This piece was originally published at THUMP in June 2016.
Mark Pritchard doesn't need to drop a beat. After all, it's his party, at least according to the floor-to-ceiling signage outside Red Bull Music Academy's New York event space, the television behind the energy drink cocktail bar, and the seven-screen art installation located a floor below. Given that the electronic pioneer standing behind the decks is here to celebrate the release of his latest—largely ambient—album Under The Sun, he's in charge of setting the mood this May evening.
His laptop displays stickers from grime imprint Butterz, footwork collective Teklife, and his own Africa Hitech project, each one teasing at the sort of music he has no intention of playing. Paying little attention to the chatty partygoers imbibing their free drinks and nibbling at a buffet of meats, cheeses, and shrimp, his enveloping DJ set includes selections from the new record, as well as a smattering of 20th century folk tunes from the likes of Psychic TV and Vashti Bunyan. The first discernible rhythm, one somewhat muted and restrained, arrives nearly 50 minutes into an hour-long Serato-based performance of twists and fades.