Trade Secrets – Before We Vanish (CD Album – Distortion Productions)
Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, dance-pop, lounge-pop.
Background/Info: Set up in 2017 in Los Angeles (USA) by F.J. DeSanto, Trade Secrets became a so-called ‘future-synth’ collective featuring several members. After a previously released EP, “Before We Vansih” is the collective’s debut full length.
Content: The album reveals 9 songs, which are constantly supported with a poppy touch, but clearly mixing different influences with each other. Sometimes groovy and dance-like (cf. “Broken Instincts”, “Your Heaven”), I also noticed some sweet 80s reminiscences reminding me Spandau Ballet (“Games”), but also a more club-orientated passage (cf. “Wish For The Rest”).
+ + + : “Before We Vanish” has something atypical, which in a way makes the originality of the work but also the challenge. “Broken Instincts” perfectly symbolizes this approach by a mix of groovy elements and something lounge-minded. There also is a more sensual touch coming through at “Ultra Devil” while my personal favorite is the dancefloor friendly “Wish For The Rest”.
– – – : I can’t get away from the feeling there also is certain ‘commercial’ approach hanging over the songs. Trade Secrets might appeal for a wider audience, which is fine for me, but I prefer a darker and more underground-inspired production.
Conclusion: “Before We Vanish” sounds as a sweet lounge’n’pop production for the Summer.
Best songs: “Wish For The Rest”, “Broken Instincts”.
Rate: (6).
Artist: www.facebook.com/Trade–Secrets-256437681172862
Label: www.distortionprod.com / www.facebook.com/distortionproductions
About Trade Secrets
Trade Secrets is a Los Angeles-based “future-synth” collective founded by machine-rock veteran F.J. DeSanto (Hypefactor, the aggression) together with longtime musical partners Mike “Ash” Venezia (Baye, 4th Level) and multi-instrumentalist Charles LaBarbara, later joined by Peter Riley and John Kunkel. “Before We Vanish” was the group’s debut full length, following an earlier EP. Trade Secrets returned on Distortion Productions in 2024 with “Escaping History,” which F.J. DeSanto described as reflecting the growth the band had been through since its album “These Other Lives.”
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
