is highly regarded internationally for his role in a number of critically acclaimed projects. Beginning with the group Eden in 1988, Bourke has combined his skills as a songwriter, percussionist and studio engineer/programmer, and has successfully collaborated with musicians from varying ends of the musical spectrum.

In 1999 Pieter and Lisa Gerrard, founding member of Dead Can Dance, composed the soundtrack for “The Insider”, a film by American Director, Michael Mann. “The Insider” starred Russell Crowe and Al Pacino and was released to both public and industry acclaim worldwide. It was nominated for 3 Golden Globe awards, including best soundtrack. “Their work was so spectacular that we went from Lisa doing three or four cues to she and Pieter becoming the composers for the picture,” said Mann, who was so pleased he invited the pair to move to Los Angeles and work with him closely on finishing the music for the movie. “It’s been a great, great experience working with them. I listen to their music and I’m transported. Hopefully it does that to you.”

In 2001 Pieter Bourke and Lisa Gerrard wrote the score for Mann’s next movie, “Ali”, which once again received a Golden Globe nomination for best soundtrack.

Pieter and Lisa had been collaborating since 1994 when Gerrard was recording her first solo album, “The Mirror Pool” on which Bourke performed percussion. He then became a touring member of her band for concerts in North America and Europe in 1995. Pieter also played percussion and keyboards for Dead Can Dance on their 1996 “Spiritchaser” world tour, during which the band performed extensively throughout Europe, North and South America. These experiences led to Bourke and Gerrard’s 1998 duet record, “Duality”, an album of luminous, tranquil and moving music created with voice, percussion, keyboards and samplers.

Pieter Bourke has also enjoyed a fruitful partnership with David Thrussell, a Melbourne based musician and DJ best known as the central member of Snog and Black Lung. Initially brought in to co-write some Snog material with David in 1993, the duo began a frenzy of writing that would result in the Snog Albums, “Dear Valued Customer” (1995) and “Buy Me, I’ll change your life” (1997), plus a swag of singles and remixes.

At the same time, Bourke and Thrussell formed the ethno-electronic project Soma, as an outlet for their instrumental work together. On the albums “Hollow Earth” (1994) and “The Inner Cinema” (1996), the pair began fusing their respective musical tastes and styles to create what have been described as milestones of modern sonic sculpture. “We were interested in contrast and the unexpected clash of sounds and rhythms from a very broad palette involved. I’ve always found the clash of organic and electronic sounds appealing.” With astonishing savvy, Bourke and Thrussell combined elements of trip hop, trance rhythms, dub effects and sci-fi spheres, ambient soundscapes and world music elements to create a sound that is full of imaginary force and musical surprises.

“My main instruments are synthesizers and percussion. The first instruments I bought as a teenager where a mono-synth and a drum machine. I remember hearing about synthesizers when I was in primary school, and even then, the idea of a device that could create a multitude of sounds excited me! Once I had some gear of my own, I threw myself into understanding songwriting and music production. I’m also fascinated by different rhythms, and spent many years exploring Middle Eastern, Indian and Reggae drumming.”

Being exposed to a lot of the pre-techno electronic and “ambient” artists from the last twenty years has been instrumental in shaping my aesthetic, as has the sonic experimentation of dub music. And I really got the chance to turn up the dub factor with Secret Masters!”

was born into a God fearing, church going family. He was handed his first guitar at the age of 10, and soon after began lessons with a mate of his fathers. His mother was organist for the local S.D.A church so it was not long before he was doing gigs with his sisters before the main sermon. Fast forward to the mid 80’s to find Donnie joining new reggae band – Young Dub – with three friends. “I was asked to play bass with some guys I had jammed with at school. They had become Rastafarians and were heavily into Jamaican Dub. Stevie Wonder had just released Master Blaster Jammin’ which I thought was a cool track, so I bought an Ibanez bass. They were pumping me full of King Tubby and Scientist and pretty soon I was growing locks and following the new sounds coming from Jamaica.”

Donnie was accepted into Music College to further his bass studies as Young Dub morphed into Sunburnt Sea and went on to win the campus battle of the bands competition. Prior to this he had purchased a Tascam 4 track and begun learning about studio production. "I was amazed at the sound you could get onto a cassette tape with basic fx and mic placement. I recorded all the demos for bands I was in.”

The next project was Aquajezus, starting on bass and later playing guitar. The band played lots of gigs but could not get a record deal. By this time Donnie was tuning into electronic sounds and was compelled to abandon bands and guitars to follow a new direction. Eden were looking for a new bass player and their manager suggested Donnie for the job. Impressed by the musical skills of the main writer, Pieter Bourke, he joined the group on bass and cello. Pieter was writing on an Atari with cubase and Donnie saw the future. “I slaved in a restaurant to save the cash to get my own midi studio setup. Pete and I started to jam as well and realised we both were into Jamaican sounds.”
Armed with a new arsenal of sound possibilities Donnie wrote an album of dub/funk/ drum’n’bass under the name Bensiquatsa which was released in limited numbers.

