Secretsundaze x Bonanza Lite 2026
Written by Mavvi
After two successful decades of hosting one of the most legendary parties in London’s underground circuits, James Priestley keeps the name (and spirit of) Secretsundaze rolling around on lineups around the globe as a DJ and label owner.
We caught up with him at the last leg of a Latin America tour, and right before his first appearance on the Bonanza timetable, to get a glimpse of his creative process and what we can expect from him on the dance floor.
You've been leading dance floors for almost 30 years now; what keeps you hooked up on DJing after all this long?
Curiosity, a hunger to keep discovering and learning, inspiration from younger generations moving things forward, and respect for the older heads maintaining the foundations dance music was built on. That, plus a drive to fight the threats our culture faces: From corporate finance and a global tech industry which only serves the interests of a few at the expense of humanity, with communities left in their trail; as well as wishing to support grassroots venues and people doing things for the right reason.
How would you describe Secretsundaze’s sound to someone who has never heard of you before?
As a DJ, I'm rooted in house music, but I come from a more freestyle mindset as opposed to locking into one sound or style. Plus I’m from the old-school approach of storytelling, so even within a short set of two hours, I try to build a narrative and strive to bring people along with me. I don't really like to limit that to a list of genres, but what you could say binds what I play is a sense of groove, depth, personality, and positivity.
How much of your sets is planned, and how much is left to improvisation?
Almost fully improvised. For important shows like Bonanza this weekend, I like to visualise how I might start, with perhaps one or two options of opening tracks and one or two following records. But after that it’s very much down to how I am feeling, and trying to understand as quickly as possible what is and isn’t working in the space sonically, what level of energy and vibe the people are creating, and how to respond to that.
As a label owner, how do you choose what music to put out there into the world? What does a track have to have in it to convince you to release it?
I’ve reflected more on artists I choose to work with, as this is more important to me than individual tracks per se.
With my label 9FINITY, I’m looking for artists who have a certain singular quality about them. Those who approach their craft / building their sound in a way that I can relate to as someone who makes music myself. Quality of sound and production, which can often, not always, come from working with analogue equipment, is very important to me as that is what works best on the floor, and I’m a DJ first and foremost. Much of my motivation for the label is to release music I can play myself, so it needs to function well in this respect.
You’ve been at El Rio before; how does the environment affect the way you prepare your set, in comparison to a club in London, for example?
Yes, this will be my third time playing at El Rio, although the first under the Bonanza banner, for which I’m very excited.
I’ve had a lot of experience playing outside over the years, not so much in the jungle though, so the setting at El Rio is definitely unique and requires a slightly different mindset. That said, for this weekend I think it's more a case of preparing for when I’m playing: 7-10 am. I don't get to play at that time that often, and for me that's the more unique aspect of this one. Trying to balance the right energy, just enough for the feet as well as the mind, to keep carrying people through after what's already been a long session.
Over my time of playing across Colombia, everyone tells me that a lot of heads from around the country (and further afield) make it to the Bonanza sessions, so I can’t wait to do my thing there and wrap up this 10-date Latin American tour I’ve been on