Playless - How Much? (Whiskey Pickle)

Whiskey Pickle, the little central Texas imprint, has outdone themselves with a staggeringly ambitious output this year. Their massive schedule included next level releases from Gavin and Robbie Hardkiss, Walter Jones, and newcomers such as Xander Milne, Thomas, and Glass Slipper alongside remix contributions from heavy hitters like James Curd, Sleazy McQueen, Dead Rose Music Company, and Jake Childs.

As 2014 comes to a close, Whiskey Pickle wraps up its biggest year to date with a blinding release from Barcelona based producer Playless. The Spanish native -- born Alex Ferrer -- is no novice to the global scene and has an impressive resume under his previous alias Sidechains. Through releases on Ministry of Sound, Hed Kandi, Toolroom, Moda, and Sweat It Out, plus a residency at Barcelona’s most beloved venue, Razzmatazz, the young maestro has earned his stripes in an authentic and organic way: with hard work, perseverance, and talent.

Ferrer’s second artist release as Playless comes in the form of "How Much?" and "Juno". Both tracks brilliantly showcase his production style which blends forward thinking, modern techniques with the fun, carefree spirit of dance music’s humble beginnings. "How Much?" kicks things off with shuffling hats, shimmering piano riffs, MIDI saxophones, and bass drops … the good time vibes are palpable on this one. The B-side, "Juno", pays homage to the sweaty warehouse days of yore with a barrage of 909 percussion, cavernous reverb, and a bass line as 'sliky' as Steve Hurley.

Londoner-turned-Parisian and Vulture Music label admin Xander Milne makes his second appearance on Whiskey Pickle remixing "How Much?". He twists the wistful leanings of the original into a pumping, party-jam anthem. Crackling percussion and layers of hype-man vocals bring the energy to a boiling point at the massive, filtered piano breakdown. "Juno" gets a deep and heavy re-rub from Whiskey Pickle stalwart Abstrakt Audio on his 'Warehouse' Remix which transports the listener to a darkened dance floor somewhere on the south side of Chicago.

Beppe Gioia (Garage Family / Citydeep) - "Hot one!"
Quentin Harris (Strictly Rhythm / D:Vision) - “Like what I’ve heard so far.”
Marques Wyatt (Vanguard / Deep L.A.) - “Tight.”
Jason Hodges (Sampled Recordings) - "A dope floor jammer!"
CJ Mackintosh - "Loving 'Juno'!"
Ursula 1000 - "Hot."
Robbie Hardkiss - "The '90s are alive!"
Distant People (SSRadio / Foliage) - “‘How Much?’ is a stand out track, I like the retro feel and classic house groove.”
Craig Stewart (Montana & Stewart / DCSTrax) - “Original ‘Juno’ is very tasty.”
Chris Massey (Paper Recordings / Electriks) - “Hands in the lasers … white gloves, whistles, white doves…”
Ken Liu (Headset Recordings) - “Love it! All four are beasts! It’s hard to pick a favorite, but going to go with the Abstrakt Audio remix.”
Anna Wall (Future Disco / Tough Luck Records) - “‘90s fabulous flavors! ‘Juno’ is going to light up the dance floors.”
Still Rob G (Smoke n Mirrors / Om Records) - “Digging the Abstrakt Audio remix! ‘How Much?’ also has a nice classic house vibe.”
Keine Moniker (Electric Avenue) - “Big bassline on ‘Juno’ … love the original. ’How Much?’ definitely brings it back in time with that old disco diva house sound.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings / Fabric) - “Digging the ‘Juno’ original here … really solid raw house beats.”
Duserock (Sleeper Cell / EMDM) - “I can not wait to drop the Xander Milne remix … love it!”
So Called Scumbags (Grin Recordings / Subliminal) - “On this!”
Bruce Tantum (Lowlife) - “Loving this, of course! Real-deal old-school vibes, but still perfect for the kind of dance floors that I most often find myself on.”
Jamie Topham (CDPool) - “The original of ‘How Much?’ could be straight out of the ‘90s Italo house scene … good stuff all round.”
Phonatics (Housesession Records / Yes Yes Records) - “Absolutely love this release.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House Web Zine) - “Wicked wicked remix by Abstrakt Audio … it’s a prime-time late night weapon.”
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - “I love the original mix of ‘Juno’ - just pure fun - and ‘How Much?’ is another beast of a track.”
Bogdan Taran (DanceRadio.lv) - “Old school and modern at the same time.”
Deepshizzol (MyHouseYourHouse / DeepVibes) - "Now that's what I'm talking about … best four tracker of the year!"

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Various Artists - The Remixes Vol. 1 (Whiskey Pickle)

The concept behind The Remixes Vol. 1 is simple: take some tunes that mostly did not have remixes on the official release and enlist some high profile talent to put their special stamp on them -- and that's exactly what's happening here. Bundled with the premiere of Whiskey Pickle's brand new logo redesigned by Austin artist Mez-One (of The Royal Mark Makers and TITS Crew), this pack has the label family brimming with excitement.

