Cover of High Contrast Tough Guys Don't Dance
Tobby

• Rating:

For fans of high contrast, lovers of drum and bass and electronic music, and anyone interested in atmospheric, nuanced electronic albums.
 Share

THE REVIEW

Nighttime record "Tough Guys Don't Dance", like almost everything that is drum'n'bass. Yes, the more I listen to "Forever & A Day", "Eternal Optimist", "Nobody Gets Out Alive", the more I'm convinced it’s like that. The scenes I paint in my mind are stereotypical, yet I have experienced them in reality so they’re also genuine: me, my car, my city, and the night...

But not one of those rainy, lonely, and melancholic nights, which I’ve seen associated with various records here on DeB. No, this is a pulsing night, bursting with the desire to live, a night that should be lived and enjoyed to the fullest. "Sleepless"...coincidentally.
I'll spare you further clichés: this isn’t a pumped-up record and it doesn't deserve them either. On the contrary, it has an elegance and discretion that – I must admit – I have rarely found in the genre: suitable for all of you then, under, over, enta, anta, onta and the more the merrier.

Now, if I have to find a track that perfectly sums up the album, it’s definitely "Changes": seemingly dramatic, yet eager to fight, vital, not resigned to its fate. Piano and intense female vocals... and then room for bass and drums, there’s no time to waste in this night, in this life.

Mandatory listening if you're interested in electronic music, but I believe it’s a pleasant experience even for those not used to crossing these shores.

Loading comments  slowly

Summary by Bot

High Contrast’s album Tough Guys Don’t Dance is celebrated for its elegant, understated drum’n’bass sound that captures vibrant nighttime scenes. Tracks like "Changes" highlight a mix of intensity and hope. The album stands out in the genre for its subtlety and vitality, appealing to both electronic fans and newcomers alike. It is described as a pulsing night full of life rather than melancholy.

Tracklist Videos

01   If We Ever (05:07)

02   Everything's Different (06:03)

03   In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (05:38)

04   Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (05:41)

05   Forever and a Day (05:56)

06   Sleepless (06:27)

07   Tread Softly (06:10)

08   Metamorphosis (05:26)

09   Pink Flamingos (05:16)

10   Eternal Optimist (05:34)

11   Chances (05:40)

12   Nobody Gets Out Alive (05:34)

13   The Ghost of Jungle Past (04:29)

High Contrast

High Contrast is the stage name of Lincoln Barrett, a Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer associated with liquid-funk style.
01 Reviews