With a vast and varied record collection, it was not long before friends influenced Donnie to play out under the name General Strike. On Sunday evenings the restaurant was transformed into Uprising, serving Spanish tapas and scorching Dub. During this period Donnie and two friends (Gareth Kershaw and Digital Primate) produced a track under the name Centriphugal for Sydney label – Creative Vibes – called “Lifegiver”, a deep electro dub exploration that proved a hit on radio and was play listed for Qantas International in flight entertainment by JJJ personality, Angela Catterns. The track had some final tweaks at Pieter’s studio. Donnie and Digital Primate went on to start the legendary Melbourne underground club night also called Centriphugal, which lasted 4 years.

A record buying/surf expedition to Jamaica in November 1998 proved a turning point and Donnie realised it was the deeply soulful sounds from this small island that provided true inspiration. “I felt at home as soon as I landed there and a little folk combo was playing a ‘Welcome to Jamaica’ song for new arrivals.” Donnie broke up from a long term relationship soon after his return and decided to return to study in the new millennium by commencing a 2 year Diploma of Audio Visual Technology at RMIT.

It was also around this time that some initial sketches for the future Secret Masters project took place with Pieter. “I spent a few of those sessions bawling my eyes out on the couch and then went in to sample some ideas or lay down some keyboards. It kept me sane and focussed but I had no idea where it would end up. Because we are both producers and musicians we just kept coming up with great ideas and before we knew it we realised we should make an album. And we did, and it’s called The Lost Dub Tapes.”

possesses one of the most passionate and soulful voices in music today. She wants to seduce you with her honeyed tones and powerful sound, and she always does.
Kylie’s musical roots originate in the dusty plains of Western NSW (Australia) where from an early age she began performing country and western, rock and blues with her father in local pubs. In the 90’s, Kylie moved south to Melbourne and soon found herself fronting a succession of funk and soul bands like Mother Funk, Curtis Late and Polyester, the latter touring solidly around Australia.

Kylie formed Heavy Earth in 1997 and their rootsy funk sound garnered them invitations to play at all the major east coast blues and music festivals including the Melbourne Blues Festival in 2003. They also released the self-produced album --- I Do This --- in 1999.

Kylie has lent her spine tingling voice to projects by Renee Geyer, Cordrazine, De genre and Vicka and Linda Bull and Mega Bias --- a pumped up Hip-Hop band fronted by slightly crazed TV personality --- Dylan Lewis.

Which brings us to the Secret Masters project. Kylie heard “Is This Love” by Bob Marley And The Wailers when she was at an international school in India in 1980. “Somebody gave me a tape and I was hooked. It was the first reggae song I had heard and I could not believe how beautiful it was. Working with the Secret Masters has been a musical adventure for me. It’s great to be involved in something that’s different from my norm and I am really pleased with how it sounds.” ?

arrived in Australia from the UK in 1988, as a fully capable reggae drummer, at the ripe old age of 11. This was the same year he joined Melbourne band Lion with his guitar-playing father. Three years later Jericho horns were formed (age 14) with his father on guitar and bass legend Tony Michaels completing the rhythm section. This morphed into Bubble Up with Lincoln Irie (aka Stick Mareebo) on the mic, a horn section and backup singers. They played cutting edge Dancehall Riddims fresh from JA.

At age 16, Damajah formed a new group, again with his dad, called Pulse Radics. Damajah says, “During this period I met my BEST Breddrin-Jahboo- aka Mc Ramblah. We used to hang out in our spare time, play versions and chat some lyrics. Jahboo was my lyrical sparring partner. He said to me,”Hey man you need to get out there and chat on the mic.” I kept thinking I would bring trouble to myself by doing this so I kept my up and coming style of Ragga Dj a secret for two years.” When he turned 18 Damajah began to hang out at all sorts of clubs (with Jahboo for backup –just in case) for the opportunity to chat the mic. “I found that some people really liked what I was doing which inspired me to keep going.”

Two years later Damajah discovered the Deep Licks Crews’ Saturday afternoon Reggae sessions at Revolver nightclub and became a regular on the mic running improvised lyrics over the Dj’s vinyl versions. It was here that Donnie Dub (then known as General Strike and a regular seleckta for Deep Licks) met Damajah and heard the skills that would lead to the sessions which produced his three killa tracks on the Secret Masters debut album- The Lost Dub Tapes.