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If you love techno then you should already have the release date for Shonky's new album inked in your diary: 10 April. And if you want a sneaky taster of what the multi-talented Frenchman has been conjuring up in the depths of his studio then you'll want to grab this remix package of the LP's title track, Time Zero.
Freak n' Chic decided it was simply too good to keep under wraps till April so they commissioned a couple of redoubtable talents to whip up remixes to blunt the edge of his fans' appetite. The B-side belongs to German vinyl junkie and minimal mastermind Mathias Kaden.
You can almost picture him working over the track, floppy blond fringe getting in his eyes as he hunkers down over the mixing desk to tease out a succession of darkening beats. His is a deliberate, mechanistic effort with nods to Jeff Mills-esque Detroit stylings which marches rather than soars.
Meanwhile, on side A, Shonky's fellow Parisian young gun, Paul Ritch simply cuts loose. He doesn't so much rework the track as put a rocket up its backside and send it into near-earth orbit. A rapid drum pattern rattles like weapons fire, setting off a barrage of effects that hurtle towards you from the murky bass depths of the tune.
Screeching synth lines vie with echo-y percussion while huge acid whooshes swoop through the action like Harrier jets. It is impressively incendiary and bursting with life.
A year ago, Shonky was the "next big thing" - now he has most definitely arrived and it's fantastic to see this remix picking up and showcasing the new, noteworthy Parisian talent. Viva la France!
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