Mark Pritchard is a man of many names and few limitations. Over the past two decades, the durable Australian producer has successfully delivered melodic ambient, Strictly Rhythm-esque house, explosive jungle, and a number of other sounds. His recent Ghosts EP made a bombastic foray into footwork, and Lock Off, the second in a series of three EPs, is an equally incendiary genre mish-mash.
Aural nostalgia for pirate radio and jungle has been popping up more frequently as of late, but Pritchard’s stuttering loops on “1234” sound ageless, particularly with the accompaniment of toasting from Hackney’s legendary Ragga Twins. It’s a nasty, rollicking number that recalls The Bug at his most ramshackle, with various shouts and boasts bouncing around the stereo field. The husky phasing and hip-hop airhorns of “Ghetto Blast” are more obvious, bringing to mind the teeth-rattling bass of outfits like TNGHT. There’s no hint of humor, just a wholly threatening presence.
“Lock Off” is the weirdest track on the EP and also the most addictive, which is surprising considering its simplicity. A jungle-indebted rhythm chugs patiently until a break speeds in and lifts the energy, only to suddenly fade out in a flurry of snare hits. It’s a fun, drunken sway, whooshing and sloshing around acid gargles. “Soundboy Fuck Off” is less casual, its synth stabs bouncing aggressively above a vicious rat-a-tat rhythm. As a seriously withered piece of footwork, it’s the most similar to Pritchard’s recent efforts on Ghosts, with the song’s gunfire of grime and rave accents proving that he still has a few surprises up his sleeve.
