GILES SMITH (secretsundaze, Two Armadillos) share his top 10 tracks of 2010

GILES SMITH (secretsundaze, Two Armadillos) share his top 10 tracks that have been doing the business for the past 12 months. The last few tickets for secretsundaze NYE bash, at London's raw Red Gallery are available here


1. Moody – It’s Too Late For You and Me (KDJ)

Kenny comes back and slaps you in the face! A dark uncompromising techno groove not unlike “Live in 98” is flipped into one of the most bad ass soulful basslines, exquisite, heartfelt vocals What more can I say.. a stone cold classic and up there with Mr Moody’s best work.

2. Walt J  - Reborn (DJ Qu remix) (Curle)

Originals are absolutely gems from the deep but its Q’s scintillating techno groove that takes this to a different yet no less appealing place.

3. Tazz – The World Of Techno EP (Underground Quality)

Amazing four tracker from Canadian Tazz. You want real Techno there's "Unrestrained", deep and experimental there's "Lost" and pure Detroit atmosphere on "World of Techno". Blistering EP!

4. Steven Tang – Verged EP (Aesthetic Audio)

What a great EP from Keith Worthy’s label. Standout tracks here are the atmospheric “Aerial” and the moody bad ass groove of “Glimmer”. All true authentic Detroit cuts!

5. Smallpeople and Rau – “Life Aquatic” (Smallville)

Just in time ! This record got lost in a promo box sent to me a while ago but its just fell into my hands before I did this chart. A stunted deep techno groove gets things going before the warmest, loveliest pads really open this track up. Could have included any number of gems from Smallville or Laid here. Another great year from them.

James Priestley's picks his top 10 tunes for 2010!

James' Top Ten Ticklers of Twenty Ten..

1. Locussolus - Gunship - International Feel

Sounding like nothing else, the mighty studio return of DJ Harvey on a label
that seemed to spring out of nowhere (Uruguay) this year into one of the
most consistent and compelling labels around. Also check the Hungry Ghost
'Illuminations' 12 and look forward to the full length from Harvey set for
Spring next year.

2. Brackles - 6am El Gordos - Brainmath

London is back with a vengeance! A staple in my sets most of the year,
post-garage schnizzle at it's smoothest, going down surprisingly well in
Tel-Aviv..

3. Hunee - Bobos Alone In Paradise EP - Rush Hour

An amazing follow-up to last year's Tour De Force EP, Hunee drops this
complete bomb towards the end of the year. Synth-stab-vocal-house in
perfection on the A side while reach for the flip for some heady
polyrhythmic business.

4. Sect - Man Of Wisdom - Culprit

Sensitive rework of Mulata Astatke's genius 'Yekermo Sew', which if we're
talking end of year round up, his gig at Barbican in September was the
highlight live performance for me this year. Also check out Richard Sen's
lesser-known edit of said track on his Mixed Blood imprint.

5. The Mole - Dreamer Keep On Dreaming - Musique Risquee

A superb year for Colin The Mole as he takes a slightly heavier stance on
the drums but equally trippy on the FX. Forever reliable, also check the New
Kanada, Vitalik and Fur Trade releases.

Bi-Bop (ReviveHER) had a little chat with Jmaes Friedman.

My first experience of James Friedman was meeting you at an after party in New York and being introduced to you as the label head of Throne of Blood, which I had been really excited about in 2010. However, there was obviously a life before Throne of Blood that those outside the US and NY don’t know about.

Can you let us know what you were doing musically up until now?

Bi-Bop (ReviveHER) had a little chat with Bicep.

They talk about blog, music and what to expect at secretsundaze NYE. 

Hi guys, can you give yourselves a little intro as to who makes up Bicep and how your infamous blog got started?

The blog started when we all moved apart and finding tracks from our local scenes. It was masterminded after a Panorama Bar session, sitting at Bar 25, killing who we thought were eclectic DJs with our knowledge haha. We spend so much time searching for records we thought we needed to get some of our stuff out there.

secretsundaze: 2011 Golden Ticket and Prize Pack!

