Customer Reviews

High Society

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Why (OH WHY) doesn't more D&B sound like THIS ??????
Not since "New Forms" (roni size/reprazent 97') have I been more excited about the drum & bass genre.
The title track "High Society" is a refreshingly hip, bright, vocally ingenious, MASTERPIECE!!!
Venturing further into the album, I could not believe my ears! The tracks just kept on jammin'& jammin' with tight beats, kick-ur-but bass lines balanced with colorful, yet elegant sounds that I'd Never Heard Before.
"Racing Green" Yesterday's Colours" "The Basement Track" "Lovesick" "Brief Encounters". Up tempo down tempo: the rhythms compelled my full attention with smart beats other-worldly melodies and vocals that seamlessly blended into each track.
The album is brilliantly cohesive, yet, each track (amazingly) mantains it's own individuality.

SUV and London Elektricity d&b are pretty Hip too.

I have paid attention more to d-n-b this year, the beats on this album are incredible especially LOVESICK. This has the same feel when I discovered London Eleckricity last year (labelmates on Hospital Records). This entire album frees my mind everytime. You gotta pick this up.

How does he do it? This kid is only 21 and he produces music like a seasoned professional! Well he is. He's like Mozart. After his acclaimed first album, with at least a couple hits, he followed it up with the amazing, hit after hit, 'high society.' The album is incredibly diverse, but the theme is soul. Lincoln is using more vocals this time and even has songs with lyrics. But they don't move away from the d'n'b genre, they redefine it. Don't get me wrong, this album tears it up but it also has songs that will take you to another place. Each song is unique, and deceptively simple, actually complex. If you want to hear the newest, most groundbreaking anomaly in music, pick up high society.

High Contrast a.k.a Lincoln Barrett has managed to pull off the monster task of one-upping his debut album by coming out with something extraordinary powerful and genuinely unique, while at the same time keeping it danceable and soulful beyond words. His skill at simply using a sample and loop based laptop computer to write and produce his songs while straying away from the conventional way of producing electronic music with midi based keyboards and dedicated music making hardware is another reason that makes his music unique as well.

The album starts off with "Lovesick", which was making such a stir earlier this year in the clubs and the dj's lucky enough to get a "dubplate" of it to fill up the club dancefloors all over the world, and has such a catchy groove and melody that wont let you sit still. "Tutti Frutti" is a song that would appeal to most house music enthuasiasts, with a catchy male vocal and an epic production. Now for a great vocal track, "High Society" (featuring Dynamite MC of Roni Size Reprazent fame) with something that is very special, and just for you! "Brief Encounter" is one of those epic, trancelike tracks that would remind you of "Return To Forever", if you heard his first album "True Colours", the female vocal and strings are hauntingly beautiful and timeless. The latest single and biggest tune off the album "Racing Green" is next, which in my opinion is the finest drum and bass song to come out in the past 5 years or so. I haven't heard anything as beautiful, danceable and soulful as this song, and it is just one of those songs that you can't help but smile everytime you hear it. "Angels & Fly" features the vocal talents of Nolay, a uk grime vocalist who gives a great performance in the uk "grime" music style, with a little drum and bass over the top. "Natural High" is another epic production, with a great combination of looped, filtered vocals, 80's sounding synths and a sweet guitar lick while maintaining a solid groove the entire way through. My favorite song on the album, and one of the many reasons why I love this music is "The Persistence of Memory", there are no words that I can say how beautiful this tune is, and a great example of how timeless his music is. When I heard his wonderful BBC Essential mix last year, the highlight of his 2 hour set was the first single off the album, "Twilight's Last Gleaming". The "have you heard" vocal and rhodes breakdown in this song will always get a dancefloor going and is another breakthrough performance on this excellent album, and the b-side of this single is "Made It Last Night" which is not on the album but another great song by High Contrast, with the Isley Brothers sample and chill sound, make it worth searching for. My least favorite track "Only Two Can Play" feat. Spoonface is his token entry into top 40 territory and probally the next single off of this album (since it is the only song released on vinyl) but its a kinda neat way to incorporate a regular pop beat with a dnb 2 step beat and the vocal is forgettable. Same with "Yesterday's Colors", the track that ends the vinyl album and an ok song, which has got some pretty neat drum programming however. "The Basement Track" ends the cd, which is a bonus track that was released earlier last year to critical acclaim by junglists around the world. A massive mash-up of sorts of the classic house tune, Indo's "RU Sleeping" with a great breakdown and groove that finally ends this great album properly. Excellent work Lincoln and thank you for making music so fun to listen to! RESPECT, dmt

