Secret Mixes Fixes

Secret Mixes Fixes began as an experiment in fixing and editing songs for extended Ableton sets. The idea was to take as many disparate influences that make up the momentum of the Detroit Techno sound, or Midwestern Hot Box DJ sound, that became the Detroit House sound and what not. There is something in there, these unexpected collisions from a city that is already an absurd culture clash, these sparks that give more light to how we got to where we are at now. And instead of being historical, treat this music as it is: fully alive. With the context of the type of DJ sets they were to be, songs, tracks, any weird archival piece that would bring back that feeling of discovery. Like when you first heard "Shari Vari" and were blown away by its unexpected italo influence, Kraftwerk smoothness over the unsteady beat that already sounds like the DJ is finger braking the platter that gives it that total rawness. Secret clues to a fantasy past.

Or maybe like the fifth time you heard "No Way Back" Adventure 2 by The Dells remixed like the Ron Hardy tapes had it mixed. We all want to live in this fantasy past where Larry Levan is playing some Danny Krivit tape edit of some Arthur Russell song that doesn't actually exist.

History should not be dead, the great ideas should continue and mutate. Thus Secret Mixes Fixes gave way to utilitarian fixes of ridiculously off time editing or drum machines and then reshaping songs into new shapes, to be used as DJ tools, just to keep these great ideas alive on the dance floor.

As the label continued, the original intent of documenting some highlights from this DJ sonic collage phase ended. The bizarre energy unleashed from Gay Marvine's deceptively direct edits began to take on their own life -- and for the past few years, Secret Mixes Fixes has served to showcase his ever growing talents and ever more absurd choices for originals that he somehow always manages to turn into total gems that last in your head far after the party is over.