Throwing a party takes a special kind of skill, and Giles Smith and James Priestley definitely have it. Having now provided London and further afield with a solid fifteen years of unforgettable days full of house and techno, the DJs and founding duo behind Secretsundaze recently announced a killer line-up of birthday parties for 2016. On top of ten events hosted across Oval Space, Village Underground, The Laundry and St. John’s Church, they’ll also be bringing the party to international clubs and festivals including Found, Gottwood, Electric Elephant and Hideout. Ahead of the next instalment in their new all night long monthly residency at The Pickle Factory this Saturday 13th February, we catch up with James to talk through his party anthems, the greatest club in the world, and why clubbing has changed in the past ten years.
What are the top three tracks getting heavy rotation in your sets?
As One, To See Tomorrow (Ubiquity Records).
Killer broken beat / techno record from Kirk Degiorgio that I used to spin in the first year of secretsundaze back in 2002 and still sounding great today. This went down super well at the launch of our Secretsundaze All Night Long monthly residency at The Pickle Factory in December, where Giles and i play for 8 hours from start to finish.
Wbeeza, Ferguson (Secretsundaze).
We’ve been trying to get an EP from Wbeeza on Secretsundaze pretty much since we first saw him play at a Need to Soul / 3 Chairs party at Cargo back in 2009. Since then he has played at countless secretsundaze parties across the world, from Japan to Barcelona and of course loads here in London, plus we have represented him on our sister booking agency, TSA Artists, but it took us this long to hook up this record and boy does it feel good for it to finally see the light of the day. Not only that, i think this is some of the best and most forward thinking music he has produced, and this cut ‘Ferguson’ has the type of perfect groove that usually gets reserved for describing Basic Channel records. I could listen to this all day.
Mio Mio, Floral (Nude Mix) (Proibito)
A mysterious, hazy record and seemingly a stunning debut on Anthony Naples label out of NYC. Percussive, heads-down, meandering palate-cleansing techno, this also has a great albeit less conventional groove, nice to play in more warm-up type scenarios.
What’s the most hedonistic party you’ve ever been to?
If not the most hedonistic, certainly one of the most beautiful and memorable… It was in Ibiza in the mid 2000s and it was one of the legendary Cocoon after parties that Sven and crew did on a Tuesday daytime, before the laws changed there preventing music being played before 4pm (essentially putting a stop to most daytime parties). I cant remember exactly where it was but it was in an old finca shaded by some sort of grounded sailing boat / pirate ship and needless to say, Sven Vath played from start til close, probably a good 10 hours, seemingly without one toilet break. There was some incredible music played, a really colourful mix of people, in a beautiful setting, exactly how a party in Ibiza should be done. Those were the days…
What’s the most phenomenal clubbing venue in the world and why?
I’d say it has to be Berghain/Panorama Bar because it has nailed pretty much everything a club needs to culturally, musically, physically and technically plus has the massive benefit of being in Berlin where the conditions are ripe for somewhere like that to still blossom. A very special place indeed and looking forward to returning to play there at the end of February.
If you could go back to back with any DJ, at any venue, who would it be and why?
I’ve rarely gone back to back with other DJs – it’s just not my thing really, I find DJing quite a personal experience. However, I’ve always had a fascination with the club Baia Degli Angeli where Danielle Baldelli was a resident in the late 70s. It’s been fairly well documented now but he was one of the first people to mix up many different styles of music in Europe, playing things at the wrong speed, and overlaying African music with more electronic stuff, as well as straight up disco coming over from the States. The club has a legendary reputation too, in terms of it’s debauchery and setting and i cant think of anywhere else I would have ever visited in time back in musical time, so I guess playing a B2B set there with Danielle would have been dope! I would have had to do some serious prep for it though, he has one of the biggest and most varied record collections in Europe and I fear would have been pretty out of my depth, plus he was surely one of the best DJs on the planet at the time, brrrr!
History is made at night… what was the best night of your life?
The best night of my life?! Impossible to pick one. The high of throwing a great party is pretty special, especially when you’re pretty new to the game. After some of the most standout parties around 2004 at The Poet, we had some great sessions afterwards, rolling around East London well into and through Monday daytime. Memory wise, they all kinda role into one though – so taadaa, there’s one right there…
What’s the most debauched thing you’ve ever seen on the dance floor?
I’d say I get more turned on by looking out over general carnage as opposed to specific shit going down.
What would your dream rider consist of?
As for dream rider, quality over quantity and see what the day/night holds….
What does your actual rider consist of?
I’m not all that picky to be honest, as long as the drinks are cold, fresh and free flowing I’m usually just fine. Ideally all proceeded by some great food and wine in the promoter’s favourite restaurant in town, and I’m a happy man.
What’s your favourite party anthem of all time?
Sharon Brown, I Specialize in Love (Profile Records). This has all the ingredients right there!
What producer are you predicting big things from this year?
Nu Guinea. Berlin based Italian duo Lucio Aquilina & Massimo Di Lena first came onto my radar via their debut eponymous EP on Early Sound Recordings in 2014 but it was their World EP and particularly the Nu World cut that was one of my favourite records of last year. A super fresh take on more groove based, soulful and jazzy house perfect for today’s dancefloors. Excited to see what else they have up their sleeves in the year ahead, starting with The Tony Allen Experiments which is just about to drop.
Where do you go when the record ends and the lights come on?
I might hang around at the venue for a while unwinding after playing but usually just back to the hotel or back home these days, it depends.. We’re always really busy during the week in the studio or office plus I try not to be too tired when i get home to my family as weekend times with them are precious.
What track would you end the night on when everyone’s still awake and its time to go to sleep? What’s your party trick?
Golden Avatar, Time For Going Home, a slightly bonkers Hare Krishna/folk/rock/fusion record which if you like, can also double as a curveball party trick.
Finish the sentence, the music sounds better… swaying with your baby daughter in your arms.