The Secret Agency

The Secret Agency Staff Picks 2012 - Ben #2

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:47:00 -0500

Top 10 Breakfast Cereals… Not including any cereal sponsoring or in any other ways endorsed by artists on my roster.

1. Rude Health Ultimate Muesli

2. Dorset Cereals - Luscious Berries & Cherries

3. Jordan’s Super Berry Muesli

4. Alpen Swiss Recipe

5. Kelloggs Fruit & Fibre

6. Sugar Puffs

7. Crunchie Nut Clusters

8. Jordan’s Country Crisp

9. Kelloggs Coco Pops

10. Sainsbury’s Muesli

The Secret Agency Staff Picks 2012 - Ben #1

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:19:00 -0500

Top 10 Dance Albums of 2012 including no artists from his roster…

1. Voices from the Lake [Prologue]

2. Oskar Offermann - Do Pilot’s Still Dream of Flying [WHITE Records]

3. John Talabot - fIN [Permant Vacation]

4. San Proper - Animal [Rush Hour]

5. Delta Funktionen - Traces [Delsin]

6. Session Victim - Haunted House of House [Delusions of Grandeur]

7. Levon Vincent - Fabric 63 [Fabric]

8. DJ Deep - Kern 1 [Tresor]

9. Moomin - The Story About You [Smallville]

10. Various Artists - International Feel Compilation [International Feel]

The Secret Agency Staff Picks 2012 - Ali

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:00:00 -0500

I’d figured everybody would be bored of Top 10 end of year lists by now, so here’s my top 10 of the best footballers haircuts and moustaches!

Barry Venison

Quite Possibly the best hair cut ever.

Chris Waddle

Classic…

Ian Rush

Known as much for his moustache as his goalscoring, has had the good sense to get rid of it now that hes older.

Rene Higuita

A great dirty tache and haircut in one…

Sam Allardyce

A moustache to match those eyebrows!

Robert Huth

A very German moustache if there ever was one…

Kevin Keegan

That’s some perm!

John Aldridge

Another scouser with upper lip hair.

Xavier

Has had as many dodgy haircuts as most people have had hot dinners…

Joey Barton

A filthy moustache to match his personality!

The Secret Agency Staff Picks 2012 - Michael

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:58:20 -0500

10 tracks on a outernationalist tip that grabbed my attention in 2012 from the past and the present!

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Anton Zap - Taj Mahal (Story)

End of the night outernational vibes from Russian don Anton Zap. With so much tribal/Africanesque house out there really refreshing to hear tablahs and sitars in the fray!

Muslimgauze - A Small Intricate Box Which Contains Old Blue Opium Marzipan [Staalplatt]

Sorry no embed code!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JGIpnX9x8&feature=list_other&playnext=1&list=AL94UKMTqg-9Bs_k2Ut5MRnXfNEzpPJF8X

The late Muslimgauze teases in Farsi vox samples and subtle Oud riffs all centred around an immensely weighty classic Roland rhythm section. This isn’t hugely typical of his other stuff but check that to see where Shackleton got a large chunk of his influence from!

Hanggai - Flowers (Auntie Flo Edit) [Afroedits]

Moving even further eastward Auntie Flo took this little known Mongolian bands original track and turned it into one of the best things I heard all year! Feel good vibes!

Ueng Nary - Srey No (Lady Name No) [Sublime Frequencies]

I heard the NTS DJ, Cherrystones play the original 7” recording of this at a party at the end of 2011 and later found it on the incredible Cambodian Cassette Archives compilation. The fact that practically all the 1970s Cambodian pop, rock and folk singers were killed during the Khymer Rouge’s genocide makes the retrospective listening of this bittersweet track even more poignant.

Pannalal Ghosh - Darbari Kannada [The Gramaphone Company of India]

This is the one I put on after a long night out to reinvigorate the soul. 100% uncut classical Indian flute vibes from the master Pannalal Ghosh!

High Plains Drifter - Sholay [Tempa]

This one, sometimes credited to Horsepower Productions, is really indicative of the crossover period between darker garage/early dubstep strains where any influence however obscure was accepted.

Circle Children - Zulu [Strictly Rhythm]

Armand Van Helden on a tribal flex. Nuff said!

Cos Ber Zam - Ne Noya (Daphni Remix) [Jiaolong]

The driving breakbeat, that mysterious vocal, the analogue sounding synth that comes in towards the end! This has been the pinnacle of the Daphni project for me thus far!

DJ Sotofett - Åsså Med Den Derre Fløyta [Wania]

Whilst DJ Sotofett and his Sex Tags Mania crew had an excellent year all round it was this one on a sub-label of theirs that really did it for me. The contrast between that hypnotic flute and colourful percussion section alongside the spiralling lysergic synth fx is next level!

