Delano Smith mixes the latest Melbourne Deepcast, a series which has become internationally renown for its excellence and integrity. The mix is accompanied by an in depth interview with the man himself, which you can read here. Check below for a list of upcoming gigs, including Rex Club in Paris, Fabric in London and Back to Basics in Leeds.

• DELANO SMITH UPCOMING GIGS

24 NOV 2012 WATERGATE - BERLIN - GERMANY >

01 DEC 2012 REHAB - TERRACINA - ITALY >

07 DEC 2012 REX - PARIS - FRANCE >

08 DEC 2012 UNDERGROUND > DUBLIN > IRELAND >

13 DEC 2012 GOLD > DUBAI > UAE >

14 DEC 2012 OLD FUTURE > NAPOLI > ITALY >

15 DEC 2012 GATE 123 > PERUGIA > ITALY >

31 DEC 2012 CONTENT > MANCHESTER > UK >

09 MAR 2013 FABRIC > LONDON > UK >

22 MAR 2013 THE TUBE > BOEGRAD > SERBIA >

23 MAR 2013 BACK TO BASICS > LEEDS > UK >

• BOOK DELANO SMITH

Worldwide: The Secret Agency, Ben Start - ben@thesecretagency.net

Belgium, France and Switzerland: Jeff Labelle - jefflabelle@audiofamilies.com (In conjunction with Families Agency) 

With Go Bang! only a few days away, secretsundaze have managed to prize away some much-guarded music from some of the DJs playing.

Only God knows how they’ve done it but so far they have managed to get Motor City Drum Ensemble, Ben UFO, Brawther and Giles Smith to part with some of their most treasured and most deadly records.

The weapons remain a secret but if you think you know, you are welcomed to post your guess on the soundcloud player. 

These DJs will rarely give away such secrets so it is testament to the respect they have for secretsundaze and Go Bang! that they have so readily shared their most powerful cuts.

The will be a few more coming as the special day draws closer. Head here to get involved: http://bit.ly/go-bang

Introducing… DjRUM & Photomachine

After talking to Citizen and Ill Blu earlier in the week we caught-up with DjRUM and Photomachine who will be joining them at The Secret Agency’s daytime studio. As Go Bang! gets closer we couldn’t wait to catch up with two artists who have been on the lips of many in so far in 2012.  

For those who don’t know, who’s DjRUM? How long have you been with The Secret Agency? 

My name’s Felix. I make music. It’s atmospheric, cinematic, melodic, minimal, immersive, soulful…

I’ve been with The Secret Agency since the beginning of 2012.

From the outside it looks like it’s been a good year so far. How has 2012 shaped up for you? 

2012 has been quite exciting for me. The highlight so far has been doing the Resident Advisor Podcast. I put a lot into it and my work seems to have been appreciated.  I’m hoping things will continue to pick up momentum in the latter half of the year as I put out a couple of more releases. All being well my album should be out this year as well.

Watermark has also just come out on 2nd Drop, tell us about this project. 

The track Watermark took me SO long to make. I worked on it for over a year. I think it took ages because I had a pretty fixed idea about what I wanted to achieve. Then when it came to making something for the other side I was a bit stuck. I started out with a hip-hop track… but 2nd Drop weren’t sure it’d work on the flip of a techno thing so I went back to the drawing board. I picked up Undercoat, the opening track to my 2011 EP Moutains, and I started work on a remix. A couple of weeks later I had completely transformed it. Despite taking so much less time to make I think it’s arguably the more successful of the two tracks! 

You seem to have a good relationship with 2nd Drop….

Yeah I’m really keen on the way those guys work. Very nice people. Very. It’s been a pleasure.

Who else will you be checking out given the opportunity at Go Bang! 

It’s been a while since I saw Four Tet play out, so I look forward to that. Last time I saw Arkist he absolutely smacked it. That should be good. Also I’ve never seen Ill Blu before but I bet that’ll be good.

Can you give us one secret weapon as a taste of what to expect from DjRUM on Bank Holiday Sunday? 

I’m all about surprises. Got lots of new DjRUM tunes to play out though. Really looking forward to it.

We also caught up with Photomachine…

For those who don’t know, who is Photomachine?

A dance music producer from Brixton.  I make house not house and techno not techno.

Not too many people can say they’ve had a full EP with the legendary 20:20 Vision and been billed at secretsundaze in the same year… You must be pretty pleased?

