Then again who can count on the weather anyway?! It changes as often as my woman changes moods after a long week-end me being mostly out.
But that's another story...
Let's get back to the beginning of this thing. If it so happens that we both share the same overcrowded, dirty and sometimes overpoweringly beautiful London, you probably have been through quite a few happening in the last few weeks.
Pretty scary shit, i'nnit? Felt a bit like in the very first rows watching Watchmen, huh, have you?
Well i did, and in fact also re-watched the damn film only for the 10th time again. But you know what, it gets better and better with every watch. Rorschach is one tough little motha'! Still not really digging the chick playing the chick superhero role...but that's just me probably, I like my superheroes with a ty bit more darkness to them.
Speaking of superheroes, if you're somewhat into our events or our music (and you should be!) you would have noticed a slightly different pair of individuals rocking out some really good and well crafted melodic techno. They like to put their white masks on when out and about on Saturday nights, the same time when they make use of their heavy artillery of good pumping techno.
They are Sub Secret and they're not your average Joe dj
I thought this to be just the best time to get our very own sound vigilantes onto the uncomfortable interview chairs and fire up 11 questions at them on the who, what, when and the where? As the interview took place in a darken room, they took their masks off for us and laid everything on the table. Here’s the result:
[code] Hi Stephen, hi Mark! How are you guys and how does this interview find you?
Stephen: Good thanks - Riding the rollercoaster of life.
[code]: Rollercoaster of Life?!?
Mark: Haha Yeah I think we have both started to realise that we have become a little obsessive about what we do, to the point where our personal lives suffer at times. Music really is a curse and a blessing lol.
[code]: You guys are known to the techno world as Sub Secret, “two masked sound vigilantes” with super musical powers. I remember I’d first saw you guys rock EGG last year, full masked gear on, bouncing off the walls and thought to myself I need to know more about these dudes: what’s the story and the meaning for the masks? At one point I was actually considering getting my own version of a Sub Secret mask...but that’s another story. So, what IS the story?
Stephen: It all started at a Halloween party we did. We put the masks on for a laugh and while on stage realised we hadn’t took them off!
Mark: Yeah something clicked and and it just felt right.
Stephen: Maybe we just realised we could scream and shout and no one would know that it’s us doing it, just these two other “personas”. We do like to scream and shout :)
Mark: Ha ha Yeah and we are really not that pretty so maybe it's better all round :)
[code]: Lol! So where do Mark Standerline and Stephen Fewings fit in this story? What are their roots?
Stephen: Well, that is where the music starts playing.
S+M: both sing "Tradgady"
[code]:
Mark:
[code]: So how did it start?
Stephen: Well i guess it all started at Uni. We had a lot of friends in common and there were a lot of house parties.
Mark: Hehehe true. After Uni we went our separate ways but a few years later I was moving to London and Steve was the only person I knew. Steve helped me get a job in London and things started.
Stephen: We both DJed and decided to start putting on some parties that did well, and the next step felt obviously right..... producing music together!
[code]: Speaking of productions, Sub Secret creations oscillate from breath taking deep techno runs like “Rambo” or “Side Clap” to heart ripping melodic trips, such as “Wir Schauten Nicht”. How do you guys approach music making? Do you care much about if it fits a certain genre or sound?
Slide Clap (Dark) by Sub Secret
Sub Secret_-_Wir Schauten Nicht by Sub Secret
Stephen: No, So long as it has a four/four beat and within 123-128 we are fine.
Mark: Everytime we write something it is different really. Sometimes it’s waking up in the morning with an idea, other times we will have a small sample we want to use but no idea where it will go; and some other times we just find a new trick in Ableton or Reason and see where it takes us.
Stephen: Melody is very important to us so that tends to lead the way.
[code]: Who, what, when and where do you find inspiration for making music?
Mark: Everywhere really. We have taken different paths so there are a lot of influences.
Stephen: I played in bands for years, whereas Mark was always more into electronic music. It is great because we would be listening to music and one of us will be going “WTF is this?!?” – Well actually only when I play music, Mark has shit tastes lol.
Mark: I would defend myself but I do have some awful stuff in my collection that I secretly love.
Stephen: We spend all day listening to things, stuff that people share or just doing random searches and seeing what we find. Suddenly we will hear something and off we’ll go.
