Secretsundaze

For 16 years Secretsundaze have been doing what they do best – following their hearts not the hype. Having long since bloomed beyond its London home base to find international renown, every new branch of Secretsundaze’s constant evolution stems from the root: its co-founders, the DJ duo of Giles Smith and James Priestley. From the very beginning, as an adolescent friendship was forged in an early ‘90s classroom, the synergy between Giles and James sparked their shared musical vocabulary; where digging deep is the barest necessity, flow is an artform, and commercialism has no weight against credibility.

Behind everything that secretsundaze have come to represent - a DJ and production duo, a beloved party brand and record label, Giles and James exemplify the elusive “DJ’s DJ,” whether they’re digging in solo, handing off between marathon sets, or throwing down back-to-back. Their monthly 'Secretsundaze All Night Long' residency at London's small and perfectly formed nightspot The Pickle Factory is a colourful all-night romp traversing house, boogie, techno, garage and whatever else takes their fancy. Larger showcases at the likes of Oval Space and Parc Del Forum in Barcelona have become the stuff of legend, consistently drawing the most inclusive, fun and loyal crowds around.

A quote has trailed Secretsundaze for years, and it reads as true now as it did the day it was written: “Secretsundaze has changed the face of daytime clubbing (Time Out London).” Still Secretsundaze frequently lend their unique atmosphere of their beloved London home to the world’s most important and influential clubs, with residencies and regular appearances at Panorama Bar, The Block and Robert Johnson and as a brand, they have hosted showcase stages at festivals from Gottwood through to Glastonbury.

The Secretsundaze label has had a steady and carefully curated output since it’s inception in 2007. After a series of critically acclaimed mix CD compilations, the pair have gone on to release music from the likes of DJ Qu, Shanti Celeste and Brawther as well as being a platform for their own output, Giles as one half of Two Armadillos and James alongside Marco Antonio Spaventi. More recently Palms Trax, Fred P and DJ Slyngshot have joined the ranks with further material from Henry Wu, Alton Miller & Patrice Scott in the pipeline.

October 2017 saw the pair’s debut release with their “Motorway Jam” appearing as a double A-side with Palms Trax on the label’s Dance 2017 v/a series and their follow up is due to be released in 2018, with other music scheduled consistently across the year.

Secretsundaze have marked themselves out as one of the most distinct, vital and consistent voices in dance music and their ever enduring appeal seems set to continue for many years, winning new fans along the way. "It's tempting to say that Smith and Priestley keep moving with the times, but their style has always been timeless".