Secondcity Interview: I grew up listening to house

Image: Secondcity

We've already exclaimed it quite loudly, but we think Secondcity may have struck gold with one of the tunes of the summer in 'I wanna feel'. The track infuses the languid knocking boots anthem 'You're making me High' from Toni Braxton into a delicious slab of bouncy pop drenched garage, building on the producer's house fusion template for clubbier terrain with a surge for the charts.

It's already had remixes from the likes of Brookes Brothers and Zed Bias, been rinsed on the radio day and night and is slanted for a release via Ministry of Sound next month. The accompanying video (watch above) also manages to capture the song's central refrain of lusting for a better life, doing what the best dance music always does, provide you with a modicum of escapism

As a DJ, who was raised in Chicago (hence the moniker), has been on the forefront of those in the know for a while, collaborating with another master of the breakout house/garage groove in Route 94, and releasing music on one of the underground proponents of the sound in Huxley, whose Saints and Sonnets pushed out his 'The Story'

He's got a busy summer crammed with dates at the likes of Skreamizm, Coventry's Rehab Warehouse and the Detonate Festival, with a debut lined up for Liverpool legends Chibuku Shake Shake as they close out May at East Village Arts Club.

He'll join Dusky, Shadow Child, Hannah Wants and Eton Messy at the show, bringing his hooky sound to the Liverpool throng for another of their extended sojourns through the musical vaults on Friday 30th May. Ahead of the summer and that party we caught up with him for a quick run down of the world of Secondcity.

So we understand you spent your childhood years in Chicago - how big even at an early age was the influence on house music and that city on you?

I grew up listening to house, as my mum would always play old records, stuff like 'Follow Me' by Aly Us (below), George Morel, Pete Heller, Soulsearcher and King Unique. Even now, I still hear a lot of the older Defected and Strictly Rhythm stuff being played – it still sounds so good after all these years.

Do you seek inspiration outside of dance music? If so what music are you into beyond the dance floor at the minute?

I like to listen to all types of music: jazz, funk, disco, old jungle and hip-hop. I really enjoy African house – the percussion and vibe is very energetic which I guess is where I take my main influences from for my own music.

Good quality dance music has become accessible again, and you're own track 'I wanna feel' looks set to follow the likes of Clean Bandit, Duke Dumont, Disclosure and your collaborator Route 94 into the upper echelons of the charts. How important is it for electronic music of this variety to be receiving mainstream support again?

It’s great. Most of the tracks I’ve been listening too have started out as club records and have now grown into crossover records. It’s such a great time for house music (and music as a whole) I think.

You're playing shortly at Chibuku in Liverpool; is this your first show in the city? 

It is my first time playing there. I’ve really heard nothing but good things about Liverpool and I know Chibuku have been running some of the best parties around at the moment.

Where else can we see you playing in the upcoming months? Can you reveal much about your festival and Ibiza plans yet?

Although some festivals are still being confirmed, I’m definitely going to be at Creamfields, Detonate and Social Festival. Ibiza-wise, I’m doing some of the Defected parties, some dates at Ushuaia plus a couple more to be announced.

Any production news we should know of following on from 'I wanna feel'?

I’m already working on some new stuff and hopefully I’ll be sharing that soon.

And finally you've been given the task of creating an album with any five musicians you choose on the planet now. Who would you pick and why, and what would the music sound like?

Wow – there really is too many to list. Daft Punk would be up there, DJ Honda, J Dilla, Wehbba (massive fan) and lastly I think I’d choose Boyz Noise. I have absolutely no idea what we would sound like but it would definitely be like an electronic, disco, hip-hop, techno masterclass.

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