The Secret Agency 3rd Fabric takeover 17/12/2011

With just three weeks left of 2011, here's a heads up of how The Secret Agency will be seeing the year out. We are very pleased to announced our 3rd Fabric takeover, taking place on Saturday, 17th December.

First up, joining us will be Keith Worthy. This Detroit house producer has been releasing some of the strongest deep house music since 2007. Having put out only five EPs on his own Aesthetic Audio label, it isn't hard to understand that Keith emphasises on quality over quantity. Expect some deep-down-the-ocean vibes for his set.

Holding the techno flat will be DJ October, who joined TSA family this year. This Bristolian is the boss of the long-running Caravan label, as well as the head honcho of Tanstaafl, which he co-runs with John Osborn.

DJ October - 'Hyper Space, Human Race' [RawFloorMix - Unmastered] 320 by october

Our final guest is secretsundaze's resident James Priestley. Having been busy with secretsundaze 10th birthday tour around Europe, USA, Japan and Russia, James has also recently compiled a mix CD for the label with partner-in-crime Giles Smith.

Excitement is definitely mounting among us at TSA HQ. It looks like it's gonna be a hectic but no doubt rewarding weekend. This will be a special one, we hope you can make it.

Juno's Deep House Recommendations Best of 2011

The nice fellas from Juno have featured Brawther's 'Do It Yourself' EP on the top of their best-of-2011 deep house chart. 

Our boy Ethyl's 'Three Feet High' single (which he splits with Huxley) comes 14.

Well done boys! 

DJ Mag chart 10 Years of secretsundaze as 2011's best compilation

It's that time of the year again - the internet and the world of publication are currently swamped with different end-of-year lists. The December issue of DJ Mag features Giles Smith and James Priestley's 10 Years Of Secretsundaze release as one of the best compilations of 2011. A well-deserved honour!

It has been a busy and great for secretsundaze, roll on 2012!

Giles Smith picks some of his favourite Moodymann tracks in advance of his appearance at secretsundaze's 10th Birthday

With an artist as prolific as Moodymann its damn near impossible to pick 5 tracks. I really could have picked out 20 killer tracks by the moody one but here's 6 (just couldn't do 5) that popped into my head.

There is no doubt that Moodymann's legacy is rock solid with his discography containing enough bona fide classics to keep you amused on you tube for many hours. We think he is in the holy grail of House producers along with Larry Heard, Ron Trent, Chez Damier and Lil Louis.

1. Misled

I bought "Introducing" his first LP on Planet E in 1996 or was it 7 while in my first year at University in Leeds. I remember the day like yesterday as i also bought Larry Heard's LP "Dance 2000" on the same day! I just remember sticking the needle on the record and being mesmerized with what i heard. It just had the warmth and groove that i was always searching for. "Introducing" was not strictly an LP it was really a collection of the 12"s he had put out prior to that but it was indeed my introduction to Moodymann. "Misled" is just the most sensual, sexy and somewhat melancholy groove. I Just love this woman's subtle vocal hummings, the amazing percussion and the overt eq'ing in the track.

2. Tribute / The day We Lost the Soul

It was a toss up between this and the Chic sampling "I Can't Kick This Feeling" perhaps the most played Moodymann track. I first heard this Marvin Gaye sampling track at Back To Basics in mid to late 90's and Ralph Lawson the resident used to hammer it. I remember him once saying he had it permanently sellotaped to the bag of his bag. I dont think this was strictly true but it served to illustrate a point. I bought it soon after but somehow it went missing. It wasn't until i was in Japan 2 years ago that it dawned on me that i didnt have anymore and snapped up another copy but this time it was for about £35 but of course worth every penny. The groove on this is just slamming and its classic Moodymann in the way that his switches, cut n paste style between two grooves giving it a great dynamism.

3. Live in LA 88

This track really is a beast. Amazing how Moodymann can do extremely soulful almost gospel tinged tracks "Another Black Sunday" or " I'm Doing Fine", slamming House tracks a la "Tribute" and "I Can't Kick This Feeling", deeper than deep "Misled", "Oceans" (nearly made this Top 5) and then just as you think you have worked him out he comes out with this. For me this is real minimal techno! Super stripped down, dark, gnarly yet still bags of soul again with another sexy hummed vocal that just takes the edge off the dark groove. This never fails. Crazy when the keys slide into the mix later in the track too.

