NEW YORK (Ubiquity/Far Out Records) - With a cult-like following of his extensive catalogue of solo and collaborative efforts with Tom Middleton as Global Communication, Jedi Knights, Harmonic 33, Reload,
Chaos & Julia Set, and much more, Mark Pritchard is finally set to release his debut full-length as Troubleman - one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year.
Ubiquity Records is very proud to be assisting Far Out Recordings with publicity and promotions for this album in the US/Canada. Mark Pritchard just did a remix for Ubiquity under his Harmonic 33 guise for the forthcoming As One single, "Believer" feat. MC Diverse.
The remix, which features Danny Breaks on turntables, will be available September 14. As One's full-length album "Out of the Darkness" follows October 26. Mark Pritchard will also be coming to the US to support the release of his album in September. Full tour dates to be announced.
Far Out finally release the eagerly-awaited Troubleman album by Mark Pritchard this August, as part of their 10th birthday celebrations. Mark is one of the UK's most respected electronic producers of the last 15 years thanks to a prolific set of recordings under various names and for different labels. We've been itching to share this LP since the stunning singles 'Strikehard' and 'Change Is What We Need (Progress)' set dancefloors on fire in the summers of 02 and 03 respectively.
The album's a mix of Brazilian Bossa, party breaks, soul and funk, featuring already familiar club hits and guest vocalists from the top drawer, including Nina Miranda (Smoke City and Da Lata), Eska (New Sector Movements) and Steve Spacek. It would be unfair to pick highlights from a line-up like this, but here are a few notables…
A couple of tracks featuring the laidback vocals of Nina Miranda - the singer already feted for her work with Smoke City and Da Lata: 'Paz', an easy listening-influenced 60s-style bossa, and 'Toda Hora', a big party tune that's already a fave with Gilles Peterson.
Steve Spacek contributes a typically ethereal vocal to 'Without You' (a track you'll definitely be hearing more about), and Eska brings her tough nu-street soul style to a live jam featuring legendary pianist Pino Palladio in 'Roll On'. 'The Righteous Path' is an Axelrod-esque gem Mark describes as 'hippy soul', while the title track 'Time... Out of Mind' is a monster Underground-Resistance style techno track with a deep groove… and not forgetting the two Troubleman singles that have already caused the stir: 'Strikehard': 2002's Fela Kuti-inspired afro banger, and 'Change Is What We Need (Progress)', last year's big club hit.
Mark's a Devon boy about to break through into the premier league of producers with this release – his classic recordings are familiar even if his many pseudonyms have meant that often he hasn't got the acclaim his distinguished past deserves. He was formerly in seminal 90s electronic acts Global Communication and the Jedi Knights (with Tom Middleton) and has remixed the likes of Depeche Mode, PJ Harvey, Underworld, Aphex Twin, Lamb, KRS 1, A Tribe Called Quest, the Orb and The Beloved. The Troubleman LP is the work of a man on top of his game with all Mark's influences coming together in a truly remarkable concoction – from his West Country roots with Tom Middleton and Aphex Twin, to collaborations with Brazilian legends Azymuth, to his latest incarnation (as hip-hop superstar) in Harmonic 33.
Mark Pritchard Biography:
Mark's recorded under so many monikers that keeping a track on his productions is difficult unless you're a die-hard Pritchard fan (and believe us from the emails we get there's a lot of them out there!) so this highly-respected producer's career certainly deserves a bit of a run-down…
In 1991 Mark formed seminal techno label Evolution, on which he released a series of sought-after Detroit-influenced techno singles, reflecting his early love of the Motor City sound. The 'A Collection of Short Stories' album is released on the Creation label in 1993, after several releases on Evolution under the Reload alias. (In 1996, Warp released a compilation of the tracks Mark did for Evolution entitled 'The Theory of Evolution'.)
In the company of Tom Middleton, Mark forms the now-legendary ambient-house outfit Global Communication and releases two albums in 1994 - 'Pentamorous Metamorphosis' (a remix album of feted UK indie band Chapterhouse's album), followed by '76:14', Global's debut album. Both were released on Dedicated/BMG and considered by many as the blueprint for the 90s ambient-electronic movement. The second 'proper' Global LP was 'Remotion', a collection of original material and remixes – released in 1995.
In 1996 Mark and Tom take a new direction and a new name, and release the 'New School Science' album as the Jedi Knights: 'we decided to bring back the funk into dance music' says Mark. Welding electro into 4/4 house and breaks it was loved by DJs across both genres and initiated an electro breaks revival that continues today.
A brief diversion into drum'n'bass brought about Link's 'Chameleon' in 1996 – a 'bit of an anthem' at Fabio's legendary Speed night.
In 1998 he produced the debut album from Kirsty Hawkshaw (formerly of rave act Opus 3), for East West records.
Between 1999-2000 Mark collaborated on a project with ex-Kula Shaker frontman Crispian Mills – the results will finally see the light of day this year. Mark has already toured the album with Crispian and Portishead's drummer Clive Deamer, supporting Robbie Williams. 'The weirdest thing I've ever done', says Mark.
Mark began the Troubleman project for Far Out in 2000 following some successful remixes he did of Azymuth's tracks - as Global Communication with Tom Middleton for the track 'Jazz Carnival' (1995), and then later solo remixes of 'Carambola' (1999), and 'Pieces Of Ipanema' (2000). All three are among Far Out's biggest-selling 12's. His first 12' as Troubleman ('Messenger/The Essence') was released in 2000, followed in 2001 with 'Where We Stand/Lullaby', and then the massive underground hit, 'Strike Hard' that firmly established the Troubleman name. 2003 saw the release of the even bigger follow-up 'Change Is What We Need (Progress)'. Now one year later we finally have the Troubleman debut album.
Mark fills us in: 'It's the album I've always wanted to make, an album of songs with vocals. I've never spent so long on an album and I think it shows. This is not a club album, it's all 4/5 minute songs with live musicians on all the tracks, it's a journey.' It's Mark's ability to weld his unique music tastes together that makes him one of the most interesting and innovative producers of the moment.
'Time Out of Mind' sees Mark at the peak of his powers, with a landscape of different genres and influences all mixed together with the virtuosity he's become renowned for – this is rightly one of the most eagerly-awaited debut albums of the year.
'One of THE albums of the year… this is just so good' GILLES PETERSON
'Mark makes the phattest beats ever' KENNY DOPE (MASTERS AT WORK)
'Can't stop listening to it... fave record of the year 2 me... this is incredible!' JAZZY JEFF