Damask Rose - Vangelis [Universal Music]

From Vangelis’ outstanding Blade Runner soundtrack. But whilst Philip K. Dick’s tale is one of a dystopic future this Vangelis’ synth and vocal work in this track conjure up images of the vast Arabesque landscapes.

The Secret Agency Staff Picks 2012 - Rollo

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:28:04 -0500

Top 10 house tracks of 2012

1. Ananda Project Feat. Kai Martin - A Second (Reelsoul Main Remix)

Kerri Chandler played this as his opening track in his latest Boiler Room session, super soulful! Hoping this sound makes a big comeback in 2013!

2. Detroit Swindle – The Wrap Around

Loved this track since the moment I first heard it, the second release on Huxley’s new Saints & Sonnets label.

3. Omar S – S.e.x (conant gardens remix)

Straight sleaze from the man himself! nuff said…

4. Santé - Homegirl Rampa remix (vinyl edition)

Available on vinyl only, a beatport version was released which is rubbish compared to this one! Beware…

5. Moodymann - Got 2 Make It

My standout track from the excellent free album KDR released earlier this year. Thanks for the download!

6. Homework - Confessing

A straight groover. Thought Homework really stepped the production up a gear this year, the vocals really work for me in this one

7. Malin Genie - Eye

Slapfunk released some of my favourite records this year. Full of snares and attitude. Heard this one for the first time on an excellent Italojohnson podcast. MASSIVE

8. Will Crawshaw – So Mezmerised

Wicked B side from my man Will who is making serious waves – look out for his next releases on Love Not Money, they are sounding great

9. Real Nice & Eldoko – Thuggin

Expect big things from Real Nice, their parties are off the chain and their tracks are getting hotter and hotter. This is the one for me!

10. Jocktalk – Lovin Me

Big shout to my homeboy, whose 5 track EP on Tusk Wax was one of the best received releases of 2012

*Bonus track:

Joy Orbison - Donell Jones Edit

Just hurry up and release it!

The Secret Agency Staff Picks 2012 - Claudio

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:58:52 -0500

Top 10 Tracks i’ve listened to more than 51 times on my iTunes released in 2012, in alphabetical order.

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Andrew Ashong - Flowers

Anthony Naples - Mad Disrespect

Citizen - Deep End

fLako ft. Dirg Gerner - Lion’s Mane

New Look - Drive You Home

Royalty - Eroica (Elliott Yorke atlantian remix)

Jeremih - Fuck U All The Time

John Talabot ft Pional - Destiny

The Weeknd - Initiation

Yoko Duo - Half Awake

Amir Alexander • Panorama Bar & European Tour

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:23:18 -0500

Chicago house maestro Amir Alexander is on the cusp of a big European tour! With a bag stuffed with Chicago, Detroit and New York underground hits and rarities, he will be playing all over the continent: from Israel to Italy, Russia to Spain. The tour will also include a very special date at the one and only Panorama Bar in Berlin, on the 9th of December.

08 DEC 2012 PRATEREI > VIENNA > AUSTRIA >

09 DEC 2012 PANORAMA BAR > BERLIN > GERMANY >

14 DEC 2012 CONCORDE ATLANTIQUE > PARIS > FRANCE >

15 DEC 2012 HOTEL OMM > BARCELONA > SPAIN >

16 DEC 2012 DINDADA > SALERNO > ITALY >

25 DEC 2012 JUST A GROOVE > MALMO > SWEDEN >

28 DEC 2012 GYPSY > MOSCOW > RUSSIA >

11 JAN 2013 BUTTERSIDE UP > LEEDS > UK >

08 FEB 2013 DELIS > TEL AVIV > ISRAEL >

Amir’s recent set at famed London afterhours Jaded drew much applause for its originality and inventiveness. Luckily for us, it was recorded!

To book Amir Alexander or check more of his music out, head on over to his TSA page.

New release: secretsundaze 007

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:31:00 -0500

Following on from the success of their debut release ‘Baia 2012’, hailed by influential critic and blogger Philip Sherburne as one of the top 50 records of the year so far, secretsundaze resident and co-founder James Priestley and studio partner Marco Antonio return with ‘Speed’, for their second release on the ever-evolving London based secretsundaze stable.

Much in the same way ‘Baia 2012’ did, ‘Speed’ harks back to a legendary time in club land, but this time much closer to home, to Speed at the Mars Bar in London, where the likes of LTJ Bukem were resident in the mid 90s and spun their ‘deep and beautiful rollin drum and bass’. As many of you will know, atmospheric strings, techno inspired basslines and amen breaks were the order of the day. Amen.

