- The UK duo show their softer side.
- Secretsundaze has been a partnership for almost two decades, but it's only recently become a duo. Citing musical differences, Giles Smith and James Priestley spent years playing solo sets at their parties and taking one side each on official mixes. (Smith skewed tougher, while Priestley was more into disco.) That's changed now, though. First they launched a residency at The Pickle Factory, often playing back-to-back all night long. Then, in 2017, they released "Motorway Jam," a powerful house track that marked their production debut together. "Our styles have really converged with us both influencing each other," they said. "Plus it just felt like the next step, a natural evolution."
Cyber, Smith and Priestley's second solo EP, following June's Still Hope, shows signs that they're gelling in the studio. The EP presents three versions of the title track, two of which are club-ready. "House Pass," the record's clear standout, is light and summery, with a perfectly weighted bassline purring beneath a Balearic tapestry of hazy chants and glassy melodies. It's hard to picture anything but a flaming sunset. "Cosmic Slide," more understated and a touch trippier, builds a pleasant groove from warped vocals and woody percussion. The duo miss a trick by not making smarter use of the cheery melody that appears, all too briefly, more than five minutes in. The beatless "Ambient Sax Mix," on the other hand, could have reined in its centrepiece. It shares many of its sounds with "House Pass," but where that track kept its emotions in check, this one lets rip, unleashing a loud and extravagant sax line that will make you wince, no matter how idyllic the setting.
TracklistA1 Cyber (House Pass)
B1 Cyber (Cosmic Slide)
B2 Cyber (Ambient Sax Mix)