Secret Sounds started out as trio in 1981 when singer/ guitarist/ songwriter Wilmer Wolf and bassplayer Chip Visser found drummer Toni Peroni. They soon became one of Holland’s most promising new wave bands of the early eighties building themselves a solid reputation playing all over the country. Secret Sounds released a debut mini-album Excusez Moi in 1982 on their own Guilty Records label showcasing their brand of upbeat popsongs blended with reggae, motown and funk grooves. For their first full album Wasteland they added keyboards to the production and Gert van Veen (who later became the driving force of Quazar, the first dutch House pioneers) joined forces on synthesizers. When Toni left the band to join Het Goede Doel and van Veen went to pursue his own career, Secret Sounds had to re-invent themselves. Flamboyant new dummer Jean Monsou gave them a new impulse and the music gradually became darker and deeper. In their final year Angeline Bonnet was added to the line-up as extra singer. The single Promises released by CBS in 1986 was their most succefull in terms of radio play, but failed to score. Although Secret Sounds live reputation always remained solid , the lack of commercial succes finally broke up the band in 1987.
They remained an inspiration to many new dutch groups in the 80’s as one of the first dutch new wave/ do-it-yourself bands, the first pop band in the Netherlands to experiment with dubs and remixes on 12" records. Members of the band spread out to groups like Time Bandits, Moonflower, The Secret Combination and Roccoman. Wilmer Wolf became a succesfull producer and engineer in recent years.
