For its final offering of 2013 Whiskey Pickle Records is proud to present the second release from Austin’s own rising star of house music, Abstrakt Audio (the ‘nom de plume’ of one Fern Argüello). Producing since the age of 15, starting with a Roland TR–909 and a banged-up Juno–60 synthesizer, Fern has always been drawn to the sounds of ’80s boogie and Italo disco thanks to his father’s hip record collection. Previously, Fern was a part of production duo Retrovox with Rey Aguilar, releasing a number of tracks for PBR Recordings and playing shows and festivals all over Texas and Mexico. His latest project, Abstrakt Audio, soldiers on with “Back 2 Basics”, a dance floor monster of Kraken proportions, unleashed from the murky depths and sure to wreak havoc from coast to coast. A root-chakra-rumbling organ bass line carries the tune over garage-influenced rhythms while dubby vocals punctuate its deep pads. The single is then rounded out by a trio of fine, equally monstrous remixes. Remixer du jours Vanilla Ace and Donny Bravo twist the original into a beautifully melancholy masterpiece that ebbs and flows around sparkling beats and filtered chords. Austin’s up-and-coming mystery duo Eagle Mountain take a classic ’90s flip on the track and jack it up with all manner of vintage percussion and throwback flavors. Another fellow Austinite, Robert Roman, minces the original into tiny bits with his sparse and brooding version, amplifying its deep leanings and taking the listener 10,000 leagues below.
Tensnake - “This is a nice deep house single.”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “It’s gonna be the Vanilla Ace & Donny Bravo remix for me … I dig the rolling synth work and melody.”
Alinka (Classic Music Company / Plus Plus) - “Solid release … I’ll play every mix!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Great release. All four cuts have the right ingredients for ace club action. The original stands out for me as well as the Vanilla Ace & Donny Bravo mix … it’s a wicked stabby affair.”
Alkalino (Estimativa / Audaz Recordings) - “The Robert Roman remix is the deep one for me.”
Carlo Gambino (Midnight Social Recordings) - “I’m feeling this! The Robert Roman mix is on the money … that bass line is a killer.”
Richard Hardcastle (Solid State / All Out War) - “Love all versions, Robert Roman’s mix wins out on deepness, Vanilla Ace and Donny Bravo win on the dance floor, but I’ll be playing all these to establish an outright winner. Great stuff.”
Trevor Vichas (Robsoul / Flaptraxx) - “The Eagle Mountain remix is cool … nice ’90s vibe.”
Adam Collins (Euphoria Records / Omni A.M.) - “This one is awesome. Trippy and deep. Nice.”
Bruce Tantum (TimeOut NY / East Village Radio) - “And a nice one to end the year on! Loving the boogie-tech groove and overall feel of the Vanilla Ace - Donny Bravo version.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - “This is a truly mind-blowing deep house gem spreading a mesmerizing late night feel you can’t resist to dance to.”
David Dunne (Hed Kandi / Galaxy FM) - “Niceness!”
Jaysoul (S:R Soundsystem) - “Stellar work on this one … sparks nostalgia.”
Deadbeat Disco Radio Show - “Yeah … chunky! Robert Roman’s mix is some great wobble but still has some real shuffle. One for the graveyard shift. The original sounds like it came off tape from 15 years ago … not a bad thing! We’ll have some of this.”
Mygaff (Play FM, Dublin) - “Finally people are getting back to fecking basics! Love this pack …”