Terrorbird

Mark Pritchard has been making pioneering music since 1990. Always under a moniker, in the last 18 years he has been responsible for a supreme spectrum of production talent from Reload to Global Communication to Link to Jedi Knights to Troubleman to Harmonic 33 to name but a few. Adding to this stellar roll call in 2008 is HARMONIC 313.
Such a successful catalogue of past work may prove intimidating and any lesser producer would suffer stage fright. Not Mark Pritchard; Harmonic 313 will prove him not only as relevant as ever but ahead of the curve, commenting on the current UK bass scene with his new work by producing some of the deepest, most spacious bass lines of the last 12 months, as this tantalising forthcoming album 'When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence' demonstrates.
Admiringly once again Harmonic 313 bears zero resemblance to past work, 313 is the Detroit area code and in sound it is inspired by Dilla as much as Kenny Larkin. The project also has an eye on UK club music, or as Mark calls it 'UK bass music' for he believes there is a common thread that runs through UK dance music in attitude to bass and rhythm as heard in jungle, broken beat, dub step, house and garage, an attitude that is also present here.
'This album 'When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence', has a direct link to Detroit techno and UK bassline music from the last 20 years or more. It still has a hip hop flavour but has a more 80's Electronic palette with the sounds.'

MARK PRITCHARD 'The story so far':
Reload 'A collection of short stories' was a solo project that has been revered ever since its release in 1993. A landmark album and dark in its tone, it was at the zeitgeist of a new generation of post clubbing electronic music. Global Communication in 1994 was the first album project between Mark Pritchard & Tom Middleton, '7614' was voted 'the album of the decade' by the Guardian.
Previous to that was Link (1991), which was released on Mark and Tom's 'Evolution' imprint, part of the 1st wave of UK electronic music that was a reaction to rave culture, and also the 1st incarnation of Tom and Mark. Of course, everyone is familiar with Jedi Knights (1995 - 96) which spawned 'May the Funk be with you', 'Catch the Break', 'Antacid remix' and more.
Troubleman, (late 90's and still going) is a solo project that was very much embraced by the broken beat and early garage scene, thanks to distribution from the Brazilian influenced label 'Far Out'. Harmonic 33 (2000 - ) is perhaps Mark's most esoteric imprint with its exotica sci-fi sound. The project which evolved into a full length radiophonic workshop album for Warp was later famously sampled by Madlib.

Mark is without a doubt unique in his talents, producing such a breath taking range of revered music and his influence on the UK scene can not been denied.
'I am always inspired by hearing new sounds, it has always been what keeps me going. I suppose that it's the same when I make music, I want to hear something different and futuristic, I also look to the past as well, but try and take things forward if I can. That's what music is about for me'

His impact has been far reaching as his list of admirers demonstrate: Daft Punk, Richie Hawtin, Gilles Peterson, Kenny Dope & Jazzy Jeff to name but a few and apparently it is whilst listening to '7614' that the founders of the Big Chill festival came about with the idea.
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Despite now living in Perth, Australia Mark delivers his own version of UK bass music with 'When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence' , a valid statement that is sure to make an impact if his pristine record is anything to go by.