The first time around, Frenchmen Shonky, Dyed Soundorom and Dan Ghenacia's recently launched Apollonia label drew attention to their Prince-like leanings with Shonky's EP The Minneapolis Touch. They leave that baggage behind for the second go-round: if anything, Ghenacia and Shonky's "Close to the Edge" is closer to the late-period classic disco Prince spent his early career rebelling against. "Come closer, take my hand, put your arms around me," a synth-era R&B diva scats; suspended Rhodes chords, rise-and-fall strings and an insistent bass give it muscle.
The disco-house lean of "Edge" is far grabbier and more effective in the long term than is Touch. By contrast, the Mole's nine-and-a-half minute remix unfolds slowly, building nonchalantly for a full half of its running time before the vocal sample spouts up. "Closer" sounds like "Who's that?"; "Take my hand" sounds weirdly menacing. The kick bounces while cowbells and steel drums flutter all around. Voices bubble deep in the mix, the "party" atmosphere that dates a lot of late '70s disco nodded at without kowtowing to it. There's party enough in the groove anyway.
Buy Dan Ghenacia & Shonky - Close to the Edge at
Tracklist: Dan Ghenacia & Shonky - Close to the Edge
 A Close To The Edge
B Close To The Edge (The Mole MMD Remix)
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