connect to it on a musical level rather than on the technical level of the beat production.
What’s your opinion on DnB bootlegs? Your ‘Blue Orchid’ for instance was very nifty but I heard an awful Arctic Monkeys remix recently for example...
I love doing bootlegs — it’s the pirate mentality in me! I dunno, I just love the whole thing of taking something from popular culture and just putting it into a new context. I’ve done a few remixes, but when people ask you to do a remix it’s like they want to get the impact that you get with the bootlegs, but the bootlegs took off because it was kinda like me having the genesis of the idea.
If you’re saying something like you want the ‘Blue Orchid’ mix well then, you’ve gotta make a tune like ‘Blue Orchid’ in the first place. You can’t really force it. I like just letting things naturally occur and thankfully with the ‘Blue Orchid’ and The Streets mixes, the labels then signed them as official remixes...
Well you can’t hope for better than that can you?
No... but y’know, I think it’s just like having an ear for what will work. Somethings will work but some things you really can’t force into a drum ‘n’ bass format.
There are so many different ways and combinations of kit to produce with these days. What do you use and why?
Yeah I’ve always been totally software-based really. I’ve got a few hardware synths and things but really they’re just only used occasionally. I had a mixing desk for a while but it didn’t really seem to do too much for me so I thought I might as well get rid of it! I totally admit I’m not the most technical producer, but for me that’s not the most important thing — it’s the vibe of the track.
You are playing at Moondance’s massive 3000 capacity rave on NYE. Has raving always been a big thing for you or were you never that into it?
Well I could never get into clubs when I was younger ‘cos I looked so young. I never got in anywhere ‘til I was about 18 which was in ’97. But as soon as I started going out to the nights it kind of all made sense for me — just having listened to the music at home on a home system. I really kind of begrudge missing the whole rave culture in the early ‘90s and I’ve only managed to make it to a few kind of warehouse parties since, so a part of me and a part of the vibe in the music is to try and capture what I think I’ve missed in the early ‘90s... that whole scene... so yeah, when I go out to big nights like this it’s kind of like a chance to try and capture some of that feeling.
Will this rank as one of your biggest UK gigs to date? In London we’re used to seeing you in the slightly more intimate surroundings of Fabric’s Room2 for example...
Yeah it’s certainly gotta be one of the biggest nights definitely, and it’s New Year’s Eve, so I’m working on some special tunes to play that night.
Wicked...well hope you have a wicked time at Moondance on NYE. Thanks for your time!
One of London’s biggest NYE party returns to seOne bigger and better than ever – we’re using every single part of the venue! After our wicked 12th birthday party at new venue Renaissance Rooms, we return to London Bridge for our regular end-of-year mash-up with one of the most diverse musical selections we’ve ever had. Moondance is all about the music and the unbeatable atmosphere that is created at every event. Attitude-free, positive, life-affirming vibes are part of what makes Moondance one of the most enjoyable rave experiences around!
seOne was built for raving, and no-one knows how to rave like Moondance! It’s London’s largest licensed nightclub with a capacity of 3000, and 30,000 square foot or stomping space! We’re filling all 5 arenas with a seriously tasty selection of Moondance old skool, Son of Dance dirty DnB, Essence of Chi liquid DnB, London’s LMP Presents Electro, Funky and Classic house and Epidemik vs Eruption upfront and classic hardcore, and tearing breakbeat. Moondance takes the most talented new stars of the day and puts them alongside revered legends of the scene – quite simply the best of both worlds. You won’t find this mix of music anywhere else this NYE – especially not with a line-up like this!
Don’t leave it ‘til the last minute – do the sensible thing and make Moondance your choice this New Year’s. It’s a guaranteed roadblock every year with one of the most genuinely friendly, energetic atmospheres around.
Ratpack
Genocide
Twista
Squirrel
Slipmatt
Snypa
Trix
Food Junkie
Phantasy (Jungle set)
Sense (Jungle set)
Flipside and ESP
Spinback
Hosted by: MC MC (Exclusive for one night only)
Arena 2
LMP Presents…Electro, Funky and Classic House
Special Guest - Announcement to be made - Beginning Nov
Steve Smart (Kiss 100)
Rob Blake (Freedom 2 Dance)
Jay C (Kiss 100)
Phil Good & Ram (Passion FM)
Adam K
Lee Freeland (Feel Love Promotions)
dillon koenig
Arena 3
Essence of Chi - Liquid Room
High Contrast (Hospital Records)
Bryan Gee (V Recordings)
Artificial Intelligence (V Recordings)
Kane (Undiluted, EOE - Liquid Set)
Zero Tolerance (Liquid V, Bassbin & T1 (EOC,Cutterzchoice)
Healing crew (EOE)
Subterra (EOC Rotation)
Emtek EOC, Kool FM
Smitty (Liquid Set)
Hoopz & Sofina
Live saxophone by Stu on Sax
Hosted by MCs:
Lowqui
Five Alive
Ken Mac
Bassline
K Eye
Master X
Miss Trouble
Arena 4
Son of Dance – DnB
Friction
Swift
Hype
Nicky Blackmarket
Noisia
Simon Bassline Smith
Clipz
EZM
Phantasy
DJ Spice
Epidemik presents .... "Hardcore the full Spectrum" ---
(Underground 2 Happy Classics -- Old 2 Nu Skool Breakbeat) An Eclectic Musical Journey of Dance
Brisk & MC Chit Chat (Club Kinetic to Next Generation Hardcore Journey 1994 - 2006)
DJ Vibes & MC 3Flow (The Ravers Choice)
Ellis Dee -Nu Skool Breaks Set & Mc Denus-J
Billy Daniel Bunter - Labyrinth to Tasty Hardcore set
Flashback & MC Strict (Underground Jungle Techno 1991 – 1993)
T.C b2b Sike & MC Redeyedee (Eruption Hardcore Breaks Set)
Upfront b2b C-Kay & MC
Doc-E (95-96 Happy Anthems Set)
Dave Skywalker b2b Sytronik & MC Spenno
From: J4meson 21st Dec 2006 05:40.45 Great interview Benz, nice to see a feature about drum n bass.
High Contrast is one of my favourite deebee producers, all his tunes have so much melody and energy.
From: CallyGSIon 21st Dec 2006 11:04.59 Top interview, awesome producer, and definitely appeals to music lovers of all genres, myself included. Big up Mr Barrett!
From: voodoobasson 21st Dec 2006 16:24.03 Yeah man, good interview... and I sympathise about not being able to get into raves cos I looked young, haha...it was the same for me.
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