‘Speed’ pays homage to those times, but updated for the dancefloors and headphones of today, essentially as a patient, restrained, synth-layered and organic, percussive techno record. A tight 909 kick, Prophet 5 pads and sampled Maracas and shakers, make way for an incessant bassline and nostalgic vocal sample, the same one used by Bukem himself in his landmark track, ‘Horizons’. Marcus Intalex aka Trevino, as a spear head of the liquid drum n bass scene still to this day, with his newly christened Trevino alias, who has quickly risen within the UK House ranks in 2012, was an obvious choice to step up on remix duties. A jungle inspired tribal loop, a rude yet refined bassline, plenty of shaker changes and a super patient and smooth arrangement makes for our favourite offering of his to date, as it heads in more peak time territory, whilst maintaining the broodiness and ethos of the original.

All in all, another essential release from the secretsundaze label showing the production prowess of one of it’s founders James Priestley, alongside partner Marco Antonio, rounding off what has been a great year for the label as well as the parties here in London and around the world. In the words of Maya Angelou, ‘the horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change’. Here here..

Support from Deetron, Sasha, Ame, Craig Richards, Sebo K, Gerd, Skudge, George Fitzgerald, Ben Sims, Surgeon, Will Saul, Ashley Beedle, Vince Watson, Kiki, Karotte, Midland, Paul Woolford, Marcus Worgull, Michael Reinboth, Eric Duncan, Jimmy Edgar, Matt Tolfrey, Clive Henry, Adam Marshall, Ethyl, Flori, Arkist, Guy Andrews, Cottam, Eric Cloutier, & Catz N Dogz.

Release/catalogue number: SECRET 007

Release date: Dec 10, 2012

Preorder: Juno • Chemical Records • Decks.de

Check out James Priestley’s TSA page here.

Flori || teshcast x

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 10:47:00 -0500

Flori digs deep and delivers a very accomplished mix for the highly recommended Teshno blog. For interview and tracklisting head over to the website.

For upcoming dates, a complete biography, discography and booking contacts check out Flori’s TSA page.

New mix from Youandewan

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:01:00 -0500

Brand new november mix from one of The Secret Agency’s newest signings, Youandewan. Having released great remixes for Maya Jane Coles, Dusky, Midland and dOP in the past couple of years, and with a forthcoming release on Hypercolour, it’s safe to say the future is bright for this young producer.

Check out Youandewan’s TSA page here, with upcoming dates, biography, discography and agent contact.

Delano Smith || Melbourne Deepcast

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 07:24:00 -0500

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)

Go Bang! Secret Weapons

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:21:56 -0400

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

DjRUM & Photomachine Go Bang! Interviews

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 09:59:29 -0400

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

Citizen & Ill Blu Go Bang! Interviews

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 09:04:00 -0400

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

Brawther & Youandewan Go Bang! Interviews

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 05:52:00 -0400

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 :)

We also caught up with the agency’s newest edition, Youandewan…

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

I’m a young, quiet Yorkshire lad living in Leeds.

You’ve remixed for Maya Jane Coles and Gerry Read and been remixed by Jimpster. What other things have you got coming up? Anymore big-name collaborations that you can reveal?

I’ve spent the last 12 months concentrating solely on original stuff. I’ve written a record for Hypercolour which is due out in Autumn, along with some extra bits for 2nd Drop too.

You’re based in Leeds, tell us a bit more about the scene up there and your role in it….

It’s a vibrant town. Lots of club nights with a strong focus on varied sounds. I’m lucky enough to have casual residencies with a couple of them too.

Its August bank holiday Sunday morning, what’s the first thing on your mind pre-Go Bang?

Plenty of excitement. Will be meeting the crew for the first time so probably a little nervous too. The line up is something else…

You must be looking forward to playing Ibiza, what’s getting you most excited this summer?

It’s always nice to get away, don the trunks and eat. Ibiza is hazy as fuck

Finally, can we get your August Bank Holiday secret Weapon?

I’ll be sure to have something up my sleeve…

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

Stay tuned to The Secret Agency Blog for more!

Secretsundaze Set Recordings & Go Bang!

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:19:00 -0400

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 and The Secret Agency Day & Night OFF Sonar 2012 at La Terrazza

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:53:19 -0400

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.

Strongroom Alive Radio Show

Thu, 31 May 2012 08:53:00 -0400

Secretsundaze are now hosting a burgeoning show on Strongroom Alive, the broadcasting service from Shoreditch-based art’s hub The Strongroom. The show has been running monthly since the turn of the year and you can catch it live on every last monday of the month.

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.

Brawther Goes Back To Basics

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:58:00 -0400

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:

Teaser of John Daly's new live set

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:31:00 -0400

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.