- Lush deep house from a veteran London duo.
- Giles Smith and James Priestley started their Secretsundaze party 16 years ago, making them some of London's most experienced promoters. They spin records at most of their events (and get invited to play at many others), pushing a lush and groovy sound that draws from house music's past and present. Their productions, which until now have come through their own separate projects, use a similar blend of the classic and modern, pairing straightforward grooves with the melodic flourishes of old-school house. Still Hope, released through Phonica Records, is their first EP as Secretsundaze. It delivers just the kind of lush house you'd expect from a duo with a taste for records from Baby Ford and Glenn Underground.
The EP presents four versions of "Still Hope." The original is the mellowest, a bottom-heavy groover with cosmic pads and a fat bassline. There's also a spoken-word vocal from Anthony Anaxagorou, who takes aim at the judicial system, nepotism and some unnamed oppressor in a poetic monologue that will likely be lost on anyone dancing to the track. Smith and Priestley strip the vocal back on the more upbeat "Poems In The Heart Floor Version," which develops a more hopeful mood with strings and chunky hats. Two remixes from Waajeed sit on the B-side, both of which pile on pads, hyperactive synth riffs and classic house vocal snippets. The dense melodies might be too much for some dance floors, so stick with the leaner A-side.
TracklistA1 Still Hope
A2 Still Hope (Secretsundaze's Poems In The Heart Floor Version)
B1 Still Hope (Waajeed's Detroit Hardcore Dub)
B2 Still Hope (Waajeed's Searching Dub)