Secretsundaze part ways after 21 years
Secretsundaze, the DJ and party duo of Giles Smith and James Priestley, have parted ways after more than two decades working together.
The duo - who run the seminal London party series of the same name - shared the news on social media yesterday, May 18, telling fans that they “felt a desire to move forward”.
“We've each been through a lot of personal change and growth recently so after all these years of service together, felt a desire to move forward with more creative and professional freedom,” they explained.
"At a time when the world can feel so divided it’s more important than ever to create spaces like Secretsundaze. Music brings us together. The joy and love we have experienced via our community has been so impactful and positive for us," Smith and Priestly continued.
The duo celebrated their 20th anniversary last year with a first-of-its-kind Spirit of Sundaze Ensemble live show at Queen Elizabeth Hall in the Southbank Centre, reimagining the beloved London clubbing institution's most iconic tunes, fan favourites and dance-floor defining sounds like never before.
Even more recently, Secretsundaze announced two new summer day-festivals, the first of which took place earlier this month at Dock Road, with the next set to take place in Hackney Wick on July 8.
James Priestly will take on full creative control of Secretsundaze, "building on our principles and foundations but bringing them to the present, be that through his DJ sets as Secretsundaze, a renewed focus and direction for productions and collaborations as well as leading the Spirit of Sundaze Ensemble , label and party forward," the statement read.
Giles, on the other hand, is going to stay active in music - DJ’ing and working on music more consistently as he did in his Two Armadillos days, as well as starting a new show on NTS and throwing a few parties.
The announcement concluded: "We're both very excited about the future and look forward to staying connected with you."
