Abe Duque: Don’t Be So Mean (Process)

By Muna Noor  •  25 May 2009 in Music

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The numerously monikered man behind killer singles like ‘What happened?’ ‘Champagne Days, Cocaine Nights’, and remixes for Chemical Brothers, Miss Kitten and DJ Hell, techno champion, Abe Duque, is set to release his 3rd album Don’t Be So Mean. Put your hands up for NY!

Despite a rep for being one of techno’s most inspiring and often unsung heroes, with Don’t Be So Mean, Abe fully exploits the opportunity to explore the length and breadth of his creative capacity. Alongside dancefloor orientated cuts on which he has built his reputation, Abe straddles ambient, techno and electronica moods whilst constantly maintaining a melodic and highly emotive core.

Since starting out as a resident at New York’s notorious Limelight, back in the days of Michael Alig & the club kids, and the excess of Bright Lights Big City, Abe has wound his own unique path through production and DJing. He has come a long way from releasing tracks with no labels, with music on 1 side and the B-side featuring a hand scratched message from Abe on the back, instead putting his faith in the ability of great techno to reach like-minded people. Great techno which has included now pivotal anthems like ‘What happened?’ co-written with Blake Baxter, his own ‘Champagne Days, Cocaine Nights’, and eventually his 2005 album, So Underground It Hurts. Abe has released killer tracks on labels such as Tresor and Disko-B under aliases like Rancho Relaxo Allstars and Kirlian. Abe has also been called in to remix the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Miss Kitten and DJ Hell.

Don’t Be So Mean sees Abe’s more meditative, dreamy side with numbers such as ‘Why Do They Need Us’ and ‘OFMA’ alongside fist-pumping tracks such as the electrifying ‘Tonight Is Your Answer’, the optimistic ‘Life Is So Good To Me’ and the gorgeous ‘Following My Heart’, with vocals by Virginia Nacimento, and ‘Salute The Dawn’, a collaboration between Abe and Tijana T, with contributions from Debussy and Henry Thoreau. Oh yeah, who said techno fans aren’t cultured?

Dark acid basslines, Latin percussion, deep house grooves, ethereal electronica and piano instrumentals are all present. The album blends Abe’s last 2 years of live shows and releases and alter egos, and fuses it into  an album that is brimming with soul.

TRACKLISTING
1. Life Is So Good To Me
2. Tonight Is Your Answer
3. Following My Heart
4. Wake Up
5. Getting There
6. Forever Untitles
7. Trash Acid House
8. Why They Need Us
9. OFMA
10. Salute The Dawn
11. Let’s Take It Back

Don’t Be So Mean is out 25 May on Process Recordings, with the first single being ‘Following My Heart’.