MARK PRITCHARD & OM’MAS KEITH - WIND IT UP (HYPERDUB)

With recent releases from the much-hyped Cooly G and Kevin Martin’s King Midas Sound project, Hyperdub continues it’s astounding development with another surefire winner from two of the international bass community’s most accomplished producers.
In Mark Pritchard we have one of the most highly respected electronic producers of his generation, up there with the likes of Moritz Von Ozwald, Monolake and Mr Goodman himself, whilst in Oma’Mas Keith you have a man who heads up the fantastic Sa-Ra Creative Partners collective, and has a history of working with Erykah Badu, Rik Ross, and now P-Diddy.
The influences of a man who’s rich history in electronica and techno has led him to producing dubstep, and an artist who’s interest in jazz and free creativity has taken him from Brooklyn-based hip-hop to intergalactic soul make for an interesting listen, and one that is effortlessly now, whilst avoiding the pitfalls of such a tag.
With the pure dancefloor snap of the snare, and lolling synth bleeps, this could be mistaken for a stripped back Rustie production, yet what Om’Mas Keith’s computerised vocal brings to the track is a pure hip-hop swagger that so much UK bass music strives for, yet ultimately never reaches. The top end percussion is lovingly crafted to bring out the finer touches in Pritchard’s softly shaking hi-hats, whilst the stuttering clicks behind each brings a quiet subtlty to the musicianship on offer here.
Backed with both an instrumental mix and a sci-fi synth-laden Freak Mix, Hyperdub yet again provides a classy package to add to their zeitgeist-capturing catalogue. To class this as ‘wonky’, would be to miss the point; the label has set their sights on ‘fun’ for their twenty second release, and in doing so have found a perfectly balanced club track that entices the listener to do exactly what they’re told and ‘wind it up’.

Words by Louis Cook.