High Contrast collaborates with Kae Tempest on new song 'Time Is Hardcore'

High Contrast has shared a new song called ‘Time Is Hardcore’, which features Kae Tempest.

The new track is the latest preview of the drum’n’bass producer’s forthcoming album ‘Notes From The Underground’, which is due out later this year.

“Kae is one of the most profound and poetic voices in the UK music scene to me and I knew they’d be able to articulate something about the weight and pressure of time in words that I could only hint at with my synthesisers,” the producer tells NME of the new collaboration.

He adds: “The haunting synth and sonic space in the track suggested to me that a different kind of vocal was needed here, something more poetic than usual vocals and I just had a feeling that the brilliant Kae Tempest would really get what I was trying to allude to with the title and the vibe of the track.

“Kae surpassed my already very high expectations on what they would deliver, giving an incredible stream of consciousness around the pitfalls and anxieties of the passage of time.”

Explaining that the song is actually 15 years in the making, High Contrast adds: “This track technically began 15 years ago when I was at Fabric one night, listening to Fabio DJ. He played a track on dubplate that I loved and I wanted to find out what it was called.

“Not wanting to interrupt the dj whilst working, as the dub spun around on the turntable I tried to read what the label said, spinning my head trying to read it in the dark club. I thought it said ‘Time Is Hardcore’ and thought that was a great name for a tune.

“Months later I heard the track again and realised I had misread the label on the dub plate so that track name was actually free for me to use, so I made a mental note and filed it away.”

Last week, Kae Tempest announced that they were changing their name. “Hello old fans, new fans and passers by – I’m changing my name,” Kae wrote. “And I’m changing my pronouns. From Kate to Kae. From she/her to they/them.

“I’ve been struggling to accept myself as I am for a long time. I have tried to be what I thought others wanted me to be so as not to risk rejection. This hiding from myself has led to all kinds of difficulties in my life.

“And this is a first step towards knowing and respecting myself better. I’ve loved Kate. But I am beginning a process and I hope you’ll come with me.”