4. On The Run

This is a personal favourite and a track i don't hear people talk about very much. The track is totally influenced by the blues with the Uncle's tale of woe at the beginning of the track about wanting to escaspe from his incarceration hence the title. The warm pads and the beautiful swoony guitar licks is just such a potent combination and just slays me every time i hear it. It really doesn't have much of a kick drum and isn't really a club track but that didnt stop me playing it as my opening track at Panorama bar a few years ago (and clearing the floor with it slightly :)

5. Freeki Mutha F cker

What can i say about this record?`Kenny hadn't released a record for a while but when this sleazy joint came out there was no doubt that he never went away. Just unbelievable production and as the sleazy lyrics. Audio lube as someone so succinctly puts it in the comments on you tube!

Secretsundaze live on Boiler Room Tuesday 16th August

with: WBEEZA (LIVE), ETHYL, GILES SMITH & JAMES PRIESTLEY

Broadcast from the roof terrace at H. Forman & Son, Stour Road, Fish Island, London E3 2NT

2000 – 2300, Tuesday 16th August 2011

Please note the event itself is now by invitation only, you must be on a guest list to get in.

Everyone else, you get to watch amazing music, free, live, online.

Broadcast URL: http://boilerroom.tv/live

Smoke House Gallery: http://smokehousegallery.org/

Tuesday 16th August sees a very special collaboration between secretsundaze and London's seminal live AV music show, the Boiler Room. The boiler room usually broadcast live from Corsica Studios but this time they are making a special broadcast from a intimate rooftop location in Hackney-Wick.

The boiler room started out as a small bunch of DJs putting on a weekly DIY show from deep within a disused boiler room in a secret London warehouse. The show rapidly grew larger and larger and prompted a move to Corsica Studios to accommodate their new found followers. With each show gaining more and more fans the guest DJ's got bigger and better each time, having had the likes of Theo Parrish, Scuba, George Fitzgerald, Space Dimension Controller, Floating Points and Ramadanman perform for them already.

Founding member, Blaise Belville says 'We've gone from having 50 of our mates watching online to up to 15,000 or 25,000 people during our most popular shows like the James Blake and the Jamie XX ones,' 'And then there's 100,000 people and upwards reposting and replaying the podcast every month. The space has got bigger - there used to be about 30 people max in the room, and now our guestlist requests exceed 500 each time. It's invite-only, but there's still about 150 people there every week.'

- TIMEOUT, 2011
'The Biggest nightlife success of the past year blurs the line between an online club and a radio show.'

- R&S RECORDS, 2011
'Boiler room plays a very important part in the surround culture of underground electronic music'

Scuba at the Boiler Room (Hotflush label night:)



Theo Parrish live on the Boiler Room:



Ethyl & Flori @ 10 years of secretsundaze, Vienna:

Ethyl + Flori / 10 years of secretsundaze / Prater Unser at Pratersauna, Vienna / 03.07.2011 from selective pressure + on Vimeo.

Video: 10 years of secretsundaze Off-Sonar party @ La Terrazza 2011

                 
10 years of secretsundaze at La Terrrazza + The Picnic Area, Off-Sonar, Barcelona / 19.06.2011 from selective pressure + on Vimeo.

Nicholas - Secretsundaze Sonar Live Recording:

Nicholas - secretsundaze Sonar 2011 by The Secret Agency

Special guests Move D, Adam Marshall, Sven Weisemann, Brawther, Nicholas, James Priestley and Giles Smith all kept the crowds moving and shaking throughout the course of the monstrous 12 hour party.

10 years of secretsundaze compilation CD

Giles Smith July Phonica chart

Giles Smith has assembled ten of his current favourite records that are knocking about at the moment and put them together on Phonica in the form of a chart for all to see. Click here to check out the chart in it's entirety.

1. Ezel feat. Djinji Brown / Tamara Williams - In My Lifetime [Ocha]
Sublime soulful grooves from Osunlade. Deetron remix is dope too!

2. Keith Worthy feat. G Marcell - The Rise Of The Dijital Teknobots [Aesthetic Audio]
More deadly grooves from Mr Worthy's exceptional label.

3. DJ Blend - DJ Blend Detroit [FXHE US]
Another epic FXHE winner with typical drum machine groove

4. Two Armadillos - People Of The World EP [Secretsundaze]
Buy it now!

5. Dionne - Back On The Planet [Smallville Germany]
So what if it sounds like Larry Heard. Amazing, exquisite end of night / early morning material.

6. Marcus Intalex / St Files / Slam Mode - 10 Years Of Secretsundaze Sampler [Secretsundaze]
Bass ass gems.


7. Ethyl & Huxley - Reflexions [Tsuba]
Aybee mixes are excellent. Warm and hypnotic. Check the deepblak release too.

8. Mondo - Work Me Baby [Deeply Rooted House US]
Original and Rootstrax mixes are dope.

9. Model 500 - Ofi (Remixes) [R&S]
More futuristic sci fi grooves from SDC.


10. Baby Ford - Tin Of Worms [Autoreply]
Been around the world. Real minimal!

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…