Something Secret

Soulful, sanguine, searching soliloquys and stories from a sensuous singer sonorous, sinuous, strange, subtle soundworlds from a sonic sculptor synchronicity, simplicity, spontaneity

Carol Grimes and Giles Perring have taken the genres of free improvisation, song and poem to dangerous edges, where their musicalities willfully jolt, clatter and finally resolve into an utterly arresting set. Poems by Carol and other writers including Judith Wright are the platform from which Giles and Carol have leapt into a world of part primal, part funky, part meditative improvised 'song poems' which reflect the diversity of musical experience the pair bring to the project as well as that which they share, primarily as collaborators with Orlando Gough and Richard Chew in London's award winning contemporary choir 'The Shout'.

For reviews of Something Secret please visit my Reviews Page here.

Press Release - Triumphant Sound

Something Secret brings together the supreme vocal artistry of Carol Grimes and the restless instrumental artfulness of Giles Perring. Having first performed together in The Shout, they began doing totally improvised performances in 2001, where they threw poems, noises, laments, rants and rhythms at each other to the constant delight of audiences at tucked away gigs like London's legendary Klinker Club.

Eventually, the pair began to assemble an album of the songs and tone poems that emerged from this live process. The result is music that reflects Grimes' and Perring's shared perspectives on the nature of the blues, but which frequently dives off into explorations of darker, more contemplative, sonic territory.

Anyone who has ever heard Carol Grimes will know that she has one of THE great voices of British music. They will also soon recognise that on this new album the Voice is in the best form ever and, that in collaboration with Giles Perring's evocative and beautifully drawn soundscapes, it's in one of the most adventurous settings ever.

This is a band and an album that will challenge and reward people with big enough ears to listen.

Carol Grimes

Voice & percussion

Giles Perring

Percussion guitar even voice sometimes - was a founder member of sonic sculpture project Echo City in 1983 where he developed a unique approach to percussion playing. In the 90's he released acclaimed albums in the recording project Unmen and developed a reputation as a prime exponent of the electric guitar on the London free and improvised music scene at venues like North London's Klinker.

Giles Perring is a member of pioneering sonic sculpture project Echo City which he founded with Guy Evans of Van der Graaf Generator. At the same time, Giles did a spell in Frank Tovey's Fad Gadget project, before he went on to form the acclaimed 90's recording project Unmen, who, David Quantick once said in NME, could make sound 'so unpleasant and frightening that it should get music banned from the airwaves'. A guitarist, percussionist and singer, Giles Perring became well known on the London free music scene for his playing with One King Poets & Ya Basta [with free music supremo Alan Wilkinson.

He has been the guest percussionist for The Shout since its inception in 1997.

Gigs include

  • Brighton Healing Sounds Festival 2002
  • Malvern 2003
  • Drill Hall London 2003
  • Klinker [the legendary] 2003/4
  • 12 bar club 2003
  • Union Chapel London 2002/2003
  • Albany Empire 2004
  • The Bush Hall, London, 23-Oct-07