Louie Fresco – Arabian Sexcapade

After debuting on No.19 Music in 2012 with his still excellent ‘So Good EP’, Mexa Records boss and serious Mexican house talent Louie Fresco is back on the label with a brand new release, ‘Arabian Sexcapade’. This single is the second off his forthcoming full length album, due for release on No.19 Music in May and comes backed with not one but two remixes from house godfather Dennis Ferrer, plus one from highly respected duo Frank & Tony aka Francis Harris and Anthony Collins.

Louie Fresco has been helping define the contemporary house scene for a couple of years now, with his fun, sample heavy beats managing to unite dancefloors across the world and this new one is no different.

‘Arabian Sexcapade’ is an otherworldly brew of subtle Middle Eastern sounds, just as the title suggests. It percolates intriguingly, with occult synths and broken beats wrapping around each other for the first few moments until a kick drum finally lands and sets the track into its groove. Arabic percussion and strings make for a truly cultural musical experience that sounds like no other track out there. It’s beautifully beguiling and impossibly captivating and really marks a step up in production for the already accomplished Fresco.

Objectivity boss and bona fide US house legend Dennis Ferrer’s first remix is a monster in the making. Sure to be caned across the globe in the months to come, it sees him strip things back a little to allow the echoing strings to really breath above tight tech drums. Sirens and muffled voices bleed in from the sides and make for a stunning dark atmosphere. Ferrer’s second version, the ‘Drums Mix’ is unsurprisingly even more paired down but is just as devastating and headline grabbing. The crisp percussion cuts out a pattern above heavy, purposeful kick drums and it’s hard not to see whole dancefloors marching as one to this. These are two stunning remixes from Dennis Ferrer that reiterate once again, just why he is so incredibly well respected.

Frank & Tony, who have seen success on Scissor & Thread with their intimate and sensitive house, serve up a fantastically lush dub version. They add more lingering and sombre pianos and allow the drums to churn awkwardly yet invitingly with what sounds like DIY kitchen sink percussion up top. It’s super organic stuff that sounds like it was done in one live take and is a genuinely visionary way to rework the original into something heartfelt and honest sounding.

This is an expertly considered and cultural package from No.19 that sees them offer a refreshingly original new single from Fresco complete with, as ever, wisely chosen remixes.