First Phase

2005 release. Far Out Recordings present The First Phase by Troubleman aka Mark Pritchard. A collection of new exclusives, hard-to-find remixes and early tracks, The First Phase shows the development of Mark's inimitable Troubleman style. It's not hard to see why his effortless blend of hip-hop, funk, soul, drum 'n' bass, electro, easy listening, reggae and Detroit techno has won him fans as diverse as Kenny Dope, Carl Craig, Jazzy Jeff, Seiji, Zed Bias and Gilles Peterson. The First Phase gathers together four new exclusive tracks produced by Mark since Time Out Of Mind was released (FARO 085CD, 2004), plus six formative, early Troubleman cuts and Mark Pritchard remixes, previously only ever released on limited 12 runs, now available here for the first time together on CD. Originally intended to be opposite sides of a funk-reggae 7, The First Phase and Intergalactic You, Intergalactic Me show Mark's love for all things dub. Detroit techno has always been an influence for Mark and is apparent on the next exclusive, the full on motor city banger The Switch. The final exclusive cut is The Otherness, a slice of deep twisted breaks with a Global Communications vibe. The Troubleman project was born sometime around '98, following the two now legendary remixes Mark completed of Azymuth tracks for Far Out Recordings: Carambola (1998) and Pieces Of Ipanema (1999), both of which are featured here. These, alongside his remix of Stereo's Stereo People were formative in encapsulating the Troubleman dancefloor sound that is loved by both house and broken beat heads. Despite being five years old these mixes still rough the dancefloor as well as any current big tune. Alongside Tom Middleton, Mark was the other half of Global Communication and The Jedi Knights and fans of those seminal '90s electronic acts will be delighted by The Messenger where Mark incorporates Detroit techno sounds and textures with electro breaks and two-step rumblings, and Lullaby which sounds like the Godfather James Brown getting down in Detroit.