Mark Pritchard

You likely know Mark Pritchard by one of his many monikers: Harmonic 313, Harmonic 33 or Africa Hitech. His latest EP, Ghosts, leaves behind his previous guises, but incorporates prior production styles, which in theory sounds exciting — a collaboration of sounds from a man who's done amazing work over the years. And, if this were an amalgamation of previous production styles and monikers, it seems reasonable we'd encounter a range of music spanning decades. What Ghosts offers, however, is four tracks that struggle with tedium and the grip of monotony. "Get Wyld" is five minutes of repetitive, rising synths, occasionally punctuated by stuttered, monotone vocals relaying the titular title. Calling the sound "dated? would be an understatement. "Manabadman" doesn't fare much better, never straying from its structured beat or incorporating additional sounds or elements. The lone number that even remotely stands out is the title track — the echoing vocals are closely followed by percussive claps, before it drops into a spiralling melody. The layered, frenetic percussion pulls the piece along, and the song comes across like something Harmonic 313 would release. Ghosts is the first of three EPs set to be released before Pritchard drops a full-length. Let's hope variation is in the future.