Originally from Vancouver, Darcy James Argue spent some time on the Montréal jazz scene, before winding up in Brooklyn in 2003. After studies in Boston under the guidance of renowned producer and arranger Bob Brookmeyer, he formed Secret Society, a big band specializing in avant-garde jazz and post-rock. Notable among the 18 musicians belonging to this ensemble are soloists Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Erika von Kleist (saxophone) and Ryan Keberle (trombone). The band's first album, Infernal Machines, was released in 2009. In early 2011, during a New York concert, Secret Society performed a work by Montreal composer Nicole Lisée, while Darcy James Argue unveiled the first compositions from a musical cycle he's creating for the Newspeak ensemble.