Never losing the music´s immediate physicalness out of sight, the driving, bass-heavy energy of Alex Picone´s tracks set club floors on fire. Still in his twenties, he´s been a DJ for fifteen years. Having never aimed at quick fame, his career is exemplary in its endurance and commitment: He hosted parties in his hometown of Padua and became resident at seminal Italian clubs. After a stopover on Ibiza he now resides in Berlin. Alex Picone´s first record under his real name is also his first release on Cadenza and his most successful so far. The three tracks of "Fahrenheit" tie in with the overboiling force of "Floppy" and "Furby". While the rattling snaredrum adds a humorous touch, the uplifting groove of "Inside Out" pushes on the limits of the energy levels of contemporary house music. Yet the heart of the track is the relentless bassline, which liquefy one´s body and melds the crowd and the whole club in one torrential stream of tension. With "Lost in Burning Man", Alex Picone fuses an oldschool electro groove in his house beats. This unexpected encounter might remind one of Kevin Saunderson´s Hiphouse sound. But instead of indulging in nostalgia, the breakbeats add a provoking, startling touch to the track. With the rotary bassline and the playful jaw´s harp of "Mandarin", the EP ends on a comical note. Alex Picone´s second Cadenza is a challenge to a certain house sound that became too accommodating and glossy. His music´s driving force pushes the crowd beyond the threshold of the established into a space of limitless indulgence. More

Cadenza welcomes a new artist into the fold with the arrival of Alex Picone. Based in Padova, Italy, Alex has previously recorded for Tenax from Italy and Detroit's Mixworks; these two tracks confirm his
status as a major new talent with plenty of tricks up his sleeve. You might remember Furby as a bestselling electronic toy from the late '90s, but Alex's track of the same name is nowhere near as cute or cuddly. Sure, it's got a warm, spongy sub-bass cushion resting below, and some carefree melodic flourishes flying above. And sure, plenty of good-natured bleeps keep the playful vibe flying high. But the
cut is built around a skeleton of polished steel and precision mechanics, and as relaxed as the beat may be, you get the sense that this sucker could tear your head off if you glanced at it the wrong
way. This is no-holds-barred dance music with a manic glint in its eye and wildpitch strings threaded through its flesh: house music for house people who won't let anything stand in their way of the hypnotic groove. On the flipside, Floppy kicks back and debones, inviting us to unwind in time with glancing chords and carefree keyboard riffs. On the surface it's a simple track, but there's more than immediately meets the ear, from moody clarinets bubbling up from the deep to all manner of carefully tuned percussion. What at first feels upbeat and laidback gradually reveals a more nuanced level of emotion—not
necessarily melancholic, but definitely ambivalent: Don't be surprised to find your mind wandering far afield while your body is in motion. No ordinary feelgood deep-house cut, then, but Alex's guiding hand bestows it all with a generous sense of swing and gentle abandon, ensuring that this is one cut that will take you as far as you want to go. More