K – Artists
Biography
Warm, groovy and hypnotic, Kate Simko's music occupies a space between house and techno with a unique voice that sets it apart. Artistically, Simko’s background helped shape her sound into a well-rounded package: she began as a classically trained pianist who found herself at house and techno’s
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Warm, groovy and hypnotic, Kate Simko's music occupies a space between house and techno with a unique voice that sets it apart. Artistically, Simko’s background helped shape her sound into a well-rounded package: she began as a classically trained pianist who found herself at house and techno’s doorstep in Chicago in the mid 90’s. As part of her university degree in music, Simko ventured to Santiago, Chile in 2002. There, her project with Andres Bucci, Detalles, marked her entrance into minimal techno, with the release of their first record on Traum.
With two Detalles albums and several years under her belt, Simko began cultivating her own distinctive sound that has carved her niche in dance music’s avante garde. With releases on labels such as Spectral Sound, Ghostly International, and Eklo, Kate's tracks have been licensed to Circo Loco and Berghain, and supported by respected DJ's across the globe. Her standout A/V live sets at festivals and clubs have steadily built her reputation while her DJ skills earned her a spot in “Chicago’s Top 10 DJ’s” in XLR8R magazine. When DJing, her creative track selection and ability to adjust to the crowd make her a rare performer who can bring both depth and fun to the party. Among the numerous clubs and festivals Kate has played, a few of the highlight sets include Berghain (Berlin), Fabric (London), Rex Club (Paris), the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, MUTEK (Montreal), Eleven (Tokyo), and D-Edge (Sao Paulo).
Now in 2011, the highly respected German label Hello? Repeat presents the Chicago-based producer’s captivating journey of creative emotion with her debut full-length album ‘Lights Out.’ Recorded in Buenos Aires in 2009 and 2010, ‘Lights Out’ allowed Kate to explore new ideas and, most importantly, construct a longer story. A musical expedition of twists and turns, ‘Lights Out’ branches out into vast avenues of diversity. As we meander through the ten track offering, the many colours and shapes of Kate Simko become apparent. The album's wide eyed grooves and eyes closed melodies express a deep well of musical creativity and expert arrangements. Kate blurs the lines of house, techno, minimal, and ambient with ease on ‘Lights Out’ and the album is a dazzling and insightful journey through Kate Simko’s musical mind.
“Not only is Kate Simko a crack producer, continually evolving her unique style of pulsating, nuanced, and sensual house music. She’s also a killer DJ, the type often called a DJs’ DJ, with a wide range and an unfailing knack for finding the hidden thread between disparate tunes.” – Philip Sherburne/ Beatportal
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© 2010