The festive season is now upon us, so we have decided to give you the opportunity to win a mammoth haul that Santa would be proud of and a momento to take into 2011, secretsundaze's landmark 10th season!

The Prize includes...

1 pair of tickets for secretsundaze NYE 2010 / 2011
1 pair of "Golden Tickets" to all secretsundaze parties in London for its 10th anniversary year of 2011
1 12" House classic "Morning Factory" by Ron Trent and Chez Damier (signed by Chez Damier) at secretsundaze NYE

Selection of vinyl from Balance, hand picked by Chez Damier
Selection of vinyl from Feel Music, hand picked by John Daly
Selection of vinyl from Throne of Blood, hand picked by James Friedman
Selection of R&S vinyl release of Space Dimension Controller

1 secretsundaze Limited edition T-Shirt
1 Throne of Blood T-shirt
 

All you need to do to gain a chance of amassing this gargantuan prize is to answer this question.

"Which American city is Chez Damier from?"

Please click this link to enter the prize on RA for more info.

The Secret Agency looks at its 5 standout tunes for 2010

Here’s a look back at 2010 in 5 standout tunes that summed the year up. 
 
1. Moodymann - Its Too Late For You and Me (KDJ)

Was everywhere after it dropped in late spring, cheeky arrangement and when that bass line drops it never failed. The marriage of sickly R&B style vocals with raw beats consolidated another great year for KDJ.

We’ve re upped The Mole’s set from Sonar for you as a limited special treat. 

The Mole secretsundaze Sonar 2010 by The Secret Agency

 2. Roman Flügel - How To Spread Lies (Dial)

Dark pulsing minimal electro from Roman Fluegel, an anti anthem for dark clubs at 5am.

Check Roman’s mix for What People Play here. 

3. Radio Slave - I don’t Need A Cure For This (Rekids) (Kenny Larkin Remix)

Massive remix from Kenny that packed a real punch for those teasing hands in the air moments. 

4. Space Dimension Controller - The Love Quadrant (Kinnego Records)

Break through year for SDC with 3 EPs that knocked the competition for six. Emerging with a fully fledged yet fragile sound, The Love Quadrant was one of many standout moments. 

5. SECT – Man Of Wisdom (Culprit)

While Soul Clap dominated all before them with their pop edit style and climbed to no 21 in the RA DJ list they also put out this hazy update of Ethiopian Jazz star Mulatu Astatke.

Wbeeza scores 'Electronic Album of the Month' at Mojo

Wbeeza continues to makes waves in the UK music scene as his debut album, Void, is named 'Electronic Album of the Month' at super influential music magazine, Mojo. In fact they go so far as to describe him as 'Peckham Prodigy'...not bad for your first full-length release. 

MOJO: Wbeeza's Void 'Electronic Album of the Month'

Electronic neo-classicism from Peckham prodigy

While most of his Peckham peers gravitate to the UK’s inner city musical staples of grime and dustep, 24-year-old Warren Brown invokes the spirit of early US house and techno on Void. What could easily have become a study in retro-gazing instead heralds a precocious, visionary talent. Wbeeza (pronounced Double U Beeza) offers 17 unique musical studies culled from a pile of 50 he’s recorded over four years. Forged in the studio they may be, but there’s a zingy, live rawness to the crunching kick drums, belching bass and synths layered like gossamer-thin filo. It’s an exercise in brevity too. Nothing outstays its welcome; five of the tracks last less than two minutes. There’s Basic Channel-style minimalism (Southern Girl), chattering Carl Craig-like Latin jazz loops (Tru My veins) and nods to the burgeoning UK Funky sound, which fuses garage, soca, house and broken beat.

AND a wicked review in from DJ Magazine, Dec 2010

DJ Magazine: Void Review: 8.0

‘An erudite homage to all things house, it runs a gamut of influences sucked straight from the genre’s roots. There’s Fingers Inc depth, Masters At Work groove, Gil Scott Heron jazz, Latino street vibes, old school hip hop jams and Prelude Records mid-tempo boogie all faded in and out like a series of passing memories. The production is textured and brimming with soulful melody’.

Wbeeza's (Third Ear) Void is available to buy now.

