High Maintenance is James Smith, a British drum and bass producer whose music combines bright melodies with a forceful dancefloor sound. Vocals often provide the centre of a track, with heavier bass and drums bringing the push behind them.
His early catalogue developed through Audioporn Records and Mainframe Recordings. Work with Mediks on Watching Me, featuring Georgina Upton, and songs with Katie’s Ambition helped establish that balance between a sung hook and club impact. Later releases include A Million Years, Keep You Down with James Robb, and Breathe In with Ayah Marar.
In Audioporn’s tenth-anniversary retrospective, Smith recalled making neurofunk in his bedroom before meeting Shimon. Signing to the label brought his music out of that private world and gave him the chance to play abroad, meeting people who became close friends.
His authorised Dancefloor Drum & Bass sample pack offers a particularly clear description of his approach. Its melodies, pads, drums, and bass sounds document the same movement between musical warmth and driving energy heard in his releases. It is a useful reminder that the melodic and heavier sides of High Maintenance are parts of one sound.