THE MOST EXCITING PRODUCER STILL GET NO JUSTICE FOR HIS WORK. WHY IS HE NO FURTHER THAN HE ALREADY IS???? WAKE UP PEOPLE! WAKE UP USA!!!!! THIS IS A MASTERPIECE WHICH HAS NOT HAD THE RECOGNITION IT DESERVES FOR FECKS SAKE!!! BUY IT AND SEE WHY I'M TELLING YOU THIS! ALSO, BUY TRUE COLOURS - IT CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON MUSIC ALTOGETHER!

High Contrast holds a dear spot to me simply because he was one of the first drum n bass artists I ever listened to. True Colors astounded me. It hit me on so many levels.

But drenching myself into drum n bass has honed my ear more and has made it more critical.

But High Society didn't dissapoint, and I can hands down say this is one of the best drum n bass albums I've listened to.

If Lovesick doesn't have you smiling and grinding that dancefloor, then this whole album might be lost on you. But what a great start. Simple bass line, but it is so round and full...it just magnetizes you. Then Tutti Frutti just gets you rolling. Following that is the infectious title-track featuring dynamite MC.

So melodic and floating. The ethereal and emotive Brief Encounter follows. The vocal sample is haunting. Lincoln uses strings beautifully again, as he does throughout the whole album.

Without giving a complete play by play of the whole album...suffice to say,you get such a perfect mix here. The tracklisting is so tight.

The hip hop grooves of Nolay and ambient atmospheric flights of Persistence of Memory lead gracefully into the final tracks...and of course..bonus...The Basement Track.

No momentum is lost anywhere during this whole cd. It is such a gem.

I was even fortunate enough to see Lincoln spinning live a month and a half ago, and the thoughtfulness and art he crafts into his songs is just as apparent in his sets.

The man is brilliant. give your ears something to smile about.

This is great stuff! Slick and tasty. Rich on multiple levels, way above the average for Drum N Bass. I just got this today and it's on heavy rotation! I'm now a fan! (If their earlier album is even better...)

Really wish I could give this album more than 5 stars.
High Society is easily the best album I've listened to in a long while. I love drum n bass, and this ablum stands right up there with the likes of Logical Progression and Goldie's Timeless. It's not that High Contrast's broken any new ground, but he's done it better and with more depth than anyone else. I have heard many complain that electronic music often doesn't go anywhere. They emphasize procussion and only work well on the dancefloors. High Society is different because it does wonders both at home and in the clubs. Each track is truly a song, with a beginning, middle, and end.
My fav track is "Angels and Fly", which features the grime artist, Nolay. This track oozes of attitude, truly sounding like a sci-fi British ghetto anthem. It is a hiphop track done drum n bass style. Very few have done this kind of crossover well, but High Contrast does it with ease. More please.
"Yesterday's Colours" is another excellent track. It features a vocal sample and song structure that reminds us of the good old days of drum n bass, similar to Influx Datum's "Days of Glory".
I said High Contrast's first album, True Colours, was a great introduction to the sound of drum n bass. Now, my suggestion is going to be High Society.

Great catchy beats, all very original. I recommend this to people who like to listen to drum and bass and electronica types of music. I also listen to Pendulum, DJ Fresh, Dieselboy, Andy C, Sub Focus and The Freestylers.

REALIZE. Lincoln Barrett aka High Contrast created quite a few historical d&b albums, released over 25 Vinyl singles, remixed & produced big number of established tunes, He simply appears on every most important d&b compilation.

I heard it all. High Contrast - High Society is melodic & atmospheric album, but frankly leaving not too many thoughts. It's just OK release. Me is gonna come back to only 4 songs ever from this:
01. Lovesick
04. Brief Encounter
09. Twilight's Last Gleaming
11. Yesterday's Colours

My this-seconds suggestion is - get High Contrast - Essential Mix (2007) for free & see what's what.

Stay happy.