Secret Name was recorded at Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago in November 1998 with Steve Albini. It marks a continuation of both strands Low worked with on the Songs For A Dead Pilot EP; moving from brittle drones to chamber pieces augmented by a string quartet. Low remain tied to the simple grace of the voices of Alan Spearhawk and Mimi Parker while expanding and varying instrumentation and song structure. Perhaps it is best to describe Low's approach as "essentialism" -- allowing each musical gesture to make maximum impact on the listener.