All Stories (RSS)
Best Kept Secret
Ahead of Best Kept Secret feat. Spiritual South at The Big Chill House (it's on Saturday 11th August btw), we catch up with Best Kept Secret's Nick Matthews.Who are ya?
A man, a 28 year old man, a 28 year old man with plan. This could go on a bit, couldn’t it? I run a booking agency, promotions and management company called Best Kept Secret.
What's your night called?
Best Kept Secret
What have you been up to, before this?
We look over 60 artists on our roster, so BC followers will be familiar with a lot of the names. It’s been a busy summer with the roster through the festivals, especially Talib Kweli and the Stones Throw Records gang. We also held our 2nd K-Swiss Best Kept Secret Weekender in Amsterdam in June for 4 days which was bloody amazing as well. Gilles Peterson headlined on the Sunday live for radio - that was special.
What's the music policy for your night?
Its very loose because what Best Kept Secret represents is pretty diverse. If I had to nail it down, it’s probably disco, boogie, house, Brazilian and other dance floor departures.
Who has played, or is going to play?
For Big Chill House, we will be having Spiritual South as our guest, who has rocked the dance tent at the festival in previous years, and one of the U.K’s leading producers, always catchy and accessible dance music, with his signature samba / Brazilian influence throughout. Past guest have been everyone from zero dB, 4hero, Faze Action, Alton Miller, Robert Strauss, Yam Who?, Beatfanatic, Kid Sublime, Rainer Truby, Unabombers, Recloose and tons of others…
If money was no object, and you could book any line-up of DJs and bands living or dead, who would play?
Big stage in the middle of a park - sunny day: Carl Craig, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, The Bays, Radiohead, J-Rocc, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
What are your current top 5 tunes?
1. Robert Strauss - Party in My Body (BBE Promo)
2. Escort - All Through The Night (Escort)
3. Spektrum - Kinda New (Dirty South 07 remix) (Data)
4. Mark Ronson feat. Kasabian - LSF (Allido)
5. Spirit Catcher - Night Vision (20:20 Vision)
What three things would your ideal bar have to have?
Good sound (always top of the list)
Plenty of staff behind the bar
Clean toilets (please)
I'm just on my way to the bar - what I get you?
Since you ask, a caipirinha (to be seasonal).
Ideal evening chilling at home?
Bottle of red, some great home cooked food (probably a pasta or roast), rain hitting against the window and carpet burns in front of the log fire!
Favourite places?
My mums house (in Harrow), Barcelona, Cape Town and Hampstead Heath.
What are you reading these days?
One of things I regret most is not having enough time to read. I am quite slow reader and so I do have to set aside time to really absorb it. Does the Metro newspaper every morning count?
What are you working on at present?
The office is busy planning about 12 tours for the autumn and winter. We are also celebrating our 5th birthday in September with a special 2 day event in London - watch this space. I am also giving a lot of attention to an artist called Robert Strauss who I urge you all to check out - www.robertstrauss.com. A very serious talent.
What would most like to achieve over the next five years?
To keep having the ability to develop great, new talent, and hopefully make a break through into the serious mainstream with a few of them. If ever there was a time for the independent mind, it’s now…
Highlight of your life?
Bloody hell, that’s a bit of a toughie. Probably going on holiday without the parents for the first time when I was with my older sisters friends (I was probably about 14). I think that is a punctuation mark where boyhood finished and young adulthood started…although I am sure others who know me would say the reverse. Innocence of youth is a glorious thing.
At a festival - tent, B&B, or hotel for you, and why?
Sorry - but it has to be a hotel. Why have milk when you can have cream?
What was your Top Big Chill moment?
Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators (2006) on the Sunday afternoon slot - was very proud of them…Fat Freddy’s as well - always spiritual. Cinematic Orchestra was pretty special as well.
Describe the essence of The Big Chill in a few words...
It has believed in genuine talent that appeals across a large area of people and has given a great platform for a huge array of artists that previously didn’t have one.
When are you on next?
We do parties all over town, so keep your eyes and ears peeled. Hope we will have another at BC House before the end of the year.
Best Kept Secret feat. Spiritual South is at The Big Chill House on Saturday 11th August.
Written: 25th Jul, 07
Read: 997 times
