Abe Duque Presents: American Gigolo, Vol. 2

ABE DUQUE got much of his early musical understanding from his dad who was a gifted musician and evangelical minister. ABE discovered DJing in the 80’s when he became obsessed with vinyl and electronic dance music production. He bought his first synthesizer with money from his newspaper route and played his keyboard in his dad’s church. In the early ‘90s ABE became the keyboardist for the then techno supergroup PROGRAM2.

In 1993 ABE made a decision to start his record label Tension. Tension has become a shining light illuminating the way for new paradigms and possibilities in electronic music, and sometimes for twisted stuff not even ABE understands. In recent years ABE along with JOHN SELWAY co-founded Rapture Records. Most recently ABE started a new label called out of all things ABE DUQUE Records. And let us not fail to mention the madness that is the RANCHO RELAXO ALLSTARS. ABE is an intensively versatile artist. There seems to be no limit to ABE’s musical explorations while always keeping a unique flavor that’s remarkably refined and definitely his own. He can be categorized as a producer for producers. Not only that, but Sir DUQUE has also been with the Gigolo family all the way. He has seen his friend and colleague HELL build the Gigolo empire out of nothing and become the internationally respected label that it is today.

So, who better to take the controls for American Gigolo II mix than the man whose own album So Underground It Hurts (Gigolo 170) early 2005 received excellent critical acclaim? As with said album the direction is moving further away from the electro-clash style deeper into an underground techno and old-school house feel. Following on from the concept of TIGA’s original American Gigolo Mix in 2002 (Gigolo 85), ABE reaches far into the label’s back catalogue, but also works in some of the freshest new hits from 2005. So, he’s taken it back to the start with tracks like A New Age Of House from the Prince of Dance ELBEE BAD and Shifty Disco from legendary JEFF MILL’s Shifty Disco EP (Gigolo 02); as well as dropping contemporary numbers such as I Swear from French techno master TERENCE FIXMER (Gigolo 179). But then there are, of course, the outstanding hits. Above all, a first class killer from 2004: TIEFSCHWARZ’s Blow with its dirty basslines and distorted vocals - a surefire club ‘blow-up’ by the Schwarz brothers! In addition, there is the classic The Creeps by FREAKS, a truly squelching electro-funk monster released in 2003. If this wasn’t enough, ABE is also spinning recent rarities, for example Diskko 5000 from COMUNISTA COMO HIJO and I Am Amanda Le Pore by HELL (both previously only available on the last Gigolo compilation CD Eight). Of course, being an American Gigolo himself, ABE has thrown in one or two of his own tunes, for instance the compelling What You Gonna Do? and King taken from the So Underground… album (on his own label ABE DUQUE Recordings). Not to mention tracks by other regular Gigolo crew members including DAVID CARRETTA, DJ NAUGHTY and RICHARD BARTZ. For ABE mixing does not only mean putting together a tracklist. He also laid hands on certain tracks, underlying a bass line or mixing it in new way, so that we got whole new experiences with most of the tunes. So prick up your ears for exclusive new mixes of ELBEE BAD’s A New Age Of House and HELL’s I Am Amanda Le Pore. As one has come to expect, every mix or compilation that comes out on International DJ Gigolo Records is something of a “best of” and this latest mix by ABE DUQUE proves that point further. American Gigolo II confirms DUQUE to be a truly world class DJ and shows the consistent quality of Gigolo Records output; the early releases of which are just as relevant today as then and still compatible with its latest records in what is a singularly coherent and inspiring catalogue.