- After dropping his stunning sophomore release High Society on unsuspecting drum'n'bass heads back in 2004 and again receiving high acclaim from critics and fans alike, High Contrast (aka Lincoln Barrett) has been invited to compile and mix the next edition of Mixmag Live. Not only are his skills in demand as a producer/remixer but also as a DJ, which has seen him touring around the world showcasing his uplifting drum'n'bass rhythms.
Freshly pulled from Roni Size's Return To V album is the opener, No More featuring the vocals of house diva Beverly Knight and Dynamite MC and is featured here in remix form done by none other than High Contract himself. It's not hard to guess that the remix was done by HC as it features the trademark funky horn stabs that we've come to expect and love from the man. Brazillian duo, Marky & XRS offer their funky, charged up Striptease which is strangely named since a striptease tends to be slow and seductive.
High Contrast's labelmate Nu:Tone gets his vocal laden Seven Years remixed by Matrix into a crossover electro/drum'n'bass number with a catchy electro bass line. Leisure by CLS & Wax begins with a rolling 4/4 break laden with lots of female vocal stabs and switches back and forth between a percussive triplet beat.
Q Project's Greatest Thing is quite possibly one of the catchiest numbers I've heard in the drum'n'bass scene for a while. Very remiscent of the Hospital Records sound, it features a quirky bassline, soulful vocals and orchestral disco stabs, which all nicely lead into the latin stylings of Craggz & Parallel Forces' Fizzy Piglets - take a guitar riff similar to LK and let it do all the work.
High Contrast features his own tunes in the mix including the very soulful and beautiful arrangements on Natural High lifted off his High Society LP and an exclusive new tune When The Lights Go Down which sees him moving into a different sound - big badass basslines meet futuristic vocal effects on top of big crashing drums.
For those who are very familiar with the High Contrast sound will immediately warm to this mix - uplifting, funky beats, catchy riffs and plenty of energy. What's even better is that High Contrast's sound isn't overbearing so it can invite newcomers to the sound and still be refreshing enough to entertain and keep his established fanbase.