“Jeroren Verheij” better known as “Secret Cinema” is one of the pioneers in Techno.
Gracing and closing “Spectrum” stage on Day 3 of Vh1 Supersonic b2b with “Reinier” was one of the epic moments we witnessed.
Proud owner of “Gem Records”, this dutch artist is been in the industry for more than 25 years.
To know more about the artist, it was the perfect time when we had a word with him just before his set at backstage of Vh1 Supersonic on Day 3.
Just to let you know, he is very humble, polite and it was an honour to meet him in person.
EDMLI – You have been in the industry for more than 25 years, when did you felt things got changed?
Secret Cinema – Well so many things changed, actually its more than 25 years, last year i celebrated my 25th anniversary.
I released my first track back in 1991, back in the days you can sell records and live from you know just releasing the music but now you have to perform because everybody is downloading but it also changed the way you make music coz everything gets shared so easily, you not reliable on the record store, i don’t know you just have to be on Instagram or Facebook or etc, it takes a hell lot of time (laughs..)
But its cool, you know the world changes more into performances so you have to be sure you can play on stage so i like it.
So far so good (both laughs..).
EDMLI – We got to know you used to sell tomatoes for living, so how was it.
Secret Cinema – (Laughs) well yeah, i was 16 at that time, back in the days i was only partying, so i used to come from club and straight to tomatoes picking (laughs heavily).
And then after that i started making music and then i felt yes this is what i wanna do, i could never really find an instrument which i like to play, my dad used to play in a Jazz band, and i tried piano, a little bit of drums then i was like yeah i am not feeling it until i got a computer and i was playing with that computer like for 8 hours a day easily so yeah i played basically computer and started making music with that and then yeah i could really release something in 1991 and it was made with a computer with only 512KB of memory, it was very difficult, so its like if you have less instruments you are more creative and i was happy i could release something at that time and started making money and investing that in synthesisers and other instruments and from then it grew into what it is now, the record label, the booking agency and everything.
EDMLI – On an average how many hours you work in your studio weekly?
Secret Cinema – Well, the more you play the less you are in the studio, you know that’s difficult part, so usually on Monday i am a Zombie (laughs) and then on Tuesday i am eating someone’s brain (laughs) no no, i get back to life a little bit.
It’s difficult to get in the studio but i am always there, i made my studio at home, my mind is always in the studio so basically its 24 hours but productivity is may be 6-7 hours a day.
It happens on Tuesday and then Wednesday and then again on Thursday i start thinking about weekend gigs so its kind of losing the momentum but the best moment is when you have a deadline, you only have 1 day and all of a sudden it automatically comes out like boom (laughs)..
I have been working alone in the studio for so many years and now i enjoy more when i just play with someone in the studio together because when you are alone you tend to drift off into some kind of fantasy or world so you hear music which is not really coming out of your studio and when you are together with someone you immediately hear what you are doing because you can reflect each other and i feel it is much more productive this way.
So when i am with “Reinier” we make like 2 tracks in one day and when i am by myself, the whole week in one loop (laughs), i am waiting for two weeks or more for the moment to come , so you need some pressure or some helping for feedback.
EDMLI – A lot of producers end up their track in BIN, what’s your story on this?
Secret Cinema – (Laughs) Well i have a lot of tracks of course but usually most of them are released because the thing is when i start playing them i am playing for an year or something and if i feel its still that fresh then i know that they are gonna be timeless.
So i like to road test them on the crowd and from this feedback you get to know this track is good or not.
EDMLI – Can you please tell something more about your record label “Gem Records”, with what vision you started and where is it currently today?
Secret Cinema – Well yes, GEM it spells as GEM, but it actually is, i had a club night and it was only live artists no DJs, only your own music and then i would invite other artists to play with me without practice so we would basically do a JAM and if the night would be a perfect ultimate night we call it GEM of a night, so this is where it all started from, so i need to have connection with the artists and i need to be producer and all kind of stuff.
EDMLI – Have you ever felt producing something other than Techno?
Secret Cinema – Well yeah, i actually did an ambient album in 2011 and i think lot of people liked it, my friend daily after work was playing this CD.
So yeah it was an electronic album but also with some instruments and different sounds, i like it very much.
EDMLI – How do you feel closing an event like “Awakenings”?
Secret Cinema – (Laughs) Well the thing is there is so much pressure that you can’t really enjoy it at the moment but only afterwards and then realising oh i could have played this track and that and so on .
So there is too much of pressure on a closing set i think so i usually like the set before the closing because then you don’t have the pressure and you can really enjoy, but of course its an honour tonight closing it tonight with “Reinier”.
EDMLI – We really like your track “Elementen”, and the way “Markus Schulz” remixed it is like awesome, he is playing this remix in almost every set of him.
Secret Cinema – Yeah, i heard he remixed but i have not listened to it yet and i am getting good response that he really did a nice work on this.
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