Up first, Sixth Avenue Express takes on the mighty "Nu Funk" by Abstrakt Audio. He twists the hypnotic swirl of the original into a slick lounge affair that features a gorgeous, roof-raising breakdown. Making his second appearance on WP, Dallas based producer Redsean utterly destroys "Does She Want You Now" by Zack Highwire in the best possible way, churning out some mean dance floor revenge. Cosmic funksters The New Black sought the expertise of The Dead Rose Music Company to beef up their "Stone Cold Groove" with some shuffling percussion and a Moog bass line that would make Bernie Worrell proud.

On the flip-side, label founder Adam Warped dons his Johnny Blackouts guise and bucks all convention by taking "I'm A Freak" into Nordic-house territory. Jason Blakemore, formerly known as DJ Trance, injects Zack Highwire's "Mind, Hearts, Lies" with a classic analogue kick that just won't quit. Titled the Lurky Dub, it's just that: deep, brooding, and seriously dubbed out, sure to leave listeners stuck in the groove and eager to move. Lastly, Austin, TX, mainstay Keine Moniker puts "Traps" by P-Rez in a blender filled with heavy Rhodes chords and a rolling bass, pouring out smooth deepness on his Jazzme Edit. He's had a busy year with heavily lauded releases on Cream Couture, Bush Records, Dead Funk Music, and StayFly Records. His remix shows why, taking the original to a whole new time and place. 

Mark Farina - “This is nice!”
Sleazy McQueen - “A really diverse package … I’m sure I’ll fit a few of these in.”
Robbie Hardkiss - “Stone cold groovy.”
Irregular Disco Workers (Disco Volante) - “The Dead Rose Music Company do the job!”
Hippie Torrales - “A nice package of diverse tunes.”
Alkalino (Estimativa / Audaz Recordings) - “The Sixth Avenue Express remix for Abstrakt Audio is my pick.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings / Fabric) - “Cracking beats from one of my favorite labels … all tracks here are top notch. Reckon I’ll pour me a quick Famous Grouse over ice to mark the occasion.”
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) - “The Dead Rose Music Company remix is terrific! I can’t wait to test drive it tonight.”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Funky and chunky vibes … real nice.”
Ken Liu (Headset Recordings) - “Stellar pack. The Sixth Avenue Express Remix is tremendous.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “One of the best labels around in the world at the moment! This package of remixes is awesome.”
Corbin Dooley (Electric Feel Radio Show) - “A great compilation of funky selections … big support!”
Mygaff (Play FM Dublin) - “I honestly don’t know which track stands out more on this album, as like a good team they stand out together. I’ll play them all and let the listeners decide!”
Chris Keys (Another Night On Earth Blog) - “Top marks to The Dead Rose Music Company … that’s gonna light up some dancefloors.”
Black Alley (In Control Radio Show) - “What’s not to like here? Go and play ’em out!”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Xander Milne - Let Me Fuse EP (Whiskey Pickle Records)

Whiskey Pickle Records is proud to present the debut release from European native Xander Milne. As the assistant label manager to Alan Braxe’s Vulture Music, Xander has been steeped in house music culture for ages. Once Whiskey Pickle caught wind that he was shopping original tunes, a week’s time was all that was needed for the two parties to reach an agreement and set about a release of his first single.

The A-side, “I Know You,” is a stunning collaboration between Xander Milne and Whiskey Pickle stalwart Abstrakt Audio. The pair’s distinctive styles blend to create a modern house jam with heavy praises to the old school. On the flip, “Let Me Fuse” is a twisted romp with notes of acid, electro, and tropical flavors … a smashing debut from a promising new artist.

Tapped on the remix front, Abstrakt Audio makes his second appearance to inject the usual retro vibes with some heavy swung percussion and stabby chords to get those house-heads bobbin’. Austin’s own Daelo turns in a tech-infused, hypnotic stomper to round out the package.

All in all, another solid addition to the Whiskey Pickle catalog.

CJ Mackintosh - “Loving ‘I Know You!’”
Miguel Migs - “The Abstrakt Audio remix of ‘Let Me Fuse’ is nice.”
Todd Edwards - “I love the vocals.”
Ursula 1000 - “Bouncy goodness.”
Toomy Disco (Kitsuné / Under The Shade) - “This is the house style that I love to play!”
Graeme Park - “‘I Know You’ is highly appealing.”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco / Dalston Superstore) - “Yes … super good.”
Giom - “Nice work … I’m liking these.”
Bruce Tantum (Time Out NY / East Village Radio) - “Great stuff … nice mix of classic house feel and sound-of-the-now vibe. Loving both originals and the remixes!”
Hardway Bros (A Love From Outer Space) - “The Daelo remix of ‘Let Me Fuse’ is the one!”
Nick Holder (DNH Records) - “I’m digging this!”
Thomas White (Natural Rhythm) - “Great classic vibes to this with a bit of MK / Kevin Yost influence. Nice job!”
Clive Craske (RadioReverb) - “‘Let Me Fuse’ is the gem here. Acidic, funky, percussive, and psychedelic … the original really hits the spot.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “‘I Know You’ is very reminiscent of the mid-’90s stuff on labels like Nice & Ripe … a really authentic feel. Ace.”
Jaysoul (Soul:R Soundsystem) - “I can’t wait to tear dance floors apart with ‘I Know You’ … Xander Milne is on fire!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “I’m instantly into this and will be playing it for some time. Great blend of old and new styles.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download

Abstrakt Audio - Back 2 Basics + Remixes (Whiskey Pickle Records)

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 …”

Available now from Beatport and Stompy.