- A cross-generational meet-up of groovy (and goofy) tech house.
- Olivier Ducreux, better known as Shonky, is a certified legend at this point in his career. He rode the first wave of the mnml bubble to stardom in the late '00s, turning out sleek tech house for labels like Freak n' Chic and Crosstown Rebels. Early in the '10s, he joined forces with Dyed Soundorom and Dan Ghenacia to form Apollonia, the biggest house group to emerge from France since, well, two certain masked fellas. Since then, as part of Apollonia and as a solo DJ and producer, Ducreux has checked every dance music bucket list box, from Essential Mixes to Ibiza residencies.
But while someone with this CV might be ready to settle into a life of liquor partnerships and the occasional arena tour, Ducreux (and the rest of Apollonia, for that matter) still sounds as excited about dance music as ever. Case-in-point: Danger Daluma, his latest EP with Alexander Skancke, the noted Bikini Waxx record slinger, founder of the Quirke label and rising star in the new minimal scene in his own right. After holing up in the studio together, the two crank out four cuts of designer tech house equal parts silly and sinister.
"Danger Daluma" gets off to an anxious start, sounding like an old-school rave number put through a compressor with muted hoover stabs and a broken breakbeat. As it builds, a bleeping synthesizer somewhere between hospital ward and nuclear countdown storms the stereo field alongside some cinematic chords. If that all sounds a bit heavy-handed, the two give a cheeky wink with an extended breakdown. "The Answer" straddles the same line with its Green Velvet-style vocal and creeping afterparty swing, but then the duo plop down a short-circuiting synth. The vocal on "2109" distills the record's MO with its repeated refrain: "Can you feel it? Having fun."
In the world of self-serious diggers and marathon ravers that both Skancke and Ducreux operate within, actually partying and enjoying the music can seem like an afterthought. But both producers seem to genuinely like having fun in the studio and, well, each other (just check out this cute video of them drinking margaritas and dancing on a couch). Don't get me wrong—every track on Danger Daluma is serious dance floor fare. But each should also put a smile on the face of even the most exhausted punter.
Tracklist01. The Answer
02. XXX
03. Danger Daluma
04. 2109