- Rotterdam's Secret Cinema, AKA Jeroen Verheij, is a 20-year veteran of techno. He's released three albums, and a multitude of maxi singles for Dutch imprint EC Records, a small-scale label founded by Michael de Hey in 1993, situated in Verheij's home city.
But despite his lengthy pedigree, it was only weeks ago that the producer made his Cocoon debut on Cocoon Compilation I, contributing "Kurzweil," a piano-infused house track, which was subsequently picked up by Christian Smith for Renaissance's inaugural Platform mix. Perhaps liking what they heard from the one-time rave techno enthusiast, Cocoon have signed his most recent single "Jazz Me," a relatively subdued tech house cut.
Coming in at just under 8:30, "Jazz Me" gets started with a simple reverberated kick and synth combo, before introducing a rattling cow bell and hi-hat that is coupled with a cymbal crash and sporadic vibraphone twangs. Gradually, the kick becomes overwhelmed by the introduction of effects, adversely affecting the balance between pace and rhythm, eventually resulting in a somewhat disjointed soundscape throughout the latter half of the track. Those looking for Secret Cinema's token, brash 4/4 techno will have to wait.
Until you flip the vinyl over, that is. That's when "Shake Ur Tek-Ass" arrives. As its name suggests, it's a techno affair—choosing to run with a significantly higher BPM than its counterpart. This is the realm in which Secret Cinema excels. Beat-wise, the track makes use of a straightforward kick/snare, but an intermittent filter keeps thing fresh, while a ringing synth stab keeps the drums in check. Secret Cinema has never been one for airy jazz-inspired motifs—and that's why the thumping kicks and droning basslines of "Shake" is the one to watch out for here.
Tracklist A Jazz Me
B Shake Ur Tek-Ass