French_concession 法國租界 started as a collaborative project in Shanghai 2009. Later it became the solo project of Ella Chau aka Z.Z. Her sound has been described by music journalist Martyn Pepperell as “ethereal dream pop vocals, glossy synthesiser arrangements and vivid syncopated beatscapes. Aesthetically recalling Darkbloom era Grimes and D’Eon, or even Miharu Koshi’s early Haruomi Hosono produced J-technopop sound, it’s compelling work.”

The French_concession project is in constant motion and change. From Shanghai, Ella moved to Barcelona, Singapore, worked in Nepal, Japan, and now she makes her home in Waikuku Beach, NZ. Her material reflects her widespread travels, fusing her Hong Kong roots with international references points.

In the past couple of years, Tracks such as ‘Darkest Blue’, ‘To Be Free’ & ‘Travelling Lights’ has been voted onto the ‘Te Ahi Top 10’ chart on RDU 98.5fm. While ‘To Be Free’ has received plays on alternative independent music stations in Montreal, Berlin, Vienna and has been featured on Under the Radar, NZ.