Reload

Reload is a UK techno and IDM duo from Crewkerne, consisting of Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard. The project is active between 1992 and 1997 and begins as a Mark Pritchard solo name before Middleton becomes involved on selected releases.

Project history

The Reload name first appears in 1993. In its early form, it is a solo project for Pritchard, with Middleton later contributing to some releases. At one stage, the name is extended to “Reload & E621” to indicate Middleton’s involvement on a track, before the shorter Reload name is used again as Middleton’s role becomes more central, including on the album A Collection of Short Stories.

Associated work and aliases

Pritchard and Middleton are also known together as Global Communication, a project focused on ambient and house music. Their debut album, 76:14, is widely regarded as an important ambient and 1990s electronic record. Together they also record as Jedi Knights for electro, Secret Ingredients for house, The Chameleon for chilled drum and bass, and Link & E621. They found the Evolution Records label and Universal Language Records.

Outside Reload, Pritchard records under names including Link, Harmonic 313, Troubleman, N.Y. Connection, William Parrott and Roberto Edwardo Turner, and works in collaborations such as Africa Hitech with Steve Spacek, Harmonic 33 and Use of Weapons with Dave Brinkworth, Series 7 with Stephen Horne, Shaft with Adrian Hughes, Vertigo with Danny Breaks, 28 East Boyz with Kevin Hann, Chaos & Julia Set with Dom Fripp, Mystic Institute with Paul Kent, and Pulusha with Kirsty Hawkshaw. Middleton also records as Cosmos, Amba, The Mod Wheel, The Rebus Project, Schizophrenia, E621 and Spiritcatcher, and collaborates with Matthew Herbert and Mark Darby as Fog City. As Schizophrenia, he works with Aphex Twin on a track from Analogue Bubblebath 1.

Later activity

The pair split in 1997 to pursue solo work, then reunite in 2006 for the Fabric 26 DJ mix compilation. In 2010 they announce plans to reunite for live performances, DJ sets and new recordings as Global Communication.