High Contrast

Biography

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 music, and his 2009 album Confidential×Confidential27 April 2009 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 25 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Racing Green6:222Return of Forever7:153If We Ever5:184Seven Notes in Black5:295Kiss Kiss Bang Bang5:196Twilight's Last Gleaming6:287Tread Softly5:268Lovesick6:259Music Is Everything7:3310The Persistence of Memory5:4111Basement Track4:3412When the Lights Go Down6:32Disc 21Hometown Glory (High Contrast remix)5:502Has It Come to This? (High Contrast remix)5:073The Basement Track (HC's Upstairs Downstairs remix)6:254Renegade Snares (High Contrast remix)6:325Pjanoo (High Contrast remix)5:586Remember the Future (High Contrast remix)5:117Something Good '08 (High Contrast remix)4:538No Soul (High Contrast remix)5:499We Run This (High Contrast remix)5:1010Most Precious Love (High Contrast remix)4:5611This Feeling (High Contrast remix)4:5112Hey U (High Contrast remix)5:3813My Dreams (High Contrast remix)6:48 reached BPI gold certification (100,000 units sold in the UK).

Early work

Barrett was born in Penarth, near Cardiff, and grew up more interested in films and film soundtracks than rock or pop music; he cites Wendy Carlos's A Clockwork Orange soundtrack album and the Vangelis soundtrack for Blade Runner as defining musical influences. Whilst studying film making in Newport, 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 and London Elektricity.

2000s

In June 2002, Barrett's debut album, True Colours×True Colours4 June 2002 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 23 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Return of Forever8:202Music Is Everything7:303True Colors6:094Global Love6:115Exposé6:206Passion5:497Make It Tonight6:258Remember When7:179Savoir Faire6:1110Fools Gold6:4611Mermaid Scar7:23Disc 21Music is Everything4:272Global Love2:133Savoir Faire2:584Suddenly2:585Remember When3:426Passion2:137True Colors5:228Mermaid Scar4:549Return of Forever7:0210Exposé3:5311Full Intention5:5512Make it Tonight6:36, was released on Hospital Records, with "Return of Forever×Return of Forever25 February 2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAReturn of Forever8:19BSo Confused6:45" and "Global Love×Global Love20 May 2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Global Love (radio edit)3:152Global Love (full length)5:573Global Love (Calibre remix)6:45" finding their way into the UK Singles Chart. His second album was High Society×High Society20 September 2004 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Lovesick7:142Tutti Frutti6:073High Society5:254Brief Encounter5:445Racing Green6:476Angels and Fly5:127Natural High6:258The Persistence of Memory6:299Twilight’s Last Gleaming7:3710Only Two Can Play4:3311Yesterday’s Colours5:5012The Basement Track5:42.
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×Days Go By15 March 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Days Go By (2019 mix)4:412Days Go By (2019 instrumental mix)4:41" / "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×Tough Guys Don't Dance30 August 2007 · Studio album · DemoSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Tread Softly6:122Eternal Optimist6:193Kiss Kiss Bang Bang5:424Metamorphosis5:295Sleepless6:286The Ghost of Jungle Past4:26 was released in October 2007. The second single from the album, "If We Ever×If We Ever26 August 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1If We Ever (extended)4:39", was supported on Radio 1 by Annie Mac, 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" for Japanese pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki's remix album, Ayu-mi-x 6: Silver. He also made successful remixes of "Hometown Glory" by Adele and "Pjanoo" by Eric Prydz, which were later included on the album, Confidential×Confidential27 April 2009 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 25 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Racing Green6:222Return of Forever7:153If We Ever5:184Seven Notes in Black5:295Kiss Kiss Bang Bang5:196Twilight's Last Gleaming6:287Tread Softly5:268Lovesick6:259Music Is Everything7:3310The Persistence of Memory5:4111Basement Track4:3412When the Lights Go Down6:32Disc 21Hometown Glory (High Contrast remix)5:502Has It Come to This? (High Contrast remix)5:073The Basement Track (HC's Upstairs Downstairs remix)6:254Renegade Snares (High Contrast remix)6:325Pjanoo (High Contrast remix)5:586Remember the Future (High Contrast remix)5:117Something Good '08 (High Contrast remix)4:538No Soul (High Contrast remix)5:499We Run This (High Contrast remix)5:1010Most Precious Love (High Contrast remix)4:5611This Feeling (High Contrast remix)4:5112Hey U (High Contrast remix)5:3813My Dreams (High Contrast remix)6:48. 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. 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. 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 "Who's Loving You×Who's Loving You30 October 2014 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Who's Loving You (Part 1)3:402Who's Loving You (Part 2)5:543Who's Loving You (Deetron Remix)6:034Who's Loving You (Copy Paste Soul's 2Swords Remix)7:00" was announced. A double release, 'Part 2' was Special Delivery on Annie Mac'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 in April 2016 and released his first single on the label, "Remind Me×Remind Me8 April 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Remind Me4:01".
In 2017, a new song, titled "Shotgun Mouthwash×Shotgun Mouthwash25 January 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Shotgun Mouthwash3:44", 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

On 13 November 2020, he released the album titled Notes From The Underground×Notes From the Underground4 December 2020 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1A Few Notes on the Culture2:072Windows 954:373Going Up3:534Rhythm Is Changing3:435Time Is Hardcore4:176Met Her at a Dance in Leicester3:177The Future Is a Mirror That Eats0:408Disk 23:589Arcadia5:0210Hold on Me3:3411Snare the Blame4:0812More Brilliant Than the Sun4:5313Dolphin5:0514A Mind Forever Voyaging6:31.
On 24 June 2022, he followed up with the album titled True Colours×True Colours4 June 2002 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 23 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Return of Forever8:202Music Is Everything7:303True Colors6:094Global Love6:115Exposé6:206Passion5:497Make It Tonight6:258Remember When7:179Savoir Faire6:1110Fools Gold6:4611Mermaid Scar7:23Disc 21Music is Everything4:272Global Love2:133Savoir Faire2:584Suddenly2:585Remember When3:426Passion2:137True Colors5:228Mermaid Scar4:549Return of Forever7:0210Exposé3:5311Full Intention5:5512Make it Tonight6:36 for the first time on his own label Highly Contrasting.
On 23 February 2024, he released a single with two songs Anti/Thesis Vol. 1.

Personal life

His father, Paul "Legs" Barrett, used to manage Shakin' Stevens. His mother, Lorraine Barrett, was the Welsh Assembly member for Cardiff South and Penarth until May 2011.
Lincoln is a vegan.

Albums

True Colours (2002)
High Society (2004)
Tough Guys Don't Dance (2007)
The Agony and The Ecstasy (2012) (UK #45)
Night Gallery (2017)
Notes from the Underground (2020)
Restoration (2024)

Compilation albums

FabricLive.25 (2005)
Watch the Ride - High Contrast (2008)
Hospitality Presents This is Drum + Bass (2009)
Confidential (2009) (UK #68), BPI: Gold
Isles of Wonder (2012)
Derestoration (2025)

EPs

The Road Goes On Forever (EP) (2012)
Questions (EP) (2017)