[code]: We know that recently you’ve taken on the controls of Codekontrol’s Mind Ability and are managing the label on a day to day basis, practically being Mind Ability. How did you guys decide to take this road? How does it fit in with Sub Secret’s everyday existence?
Mark: Well we have kind of been there from the start, we met Monokode (CJ) when we were running our Sub Secret Parties and he was just starting the labels (Mind Ability, Minimal Force, Solid Tracks and Picknik).
Stephen: It always felt to us that Mind Ability was the label that was the perfect match for our sound and so when we were offered to take over running it we jumped at the chance.
Mark: It’s a lot of work trying to manage everything, but for us it is like a dream coming true! This is what we both wanted for so long that now we are here it’s a bit of a dream.
Stephen: Sometimes we stop and think about where we are and feel a bit shocked but we just keep looking forward and thinking about what we can do next and how we can push ourselves and Mind Ability one step further.
[code]: What can we expect from Sub Secret and Mind Ability in the remaining days of 2011?
Mark: For Sub Secret - There are a few EPs in the pipeline due to be out over the next few months; one on Minimal Force with some AWESOME remixes from Alpha Channel and Min_s’s Click Box, and another very special EP we have done for Mind Ability. Plus you can expect some more remixes wearing the Sub Secret seal to be appearing soon.
Stephen: Sub Secret are about to head off to Barcelona to play some parties over there so we are working hard to get Mind Ability organised for the next few months with some beautiful stuff planned from Duncan & Pantos, Fra-P and Ali Nasser.
Gig wise, Renato Pezzella and ourselves will be representing Mind Ability at the Technicolour Episode III party with Ramon Tapia & Alex Bau on the 30th September at Egg; We’re also gearing up for a very first Mind Ability showcase at Tresor in Berlin on the 11th of Novemeber , That we are very excited about!
[code]: Besides the sound of your music, we can suspect that the masks you wear every time you play out are an expression of a certain outlook on life and everything else. Are we close to the truth? What is the truth?
Stephen: VERY! The white masks represent the nullification of EGO. We are all one, the same consciousness. We hide our faces so that we can lose our individualism.
Mark: We often hand out masks to other people in the crowd, so everyone can do the same: lose their everyday identity and just BE!
[code]: Hmmm, that is slightly alternative...Speaking of which, the past week has been a black one for London.. In a city most loved for its openness and tolerance, deplorable and regrettable things have taken place. Do you feel that is a sign of the times we live in? What does authority mean today?
Stephen: You really want to do this one now, here??!!
Mark: They say you should never mix music with politics, so its probably better to leave this one out!
Stephen: All I want to add is, we all know that this is what is wanted by the establishment so they can further their totalitarian Police State.
Mark: If you watch the mainstream media, listen for the Keywords that are repeated over and over on the news. Its called neuro-linguistic programming! It something definitely worth having a look into.
Stephen: LOL, We're not all doom and gloom! But we like to think of ourselves as perceptive! **Gives a wink**
[code]: “They...are watching you” (verse from Sub Secret's latest EP) direct reference to such ideas or just pure coincidence?
Mark: Yes
Stephen: **utters “Police State” while slurping from his coffee cup**
S+M: *Both smile*
And finally:
[code]: What is the role of a masked sound superhero today?
Stephen: Well, coming from a band background myself. It was quite apparent in the early days of gigging, that the audience listen with their eyes first. So, after moving into the electronic/clubbing world, I soon became bored of seeing boring DJ's, that stand behind the desks and "maybe"' once in a while would look up and acknowledge the crowd...Masked DJ's are nothing new, but for us it just feels right... The response we get when having those masks on, WOW! Everybody wants a picture, which can't really be bad Y’know?!? I mean, even if they really don't like the masks, they will remember the performance, and through it, they will remember us, Sub secret!
Mark: I see us as more like Robbin Hood characters but with Techno as our currency, rather than money.
[code]: Thanks guys, you've been great; undoubtedly the most alternative we've interviewed this far. It's been a real pleasure. Now you can return to save us from shit music and help us fight that damn EGO!
Sub Secret are gearing up for a busy autumn 2011. Sub Secret's latest EP "They" is out on Mind Ability Records also featuring remixes from Alpha Channel, Dirty Dan & Lanski and Mario Reder. Check it out on Beatport
