Shortly after releasing some tracks in 2009, James Smith, aka High Maintenance quickly found himself featuring on the genre-bending podcasts of electro-lover John B, and soon attracted the attention of label owners and scene veterans Shimon and DisasZt. After co-signing to Audioporn Records and Mainframe Recordings, High Maintenance wasted no time kicking off the next phase of his career with a tremendous remix of Ed Rush and Tali’s ‘Dark Days’ as well as DisasZt’s ‘Try Me Again’, from his ‘Shadow & Lightning’ LP. After the release of his impressive first solo effort ‘With You’ / ‘Nowhere’ on Audioporn Records, and a number high profile remixes including a rework of Camo & Krooked’s ‘Watch It Burn’ and Manufactured Superstars ‘Take Me Over’, High Maintenance continues his relentless climb in electronic dance music with five varied but equally accomplished tracks.

‘By Yourself’ (D&B) : High Maintenance starts off proceedings with the impressive ‘By Yourself’. A thoroughbred drum and bass number, ‘By Yourself’ sees hard-hitting drums combined with female vocals edits and an iconic, screaming bassline. Featuring some of the most outrageous bass this side of 2012, a drumstep section and a healthy dose of adrenaline, the intense ‘By Yourself’ kicks things off in style.

‘Don’t Lose It’ (Drumstep) : Featuring an introduction full of anticipation and atmosphere, ‘Don’t Lose It’ offers no let up. An anthemic drumstep number, High Maintenance mixes iconic vocals with a strong melody and a half time beat that has to be moved to. Boasting heavy bass, hard drums and infectious vocals, ‘Don’t Lose It’ will get the dancefloor packed.

‘Got To Be There’ (D&B) : Featuring an adrenaline fuelled build up, ‘Got To Be There’ launches into a dancefloor weapon. Following in the footsteps of High Maintenance’s own DnB number ‘Nowhere’, ‘Got To Be There’ pushes energy levels to the very limit, with grating bass, relentless rolling drums and catchy vocals throughout. One of the most energetic tracks of 2012, ‘Got To Be There’ is already causing damage across the globe.

‘Stars (feat. Tali)’ (D&B) : Far from a simple drum and bass track, ‘Stars’ fuses the flawless production of High Maintenance with the dynamic vocal delivery customary of ‘The First Lady of Drum and Bass’, Tali. Packing in vocals full of character, a roaring bassline and even a half-time section, the intricate and varied ‘Stars’ is the perfect way to summarize an EP from one of DnB’s rising talents.

‘Turn Around (feat. Sushia)’ (Dubstep) : Another slice of anthemic electronic dance music, the dubstep flavored ‘Turn Around’ showcases High Maintenance’s production talent and comfort at varying tempos. Featuring a soaring female vocal and yet another melodic bassline, ‘Turn Around’ shows another facet to one of the scene’s most multi-talented producers.