From .daevid. Sent Sat, Jul 10th 1999, 06:13
From .daevid. Sent Sat, Jul 10th 1999, 06:13
I posted this a handful of months ago, but what with this thread and all, one more time for those who missed it. pulled from Urb magazine earlier this year. daevid, So what exactly has been going on with the Jedi Knights, why is it taking so long for a new Global Communication album, and why hasn't Universal Language released any new records since the beginning of 1998? Catching up with Mark Pritchard, it becomes all too apparent that period of uneasy quiet has absolutelty nothing to do with artistic inspiration and much to do with poor record sales, the stresses and strains of running a record label, and a simlpe case of exterior factors getting in the way of making music. Major decisions have had to be made in light of a serious drop in record sales and unsatisfactory distribution problems. The result is that Universal Language is going to be put on ice for at least a year (although one or two things may be released) while Pritchard and Tom Middleton concentrate on their own musical endeavors and strive to get their careers back on track. To help the boys achieve the potential that was expected from them from day one, a new manager has being sought. "Paul [Morrison, the new manager] said to us, 'I'm into managing you because I think that your talent has been underexposed.' He couldn't work out how we'd managed to hold the label together as well as doing our own music," Pritchard explains. "We still don't want to be massive and sellout but we'd like to take it up another gear." In the cards is a major record deal for the Jedi Knights and Global Communication with Island UK looking to sign the duo. First up will be the new Jedi Knights album although due to a dispute over the name the new release should go under the moniker of The Jedi. "Ross Allen [respected DJ and Island UK A&R] want us to make an album of everything - ambient, techno, fusion funk, jazz, drum & bass, hip hop - but he believes in what we do, he doesn't want us to compromise." Already the Jedi Knights have a long list of remix duties including Leftfield and Underworld remixes with the prospect of a full tour with Underworld in March and April (taking in ten dates in the UK and four in Japan). For the tour, the duo hope to hook up with live musicians, including a drummer, bassist and keyboard player. "I never wanted to go out live," Pritchard states, "unless we could rehearse for a while and jam with really talented players and then take it on the road and now we have the chance." A new single will coincide with the tour and there is the prospect of a full-length album due out later in the year. Also in the cards for Pritchard will be a new project with much-respected drum & bass producer Danny Breaks under the name Vertigo. The project will be a mixture of drum & bass, funk, hip-hop and Weather Report weirdness. "I'm really excited about the album with Danny because drum & bass has got a little stagnant and a lot of the main people are getting a bit lazy. We want to push the beat programming, the production and the sound manipulation, and really push things forward." Next year should also see a Modwheel album from Middleton as well as some Global and Reload activity. "I feal really inspired at the moment," states Pritchard. "I've got about four or five years of ideas just sitting there and I just want to get them done now." · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · "I get away with it because I can." - FTB Inc., 24-seven-365