Yeah it was good when they reached out after hearing the first EP.  They’re great guys.  I’m looking forward to dropping the second one at end of the year.

Can you reveal anything else in the pipeline?

The next thing is Sex Haze & Raves which is dropping soon.  It’s a sort of cassette of lost tracks that I found in an old Nike shoe box!

If you weren’t playing, who would you be seeing at Go Bang!?

Levon Vincent.  He’s one of those producers who’s record you pick up without even listening.  I’ve got a lot f respect for that guy.

It could be a long day… What keeps Photomachine running through the daytime and into the night?

London.  There’s so much going on day & night.  I haven’t been bored since I was about 15 years old.  Who has the time to get bored these days?

We’re hear that! We’ve been asking artists for their secret weapon. What is yours?

My drum machine.

For more info and tickets: http://bit.ly/GO-BANG

After the change of venue from the much-talked about Pleasure Gardens to The Roundhouse and Proud, we thought it best to get back to what really matters at Go Bang! - The Music.

After Catching up with Brawther and Youandewan last week, we have two more talents being showcased at Go Bang! 

Proudly introducing a man in fine form at the minute. With releases on Love Fever and Kerri Chandler’s Madtech imprint, this man is making some serious strides…

For those who don’t know, who is Citizen? 

I’m a producer and DJ from London via Nottingham, the home of the brave a.k.a Shotingham, Central. 

I’ve been producing and running parties in both cities for a while now. I had a desire to make a house project because it’s always been something I’ve respected but never thought to create. I finally shrugged off the doubts and went for it!  

You’ve just had a release  out on Kerri Chandler’s Madtech imprint, you supported Moodymann very recently and your playing at Go Bang!, apart from the constant rain, a good summer for Citizen? 

Yeah it’s been completely mental so far. Massive big up to Kerri and the Madtech crew and also Love Fever which, in an effort to not sound cheesy but going ahead and saying it anyway, is my spiritual home.

This must of brought you a lot of attention, what can we expect from Citizen in late 2012/2013? 

I’ve worked on a bunch of collaborations as well as more releases on Madtech, Love Fever and Five Easy Pieces (a really interesting release from the latter masterminded by Label head-honcho and Secret Agent Claudio).

There’ll be more videos and I’ll just generally be trying to hold it together. I get way too excited by things, self medication-Ritalin vibes.  

Haha! So will you hang around after your set or head home for Horlicks? 

You know, I us to be this crazed, party maniac, and stay out for days at length. After parties, after parties, after parties… As of late I’ve been a bit lame but the party animal in me is resurfacing for sure.  

A party animal needs his supplies… Apart from the obvious seven bottles of grey goose and Prada socks and hand-towels, what outrageous requests are in the Citizen rider? 

I won’t play one tune without my Liam Neeson security detail.  

Lastly, can you give us one secret Weapon you might use at Go Bang!?

Whaaaa?! It wouldn’t be a secret weapon then would it? This is what I don’t get about Bond villains they lay down the entire schematics of a seemingly watertight plot and then act all surprised when it gets fucked up!

On the real though, I’m looking forward to busting out an unreleased collaboration between Joe Ashworth and myself so keep an eye out for that.

We also caught up with bass-obsessed duo Ill Blu…

For those not in the know, who are Ill Blu?

Ill Blu are a production duo who made their name in funky house back in 2008 with underground tracks like Frontline, Blu Magic, Meltdown and Shysti classic Pull It. The lovers of music are unrestricted with the type of music we do. 

What can we expect from you guys when you take to The Secret Agency’s Daytime Studio at The Roundhouse on Bank Holiday Sunday?

We are going to bring that  straight house vibe, energetic, with a load of bass to go with it. We have the tools to make you dance non-stop!

Will you both be playing? How does your relationship work? Both on stage and in the studio…

Our relationship is very good in the studio; we are all round musicians so our approach to production is very unscripted. On the stage Dary is the DJ and James hosts, we just try to keep the energy at 900,000 volts.

You’ve recently had some strong releases including the seminal Clapper, released on Hypderdub. Can you reveal what is coming up for you guys in 2012-13?

We have a few projects at the paperwork stage at the moment but there will definitely be something coming out in October. It’ll be a more housey vibe rather than broken bass. We are going for a lil’ change in stylie, showcasing some of our other tastes and bringing the listeners some variation on what we normally do.

