Secret Factory are the electronic duo behind the legendary Hungarian Secret Fusion party series and label. We sat down with the pair to discuss their upcoming release on the label and the year ahead.
Secret Factory - Interview
Hey Andris and Balázs, welcome to Minimal Mag! What’s happening in your world?
Hello, and thank you for the interview opportunity! We are currently experiencing a very good period. We have many performances, and after the uncertainties caused by COVID, we feel that we have found the answers within ourselves on how to proceed, as the scene has undergone significant changes.
When did you first meet and how do you work together as a duo?
We first met over 30 years ago, and this summer marks 23 years since we started making music together. We were resident performers at a legendary venue, and it was there that we decided to embark on bigger challenges together, a decision that has remained unchanged to this day. Balázs is more rational, capable of occasionally reining in the excessive enthusiasm that I sometimes represent. This way, we maintain a very healthy balance, which is the secret to our friendship.
You guys have been at the heart of the Hungarian underground scene for over twenty years running your legendary ’Secret Fusion’ party series. What is the scene like there now? How much has it changed?
Of course, the music scene has changed a lot, and this is not only specific to Hungary. We feel that it has become much more challenging to engage with young people. People are not as open to various music styles. It’s as if everyone gets stuck in one world and keeps repeating it over and over again, even though the electronic music scene for us was always about openness and eclecticism. Currently, there is a trend towards increasing BPM as if we were back in the 90s, but these are cycles, and eventually, the next wave will come in due time.
In 2019 you also launched a record label under the same name. What has the journey been like so far and what are your future goals for the label?
We are extremely proud of our past successes. There is only one thing we regret, and that is not starting the label earlier. If you take a look at our catalog, you’ll see that we have had the opportunity to work with fantastic artists so far. Eclecticism is a priority for us, which puts us in a slightly more challenging position because you never know what the next release will be like. This year, we decided to have fewer but more thought-out releases. We have many plans ahead, and we are glad to have a platform where we can work freely without being dictated by market rules.
Tell us about your new release on the label and what inspired it.
We definitely wanted to conquer the dance floor with our new release. The title track, “Twilo’s Legend,” is our homage to the 90s New York sound and the legendary Twilo club. While producing the track, we were somehow inspired by the tribal New York sound, and we steered the production in that direction. We received two excellent remixes from Ditina and LERM. The other track on the EP is “Magnetic,” which precisely represents what can be expected from us in the future: compelling, evolving, hypnotic dance music. It embodies what we love the most when it comes to club music.
Secret Factory
The EP shows off some beautiful synth work, what gear did you use in the studio?
We have a well-equipped studio, and we’re proud of it. We have a fairly extensive modular system, which allows us to explore unique ideas. Many times, the initial sparks of inspiration come from jam sessions since we never know what kind of sequences and melodies will emerge from a successful patch. From there, we continue to layer other synthesizers. We frequently use the Moog Sub 37 and the Prophet 8. Our primary DAW is Logic, but we mainly use it for audio recording, as approximately 90% of our workflow revolves around that.
What advice would you give aspiring artists looking to start their own party series? Is social media at the center of it all these days?
The best advice is to have a unique and clear vision of the vibe you want to convey to the audience. Over time, it will become evident whether it is necessary or not, and whether you are in the right place. Many elements need to come together for an event series to work and remain viable. Secret Fusion is now 22 years old, and we have experienced many ups and downs, but we have always managed to renew ourselves and make changes in time.
We have a bit of a love-hate relationship with social media because, in our opinion, it has done more harm than good to the scene in recent years. It has distorted people’s perception of what makes a great party. The mystique of club culture diminishes when you get an inside look into every moment of an intimate event. People find it harder to immerse themselves in music because they are too focused on capturing fake memories. Our presence on social media is minimal, but we believe it’s just enough. No one really cares about what we had for breakfast.
Thank you both so much for joining us today! Lastly, what else can we expect from the Secret Fusion brand in the coming year?
We will continue on the path we have set since 2001. Not much has changed in what we aim to represent. We want to create and play unique music. Our events will continue to be about an eclectic musical journey, and we hope that the label will surprise us again and again.
Secret Factory - Links
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