- published: 22 Jun 2016
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Rank 1 is a Dutch trance group, formed in the Netherlands in 1997. Widely regarded as one of the originators of the Dutch trance sound, the group have produced a number of dancefloor hits since their conception. Although the two members of the group (Benno De Goeij and Piet Bervoets) had worked together before, Rank 1 (a name first used in 1999) was their first project with commercial success.
The very first Rank 1 release was an EP containing "The Citrus Juicer" and "Black Snow". Their biggest hit commercially was the 1999 track that followed up that EP called "Airwave", which reached #10 in the UK Singles Chart and #25 in the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. This was later re-released by Rank 1 remixed with added vocals as "Breathing (Airwave 2003)", and also provided the base for a mash up with Donna Williams, as "True Love Never Dies", which was later vocally re-recorded using Kelly Llorenna, by Flip and Fill. In 2011, Airwave was voted the number 1 Trance Classic of all time in the Trance Top 1000 poll.
Lincoln Barrett, better known by the stage name High Contrast (born 18 September 1979, Penarth, Cardiff), is a Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer.
Barrett grew up more interested in films and film soundtracks rather than music, and still 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.
In June 2002, Barrett's debut album, True Colours, was released on Hospital Records, with "Return of Forever" and "Global Love" finding their way into the UK Singles Chart. His second album was High Society.