Secret Cinema is the techno and electronic project of Dutch producer Jeroen Verheij, who also works under names including Meng Syndicate, Grooveyard, Point Blank, Night On Earth, Luminance, Soultrance, Starchild, Special Request, Hectic and FFWD. He begins producing in 1990, and his early releases appear on labels including Hithouse, ARS Productions, Rotterdam Records, Brave New World Records, EC Records, Music Man Records, Listen Twice Records, Miracle Records, CNR Music, Digi White, Avantgarde, Kontor Records, Rejected Music, SC Records and Team Records.

Early work and aliases

Verheij’s first record is Sonar System, released in Belgium on the Hithouse label through ARS, and it becomes an instant rave classic. In 1993 Michel de Hey encourages him to release music on Immaculate Music, leading to a series of tracks under different identities. Among these is Meng Syndicate, the name under which he first breaks through, alongside Grooveyard and Point Blank. Other early releases include Artificial Fantasy and Vol. 2 by Meng Syndicate, My Brain and Surf De Neige by Night On Earth, and Drumming by Hectic.

Secret Cinema

The Secret Cinema alias develops as Verheij’s more polished production outlet. The first release under this name is Timeless Altitude in 1994, followed by tracks such as Straight Forward, Masculinity, Volt!, White Men Can’t Funk, Cartoon Clip, Pure Tek, SC003, Born To Ill, See Myself, Skunk & Espresso, Saccades, Water Gruv Remixes, Triple Funk EP and Rita & Lynn. His 2001 album White Men Can’t Funk is followed by Revenge of a Nerd and Skunk & Espresso.

Collaborations and related projects

Verheij works repeatedly with Michel de Hey, including on Grooveyard releases such as Compound, Let the Music Be Your Guide, Sounds From the Valley (Dance Valley Theme 2002), Music Is My Machine, Another Sweater, I Hate Trends and Just the Two of Us. Other collaborative or associated projects include Grooveyard vs. Michel de Hey, Secret Cinema vs. Private Productions, Secret Cinema vs. Michel de Hey, and the FFWD release Pull Up the Bumper.

Recognition and live activity

Several releases gain strong chart and sales success. Meng’s Theme becomes a hit in 1994, Timeless Altitude sells more than 20,000 copies within six months, and Watch Me Now sells tens of thousands and is licensed to many compilations. Mary Go Wild tops the Dutch and Belgian charts and wins Jeroen Update Awards for Best Dutch Producer and Best Dutch Single in 1997. Masculinity receives two awards in 1998. By the mid-1990s Verheij is playing main-stage sets at festivals such as Mysteryland and Dance Valley, and later headlines major Dutch festivals and events as well as festivals around the world. He also has a closing set on the main stage at Awakenings Festival, an honour previously shared by only a small number of DJs.

Later developments

In 2008, Verheij hosts eleven Secret Cinema Invites events across the Netherlands, including a beach edition in Scheveningen. He also launches the Secret Cinema Sound label, with artists such as Peter Horrevorts and Egbert signed to it, and makes his early work available digitally.

Discography highlights

Secret Cinema’s catalogue extends through much of the 1990s and 2000s, with releases including Sonar System, Timeless Altitude, Straight Forward, Masculinity, Volt!, White Men Can’t Funk, Pure Tek, Another Sweater, Revenge of a Nerd, Born To Ill, See Myself, Skunk & Espresso and Rita & Lynn, alongside multiple remixes and collaborative singles.