Introducing Sven Weisemann

Nice video of our new boy Sven here, it captures his agressive mixing style really nicely on a night where he really took control of the crowd. Some mixes below showcase the range he has, from super deep dubby techno to suked up house beats. The combination of this and his technical skills really set him apart in our book and we're really pleased to have him on board.

Sven Weisemann / Run 6th Birthday at Nomad / 13.11.2010 from Kojun / selective pressure on Vimeo.

Sven Weisemann - The Eclectic Mix 28-09-10 by Sven Weisemann


Sven Weisemann - Desolation Mix - July 2010 by R_co

Keep up to date with everything Sven Weisemann related at The Secret Agency website. 

Chez Damier looks into 2011

While Chez Damier was preparing to head in to the studio in Paris as part of his European tour, Giles Smith caught up with the man himself to talk about the follow up to “The Gathering”, his early days going out in New York and the influence that The Sound Factory had on him and his partner Ron Trent’s music, as well as Chez sharing some of his soul food tips! Read this exclusive interview as he reveals details about his 2011 plans for the very first time. Chez will be in London at the end of this month as he headlines the secretsundaze NYE bash at The Red Gallery in Shoreditch.

1. How has the last year been for you touring again? How have things changed and can you tell us about any highlights or funny stories?

I have to honestly say that I have been so touched by all the gigs I have done over the last year. There’s just been a really positive reaction to me being back on the road and that’s quite overwhelming. There was this one particularly special story for me in Milan where a disabled guy with only one leg in a wheelchair forced his way to the front on a very busy dancefloor. He was basically going crazy in his chair and as odd as it may seem this bought a tear to my eye as he grabbed my attention and was totally losing it!

2. Did you know that there is now an act called Morning Factory? How do you feel about that?

No I didn't know that. I think it's inspiring that someone has named themselves after something we made so long ago.

3. Can you tell us the story about Morning Factory and where the name came from?

The name came about as Ron and I had been on a club pilgrimage to The Sound Factory in New York where Junior Vasquez would spin. We were just partying and looking for inspiration. It was the first time I had taken Ron. It had been an amazing morning. We flew back to Detroit the next day. We were living together at that time and had the studio at home and we were so inspired by what we had heard we started to work on this track. We got stuck in a hypnotic loop and the track was designed to be something we ideally wanted to hear Junior play late in the morning of a great set. After finishing the track we kinda had a feeling that we were onto something special but it was confirmed right before our eyes when we gave it to a DJ called Troy Parish, who while playing live in a club, remixed it on the spot, looping it and mixing tracks over it and we saw the crowd go completely crazy. 

4. What have you got coming up in 2011?

I am really excited to release my first LP on the Mojuba imprint. Mojuba are releasing all my original productions and some re-releases whereas Balance is a conduit for other artists that I like and want to support.

5. You are currently in Paris to play and are also making some studio time to continue where you left off with The Gathering, “In My System”, the track you co-wrote and did vocals for with Jeff K and Chris Carrier. Can you tell us about this?

Well we didn’t want to repeat “In My System” and this one definitely has a more 80’s electro feel. We are also working with another female vocalist on this.

6. Last time we were in London together while in my kitchen you compared cooking to making music if I am not mistaken. Can you tell us you're favourite recipe?

In most soul cooking we don't measure by measurement we measure by eyesight and feel baby! So much of good cooking is done on feeling not exact measurements and yes this is exactly my approach to making music too. Being in the hotel now I can’t describe to you how I would concoct up a delight but if you were at my house I would show you how to make my meaty mushroom lasagna!

Welcoming this Weekend...

Adam Marshall (New Kanada, Cynosure)

We are looking forward to our new man Adam Marshall’s set at the Resident Advisor Xmas shindig at CAMP this weekend with legendary Parisian Pepe Bradock, Bruno Pronsato and London upstart Jozif. Here is a taste of exactly why they selected him for their annual event in London.

Adam Marshall Exclusive Secret Agency Mix by The Secret Agency
 

Dark, sleazy, full of energy and pieced together with an attitude, his basement vibes should be perfect for this weekend’s party.

Rolling off the New Kanada production line too next week....