Apart from your set at Go Bang! What are you looking forward to most about August Bank Holiday?

We can’t wait for secretsundaze. They’ve pulled out the stops and the show’s going to be top notch. Other than that, we’re looking forward to playing at Notting Hill Carnival both days. We’ll be on All Saints Road Volcano Sounds alongside the radio station we run called Alliance FM.

Can you agree on a secret weapon for Go Bang!

The headphones because I can plan an earthquake on the dance floor.

For more info and tickets: http://bit.ly/GO-BANG

The outstanding soundtrack provided by Mayaan Nidam, Fred P, October and James Priestley contributed to one hell of a party in the courtyard of Loft Studios just over one week ago. Firstly a big thank you to everyone in attendance, the atmosphere was unreal.

The success of this party has only made us more excited for the next. Secretsundaze Go Bang!, an all-day, all-night, electronic music extravaganza, promises to be an extra special event. And in the run-up to it, we’re going to be catching up with some of the artists playing and finding-out what’s in their record bags for the August Bank Holiday party.  

We’re going to be finding out what these guys are about and what’s exciting them right now in a series of exclusive interviews available only via The Secret Agency Blog.

First up we have an extra-special chat with Brawther. The man has been in fantastic form over the past two years with some spot-on productions. He doesn’t do too many interviews so it was a real privilege to catch him during a busy schedule! 

Brawther, your face is well known by the secretsundaze faithful so start by telling us a little bit about whats new with you and where you are this summer?

It’s been an amazing summer so far, I’m just back from Australia where I played in Melbourne and Sydney. I played Zoo Project in Ibiza earlier this summer, which was great and I can’t wait to play Pandemonium at DC10 on the 31st of August!

I have a few 12”s baking in the oven, which will hit the shelves from September, and a few more goodies along the way. All I can say is that 2012-2013 is gonna be really intense. I’m gonna give away my personal re-edit of Loosefinger’s What is House? next month too so Stay tuned!

Wow sounds like you’ve been a busy man - Can’t wait to hear a few of these treats at Go Bang! You’ve played for secretsundaze quite a few times, including going back-to-back with Giles Smith at last years Off-Sonar party in Barcelona, not many people can say they’ve done that, is that your best secretsundaze memory? What else stands out?

 Yeah that was a really good back-to-back actually, people have been buzzin’ off it ever since and I keep a very fond memory of it. My first ever set secretsundaze, in May 2010, where I warmed up for the Mole, was my favorite to date I reckon. After that probably Wbeeza smashing it alongside Aybee and Deetron at this year’s opening!

He did smash it the opening party, and the Sonar Party! No doubt he’ll be doing the same on Bank Holiday! He’s a fellow artist on The Secret Agency, what does secretsundaze and The Secret Agency represent for you?

secretsundaze is the combination of quality underground music with a mainstream extension. For me it’s the way forward. As much as I truly cherish small underground parties and their promoters, there is a need to reach-out to larger audiences and offer them an alternative. In my opinion, when the masses raise their awareness regarding underground music, this naturally provides support for the small parties and artists.

I’m really happy to be part of secretsundaze and The Secret Agency, it’s a thriving agency, not afraid to take a gamble, with established heavyweights alongside lots of exciting new blood! 

What can we expect from Brawther at Go Bang!

 House music, groovy and bumpin’, let’s hope the sun is out !.

What’s your secret Weapon for Go Bang! ?

It’s a white label with nothing written on it, proper weapon :)

For more info and tickets: http://bit.ly/GO-BANG

Stay tuned to The Secret Agency Blog for more!

We’ve had a phenomenal response to the set recordings from 2012’s off-Sonar event in Barcelona. First of all a big thank you to the artists for playing the sets and allowing them to be shared. Secondly, an even bigger thank you to everyone that attended, listened, commented, downloaded and shared. If you haven’t already, head to the page to have a listen - there is some real quality in there.

There is also a video from the party:

The Secret Agency will be teaming up with secretsundaze again this summer, hosting a stage at secretsundaze Go Bang!

The August Bank Holiday event is one of the biggest secretsundaze parties yet and we are proud to announce the lineup for The Secret Agency Floating Cocktail Lounge:

Wbeeza

Arkist

Sei A

Ill Blu

Djrum

Al Tourettes

Youandewan

Citizen

Photomachine

We also have Brawther and Sven Weisemann playing on the main stage alongside Motor City Drum Ensemble, Four Tet and Matthew Herbert. Whilst the final arena hosts Ben UFO, DVS1 and Levon Vincent.

