There are pioneers, originators and creators who have made significant contributions in many electronic genres but with techno few will demand as much retrospective examination in years to come as richie hawtin’s plastikman persona. plastikman compositions loom heavy on the horizon like dense nimbus clouds – sometimes hanging back with distant menace, more often than not though the rolling thunder breaks directly overhead drenching the listener in acidic downpours or snare driven hail storms. perhaps no track represents this more than 1993’s spastik – a vibrant surge of energy, so instantly recognisable, so memorable and so expertly crafted and controlled that it defies belief. over the years there has never been any intention to remix plastikman and both tracks featured on this release are unsolicited (and unexpected) reworks by two producers who are long term plastikman aficionados. minus feels strongly that the world should not be denied the opportunity to hear both of these incredible remixes. step forward dubfire (aka ali shirazinia from grammy winning dj and production duo deep dish) who’s already hit top form this summer with some tasty releases on desolat, funkwelle.net and whose thumping ‘emissions’ features on the minus compilation ‘expansion | contraction’. the beauty of this rework is that it doesn’t stray far from the original vibe. dubfire pays the track the full respect it deserves, adding contemporary beats, bass and hat patterns, subliminal efx and tweaks that perfectly compliment the eq sweeps and machine gun snare rolls of the original. panikattack (originally released on plus 8 in 1996 as the b side to sickness) gets a more radical overhaul with guido schneider turning in a typically pragmatic version. by excavating and enhancing the gritty funk that lies buried under the feverish textures of the original, he discovers a totally new dimension. combining the plastik elements with his own trademark swing and razor sharp percussion programming, schneider coaxes the track out of the shadows for some serious peak time action as the bassline bounds forward relentlessly occasionally enveloped by stuttering delays, to negotiate its way through the dubbed out breakdown and on to the end. a superlative release. a sure fire hit. a timeless celebration of man and machine in perfect harmony