 

Here's an excludive video his set at RA Xmas party at The CAMP x

Adam Marshall / RA xmas party at The CAMP / 04.12.2010 from Kojun / selective pressure on Vimeo.

Giles Smith treats us to a very rare chart of his top three tracks of the moment

A very rare chart from our very own Giles Smith secretsundaze boss and one half of Two Armadillos.

Two Armadillos have a slew of new material lined up for 2010 including a possible LP and a remix for New York legend Jovonn. Keep you're eyes peeled.

Tazz - The World of Techno

1. Tazz - The World Of Techno (Underground Quality)

Amazing four tracker from Tazz who has already released on the imprint. You want real Techno there's "Unrestrained", deep and experimental there's "Lost" and pure Detroit atmosphere on "World of Techno". Blistering EP!

Tyrez - Breath of Desire

2. Tyrez - Breath of Desire (Dolly)

On first listen to this EP on Steffi's low key imprint Dolly, it becomes apparent the mysterious Tyrez is clearly none other than the one and only Tevo Howard with his instantly recognisable drum machines at work. "Technical Love" is warm, hypnotising and perfect for 4am. Deeper than some of his other releases and still containing that hint of Acid.

3. Gwen Maze and Jeff K - The Maze EP (Silver Network)

Jeff K has recently re-launched his much loved and missed Silver Network label and the mighty "Want You Back" takes it back to the old school. Stripped, driving yet atmospheric House music with just a lil modern twist. Party bomb!

Breaking Through: Wbeeza

Ahead of his Void Album Launch tonight at Videos Visions, Dalston (Ticket link here!), Wbeeza scores a full length feature on RA today…

Read the full interview as Christine Kakaire (RA) calls up the UK to find out more about Warren Brown, the young producer they're so excited about...

‘Brown was still only vaguely acquainted with Third Ear when Heaystuff was signed for release, but felt reassured once he discovered the ringtone of one of his brothers—Theo Parrish's "Falling Up"—was the crowning triumph of his new label home.’

PLUS check out this exclusive video of Wbeeza playing live @ Stop Making Sense Festival, 2010. He smashes it....!

John Daly re-edits classic Mr Fingers track 'Can Your Feel It' for DJ History's, Trax 25

Larry Heard aka Mr Fingers

Last month DJ History revealed details for Trax 25, a compilation that would showcase contemporary artists re-editing selections from classic Chicago house label Trax Records, including The Secret Agency's very own John Daly.

So many have tried but here John Daly gets it spot on in his re-edit of the Mr Fingers track 'Can You Feel It', after building the tension the track springs to life half way through and really takes the original by the balls.

Can You Feel It (John Daly edit) by john daly/ feel music

John Daly (Feel Music, One Track, Dumpoet)

This is going out on DJ History's Trax Re-Edit Comp, available to buy January 2011.

Wbeeza's eagerly anticipated first full-length album, Void, out now

Mojo have named it as their electronic album of November, DJ Mag have described him as a ‘real talent’ and De:Bug are ‘all doing the boogie in the office’ to it. ‘It’ being the eagerly awaited first full-length album by The Secret Agency’s 25 year old South London talent, Warren Brown aka Wbeeza. Void, out now on Third Ear has been a long time in the making, ‘some of the stuff on Void is the result of studio-time as far back as 06’ says Warren but with fans including Ame, Dixon, Steve Bug and Stacey Pullen it has been keenly anticipated.  

Wbeeza @ Oceanbeat Festival, Seyschelles (Photo courtesy of Sinbad Phgura)

Ever since he first scored an underground house hit with ‘Disco Dayz’ on his debut EP, Heavystuff, Wbeeza has been tipped as one to watch. Three 12-inches down the line and his consistently original live performances coupled with his innovative take on jazz-tinged deep house and techno have seen the young Londoner warmly embraced by UK bass and house music circles alike.  