One of secretsundaze’s most ambitious line-ups will be set against the backdrop of the River Thames at London’s much talked-about Pleasure Gardens. More info and tickets are available on Resident Advisor.

Secretsundaze has been a fixture of the Sonar weekend for the past 6 years and theirs has become one of the go-to parties of what is gradually becoming closer to a solid week of hedonism. This years Sonar season seems by far the biggest, most popular and most important yet. And with parties a plenty its important to know exactly what is on offer.

La Terrazza is a setting that couples the essence of sonar with the ethos of secretsundaze. Heading up to the party you will no doubt witness the spectacle of Poble Espanyol. With the fiesta, and indeed fountains, in full, festival, swing. The early proceedings will be taking place in the serene, wooded, picnic area, where the party is set against the backdrop of a rather impressive view of the Barcelona sunset. As night descends, the party moves through the village to the open-air club, where palm trees and incredible views of the city provide the backdrop for secretsundaze’s usual blend of deep, sun-drenched house music.

The picturesque La Terrazza, high in the hills, is an attraction in itself but has previously played host for secretsundaze with heavyweights like Ame, Dixon and 2000 and One. This is as well as helping the likes of Jonny D and Brawther on their way and offering rarer performances, such as Mountain People during their prime. This years lineup is no different, offering a diverse mixture of both well-established and budding talents. 

After a hugely successful year, Detroit legend Delano Smith provides the main attraction for house music devotees. His recent album for Suishitech and podcast for Little White Earbuds should tell you that this man is in fine form. Sven Weisemann, returning for a second year running, will join him. Whilst Wbeeza also returns a more established figure after the success of his underground anthem ‘Peckham Fly’. The addition of John Daly and John Heckle make it likely that this is one event of the weekend that you will want to save yourself for.

The music is impressive alone. Coupled with the setting, the sunset and the atmosphere, secretsundaze at Sonar will undoubtedly leave you breathless.

The show will usually comprise of either James Priestley or Giles Smith, or even both, mixing it up and chatting the breeze alongside friends, fellow musicians and an assortment of artists from The Secret Agency and further afield. 

As well as new and unreleased material, listeners will be treated to an exclusive insight into the goings on at secretsundaze HQ. Including tour dates, line-ups, new projects and general goings-on. Of course this also a chance to hear two well-respected selectors get deep into their record collection.

After guest appearances from October and Aybee with with James and Giles respectively. This weeks show featured Nyra in the mix and John Daly on the phone from from Ireland, alongside guest host Ethyl.

Related Articles: secretsundaze Jubilee Party, secretsundaze Radio with Aybee, secretsundaze Radio with October, secretsundaze Debut Broadcast

After the huge success of Brawther’s ‘Do It Yourself’ E.P, released on secretsundaze last year, you could almost forgive him for going a little quiet on the solo-production front. After a busy year of gigs, Brawther has been back in the studio. And boy is it worth the wait.

‘Don’t Go’ is a straight-up, foot-stomping, head-swinging, booty-shaking firecracker set to drop at the end of the month. And My Love is Underground have kindly shared a preview:

Brawther has also found time to record a podcast for the notorious Leeds night backtobasics. They have chosen Brawther to launch their new series ahead of his headline slot for them this weekend. As part of the weekend our man will also be doing an exclusive in-store gig at Waxwerks in Leeds. But for the time-being checkout the podcast on his soundcloud:

John Daly has been busy working away in the studio on his latest LP ‘Sunburst’, which is set to be released via Drumpoet Community on 27th April 2012. Having already put out a free download of the title track ‘Sunburst’, he has now sent us a sneaky insight into his new live set, which is made up of tracks from his forthcoming album, polished for the club. Have a listen to it here:

Being locked away in the studio working on the new LP and live set, however, has not hindered John Daly’s ability to tour over the last year, taking him to places such as Panorama Bar (Berlin), Rex Club (Paris), Air (Tokyo), Fabric (London) and Robert Johnson (Frankfurt), to name but a few destinations. 

John has also found time recently to give a rather interesting and extensive interview to Little White Earbuds, which you can read here, as well as record Drumpoet Community Show 67. 

Good stuff.