TERMINOLOGY. SAT 6TH SEPT < HIGH CONTRAST & STAMINA MC > @ WATERSPLASH JSY!!
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High Contrast
The name High Contrast needs no introduction anymore; though when a young Lincoln Barrrett signed on to Hospital back in 2000 he was a
complete unknown. Signed on the strength of his mini-disc demos, the Welsh wonder has smashed his way through the d+b scene in no time at all to become one of the most highly respected producers and A-List DJs.
Lincoln grew up more interested in film than music (although his father was involved in the music industry - managing Shakin’ Stevens & The Sunsets!). He studied at Newport Film School, yet it was as a fresh-faced 17-year old, that Lincoln was turned onto drum+bass by J Majik’s “Arabian Nights” – drawn in, not by the beats or bass, but the whole soundscape - and his career was set to change. He pursued his passion for film on a degree course at Cardiff University, whilst also mastering Cubase, and getting to grips with a mixer and turntables. He secured a residency at Cardiff's d+b night "Silent Running", along with a part-time job at the city's excellent Catapult record shop, and somehow managed to hold this lot down whilst getting quality marks for his college work.
Through Silent Running Lincoln played alongside a roll-call of well-known deejays, this is where he met Hospital Records head honchos. Tony and Chris were showcased some early High Contrast demos in the Catapult basement. Sufficiently impressed, phone calls and emails followed until the appropriate paperwork was signed and High Contrast was welcomed into the Hospital fold.
Hospital unveiled the HC sound in April with 2 tracks, “What's The Story?” and “Suddenly”, on the acclaimed compilation "Plastic Surgery2.”
His debut 12” “Passion” dropped in June 2001 and he has since released a string of hits; the mammoth “Make It Tonight” (which reduced one journalist to tears) and the Fabio anthem “Return of Forever”.
His debut longplayer "True Colours" was released on Hospital to massive critical acclaim in June 2002, paving the way for a move onto the outernational dj circuit and remixer of choice for so many labels inside and outside of the drum+bass community. Major artists from “The Streets” to “Adam F” have all commissioned the HC touch.
It was club sessions and mixing skills which dominated the year since True Colours dropped, but the boy wonder still found enough studio time in-between DJ gigs in 2003 to knock out perhaps the biggest D&B anthem of the year in the mighty “Basement Track”!
Towards the end of 2003 and into 2004 the Contrast returned to the lab to work on the follow up to True Colours. And what a follow up! High Society takes things to the next level with massive dancefloor tunes like “Racing Green” and “Twilights Last Gleaming” as well as genrebending vocal cuts featuring the likes of Dynamite MC and up-and coming Grime MC Nolay!
As Dynamite MC sings on the album’s title track – “This is something special!”
"A great album from a truly great artist, and something tells me he's not done yet" – LTJ BUKEM
“ Rammed with anthems and a whole lot more” – KNOWLEDGE
“The most exciting producer in D&B right now, bar none” – MIXMAG
“Feel good factor though the roof” – DJ Magazine
“Highly addictive drum & bass” – I-D magazine
STAMINA MC
V, Movement / UK
Stamina's venture into music started back in Feb 1994. At this time his mind was on DJing, having just start learning to mix and buying his first tunes. Music of that time was quite heavily reggae/ragga influenced, and thus for fun Stamina would write little lyrics to fit with the tunes he owned. Time passed, and thus developed more and more material- it seemed he was to be an MC too.
Stamina got on his first pirate radio station in 1996 (Pressure FM) with help from a school friend. It was here he found real opportunity to develop his style, doing 2 hour sets each weekend to London listeners. A few small events came around as result of being on this, and later, other stations- of paramount importance in teaching Stamina about club performances.
Also during this time he met with DJ Ruffstuff (Movement) and DJ Flight (Swerve, Metalheadz, BBC 1Xtra); 2 people who taught him many things about the music and the different styles on offer.
In 2000 he joined the ranks of London club Movement™ after another friend spoke up on his behalf requesting Stamina be able to MC for him at an upcoming gig at a new Friday night superclub. Stamina was given a weekly slot soon after. It was here he first met Brasilian DJs Marky & Patife. He officially became a Movement™ resident later that year. He started working with Marky & Patife in 2001; this proved to be a good team, and so it comes to no surprise that to this day he is still touring regularly around the globe with DJ Marky.
Stamina was part of unprecedented crossover successes in the following years, providing vocals for "LK" with Marky & XRS and "Barcelona" with Austria-based duo D.Kay & Epsilon. These tracks reached No. 17 and No. 14 in the UK Top 20 in 2002 and 2003 respectively, launching a then virtually unknown MC into new areas within the scene.
His voice has taken him across the world to the present day. He has performed festivals such as Homelands, Love Box, Creamfields and Glastonbury in his native UK, as well as many others worldwide such as Montreaux Jazz Festival, Skolbeats, Lowlands, Exit, Meco...
He has also been part of award-wining Drum & Bass act London Elektricity LIVE since its inception in May 2003, but has stepped back from this project since to focus more on his work in the dj and club circuit.
2008 sees Stamina not only continue his work alongside DJ Marky but also join Shy Fx during his album tour throughout Spring. Stamina is also spreading his wings in the rave circuit aiming to bring a different flavour to the masses.
For the future Stamina's plan is simply to go where the music takes him- to MC with a range of DJs and styles, and to take on more studio projects both vocal and production-wise.
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