Barry Can't Swim
Scottish musician and producer
- Base
- London
- Active
- Since 2019
- Listeners
- 227K
- Sound
Sonic signature
42 analyzedBarry Can't Swim is a driving house artist from London. Barry's catalogue here runs a wide 89-160 BPM band (median 123). Harmonically the catalogue spreads across 16 of 24 keys, with 69% of it in minor keys, most often 3B, 8A, 3A. The overall sound is punchy and neutral in mood. The tracks here span 2019 to 2026. Since 2020 the typical tempo has climbed from 124 to 129 BPM. The catalogue traces a label journey from Ninja Tune to LateNightTales. Less groove-driven than 96% of house artists.
- Energy:
- more restrained than 88% of house artists
Plays across 16 of 24 keys, 69% in minor, most often 3B, 8A, 3A. Genre DNA leans 29% House, then Downtempo.
Evolution
Median tempo and energy of the analyzed tracks, year by year.
B2B pairings
Artists who play the same keys at a matching tempo and energy. A back-to-back that mixes cleanly.
- Dirty South16 keys · 123 BPM · NRG 67
- Trikk16 keys · 123 BPM · NRG 71
- Slam16 keys · 124 BPM · NRG 73
- DJ Kent15 keys · 123 BPM · NRG 60
Set builder
A set arc from Barry's own catalogue — picked by measured energy, tempo and groove.
Signature tracks
The defining cuts from Barry's catalogue.
Discography
45 tracks · 42 analyzedAbout
Joshua Spence Mainnie, known professionally as Barry Can't Swim, is a Scottish electronic music producer and DJ from Edinburgh. His debut album When Will We Land? was released on 20 October 2023, being shortlisted for the 2024 Mercury Prize and featuring in numerous critics end of year lists. He was nominated for Best Dance Act at the 2024 Brit Awards and Breakthrough Artist at the 2026 Brit Awards
FAQ
- What genre is Barry Can't Swim?
- Barry Can't Swim plays mostly house, with garage house, based on their catalogue in the directory.
- What BPM does Barry Can't Swim play at?
- Barry Can't Swim's tracks here sit mostly between 89 and 160 BPM, with a median around 123.
- What key does Barry Can't Swim play in?
- Across 42 analyzed tracks, Barry Can't Swim favours 3B, 8A, 3A, and 69% of the catalogue is in minor keys.
- Where is Barry Can't Swim based?
- Barry Can't Swim is based in London and has been active since 2019.
- What labels has Barry Can't Swim released on?
- Barry Can't Swim has releases associated with LateNightTales, Ninja Tune, Shall Not Fade, Part 4.
Profile data from Discogs + MusicBrainz (CC0). Artist images and track data via Spotify. How we measure. Catalogue updated July 2026.
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Methodology
How we keep this honest.
Seeded from open data
Profiles start from Discogs + MusicBrainz (CC0) discography data, then match to the tracks we have analyzed.
Measured, not guessed
Every BPM, key and energy figure on this profile is computed from the actual recordings, not estimated or copied from a third-party API.
Full methodology
How the directory is sourced, gated and kept honest, in depth: read the methodology.
Kept current
Catalogue last updated July 2026.
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