Abe Duque - Live And On AcidWritten by Manu Ekanayake  Album ReviewAbe Duque’s giving you both barrels with this release. In barrel one there’s some heavy techno, the kind of thing you’ll catch the man himself dropping in a big room, primetime set whenever he’s playing out. But in barrel two you’ll find a collection of classic housier cuts from yesteryear, which are still doing it for Mr Duque, dance music’s favourite ex-Marine. Not many people in dance music have been in the service, but then again not many can claim to have been residents at NYC’s infamous Limelight club either. The Limelight might be better known as the early 90s stomping (or strutting)ground of Michael Alig’s Club Kids, but it was also where Abe Duque first honed the skills that make him a must-hear talent today. And while Giuliani and later Bloomberg were quite happy to make NYC the city that doesn’t dance, Abe’s still kicking out the jams, as this rather tasty 2CD mix proves... Everything on CD1 is either an Abe Duque original or has been ‘reworked and roughed-up for live performance’, which shows in the slightly industrial vibe that the whole mix carries with it. This shows especially on early tracks like Dusk by Jacksonville (Track 2), but also on the thunderous final track, Kirlian’s No You Can’t Have It. And while this a bit heavier than my usual tastes, I can see it all really working at 4am in a basement somewhere. For example, Vinny Troia’s Expression (Track 5) is probably his best ever track, and it’s firmly in the house camp for once, he even explains house music’s unique appeal via a clever vocal. CD 2 is a more retro affair, but don’t think it’s some ‘Back To 89’-fest of idiots in day-glo, more a look back at some real classics, which are still influential (and rocking) today. Indeed, they’re here because Abe still plays them, which as you should have gathered by now, means they live up to some pretty high criteria. Fingers, Inc’s Distant Planet is a definite highlight (Track 3) and it’s followed by BamBam’s Give It To Me, which is a complete no-brainer really. Huge jack-attack vibes. But it’s good to see things like Detroit Grand Pubahs’ Surrender on here (as Martin Landsky’s Remix – Track 10), as well as Reese’s The Sound following it; another sublime couplet of classic house tunes. DV8’s Old School House (Track 6) is also a great inclusion, a deceptively light builder of a track that segues on to the tougher end latter of the mix. Basically, CD2 is everything modern dance music should aspire to. Listen and learn. Rating: 8/10   Â
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