Wbeeza at Oceanbeat Festival, Seyschelles (Photo courtesy of Sinbad Phgura)

Void is a 17 track affair, touching on everything from funk, acid and techno to hip-hop, Latin and freeform jazz, making it as its names suggest, without boundaries. This Thursday sees the album launch night at Videos Visions Bar (shouts already on RA!) and follows on from his recent debut at the super exclusive Oceanbeat Festival, Seyschelles, with John Talabot and Spirit Catcher. This November he launches his album tour including appearances at Dunkel Bar, Denmark, Gamma, Italy and Robert Johnson, Germany.

Check out The Secret Agency website for full tour dates. 

secretsundaze NYE Line Up Announced

2011 sees secretsundaze reach its tenth year of underground parties. We are kicking off this special year with a stellar NYE line up featuring one of the originators through to one of today's brightest talents. Led by secretsundaze resident’s Giles Smith and James Priestley, the secretsundaze crew have got it spot on with a mix of the legendary, in the form of Chez Damier, and hot new talent, Space Dimension Controller and one of the most consistent talents of the last 3/4 years, John Daly.

TONIGHT (reprise) by john daly/ feel music

Headliner Chez Damier rounds up his European winter tour  with us on NYE, a much anticipated London show and his first since March. His involvment in the summer house anthem "In My System" by The Gathering confirmed that he is back in a big way.

                                        Chez Damier - Classic EP, Forever Mix 2

John Daly tore the roof off Panorama Bar this October and was booked again for his next appearance within 24 hours (not bad!), his releases on his own One track and Drumpoet this year have scored highly with critics and DJs alike, including making it in to RA’s top 50 Oct Releases.

Space Dimension Controller has established his production talent with releases on R&S and Clone and built up his DJ reputation with club performances all over the world (including his last minute replacement of Tensnake at ADE!) and a well received RA Podcast. The pair of Irish live sets round the line up off with references to the past, present and future of electronic music and heralds in a bright year ahead for secretsundaze.

Space Dimension Controller - Love Quadrant

All this is topped off with New York's Throne of Blood crew holding down the gallery's second room, and the Non-Sense DJs in room three. One hell of a party...

secretsundaze NYE will be taking place at The Red Gallery, London and tickets are already on sale. Get yours in…

The Secret Agency takes over Room 3 at fabric

Last Saturday we were granted free reign of fabric's room 3. We invited Parisian Brawther and Detroit's Delano Smith to bring the heat along with secretsundaze James Priestley.

Check the video below for highlights of the 6hours from Brawther to Delano to James.

Brawther / Delano Smith / James Priestley / The Secret Agency Night at Fabric / 13.11.2010 from Kojun / selective pressure on Vimeo.

Brawther heated up the floor with a grooving selection of rare French and obscure  Deep House, dropping his own edit of Mr Fingers for good measure. Slowly building the energy throughout his two hours, when Delano Smith took the controls things began to boil over, bringing proceedings to their peak smoothly with an integral selection of Detroit tinged house and modern European Techno. It was left to James Priestley's deep but vibrant selection to take the dance floor on an atmospheric musical journey, touching down with some classic disco, soul and a few cheeky slo mo edits.

Thanks to all who danced, cheered, shouted and whooped. See you again soon on the floor.

Exclusive Interview: Delano Smith

2010 has already been quite a year for Delano Smith. With regular DJ appearances at some of the finest clubs in the world, the growing strength of his own label, Mixmode, and well received remixes on Sushitech and Kolour, Delano continues to cement his place as one of the finest House DJs and producers around. As he embarks on the start of a six date European tour, The Secret Agency caught up with the main man himself for an exclusive chat...

Delano Smith Deep House Mix October 2010 by mixmodedetroit

Starting off with secretsundaze NYE party with Wbeeza, you have played at a number of well respected clubs around the world in 2010, such as Robert Johnson, Watergate, Zukunft, Trouw. How do you think this year been in terms of touring and can you pinpoint any highlights?

Since joining the Secret Agency, I've had the privilege and honor of performing at clubs I can only dream of. I've definitely learned a lot about myself musically. It's been a great year, the more I'm in Europe, the more I learn and absorb. Trouw, Sub-club and Zukunft were definitely tops in terms of turn out and crowd response.  Would like to get back to Panorama though.

Photo courtesy of Ian Ramsey (Soonnight.com)

 


For the full interview please click here...