Renowned party brand Fervor makes it’s London return on March 3rd welcoming the one and only Kate Simko to cool surrounds of Shoreditch’s Basing House as well as a live performance from Remi Mazet and longstanding residents Mark Storie and Johnny Mikes. The party which has welcomed established luminaries like Adam Beyer, Gaiser, Oliver Huntemann and Sebastian Mullaert over the years has a vibrant reputation for parties filled with warmth, emotion and enthusiasm. In advance of what looks set to be a stellar return, we caught up with Kate Simko herself to get the full picture.

What can we expect to hear from your own productions in the next coming months?

I’m back in the studio focusing on solo productions and it feels good!   The studio I’m sharing has some great analog synths and drum machines, which I’ve combined with a few of my own, so yeah really enjoying starting the year making new tunes. First out this year is an EP on Leftroom, which features NYC vocalist Amunet Shah and a remix by Huxley and Matt Tolfrey. Alongside that I’m scoring my first Hollywood indie feature, and we’re hoping to release the soundtrack. Then a lot more house music from me this year 🙂

You recently performed a live Orchestral performance with Jamie Jones, which was the first orchestral – electronic performance of it’s kind in Latin America. Can you tell us how it went on the night and how the idea all came together? 

It went great! We collaborated with a 45-piece orchestra, created a completely new live set of Jamie’s music, and performed a couple of our collaborations and my tracks too. I orchestrated Jamie’s music, really trying to integrate the classical instruments alongside the melodic electronics, rather than have two totally different sound worlds. The result is the tracks come to life in a new way, rather than just orchestral covers. It was a great experience and I hope we can do it again. The way it came about is the Colombia-based promoter contacted me to orchestrate a show alongside a big name in dance music. I suggested Jamie because we’ve collaborated before and I thought his music would work well. 

When on the road, what do you always carry with yourself? Or what can’t you do without? (An item)

Hand sanitizer. If you’re rushing onto a plane and served finger food (why do they do that?!) it’s a life saver.

When you signed your first ever record, did you ever think you’d be where you are today with releasing on some of the most respected labels in the scene like LNOE, No. 19, Get Physical, Leftroom, Supplement Facts ? 

Not at all. The turning point for me was getting signed to Ghostly/Spectral Sound. That label was really pushing a new underground techno/house sound at the time, and was really up there alongside Minus. We had a great crew of new American talent- Matthew Dear, Ryan Elliott, Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson, Lee Curtiss, Benoit & Sergio, etc. Those guys are my techno family and their energy, support, and perseverance definitely kept me going.

Any plans for Ibiza or other sun soaked destinations in general this summer?

I’ll definitely be back in Ibiza this summer, and touring my band London Electronic Orchestra.

You have a classical music background, and it would seem your favorite instrument to play is Piano. Do you enjoy playing any other instruments?

Piano is my instrument, but I compose for all the instruments in the orchestra. To be honest, I’d never be able to catch up with the musicianship of the players I work with, so I get my enjoyment writing for them and then hearing it played!

You were named by XLR8R Magazine as one of the Top 10 Dj’s in your home city of Chicago, which is a great accolade to have… It must have been fantastic to grow up in Chi town with it’s legacy as the city where ‘House Music’ originated from. What was it like growing up in the city when you were younger and did you ever expect / dream to be voted one of Top Dj’s in Chicago?

Growing up in Chicago in the 90’s was amazing. The hip-hop scene (Common and Kanye etc), post-rock scene with Thrill Jockey, and then of course Chicago house was incredible. Small bar and clubs were seeping with forward-thinking trailblazing music. When I first started DJing on the radio (in college in the early 2000’s) I never had aspirations of DJing in clubs. People started asking me to play bars and parties and I needed cash to support my new vinyl addiction, so that’s how things started.   I had a residency at Danny’s, where I’d do 4-hour vinyl-only sets on Saturday nights. From there I launched my own night and started touring internationally.

What’s your favorite thing about now living & residing in London?

I adore this city. Moving to London was daunting, with so many incredibly talented DJs and producers, many who have been building here for years. When I got here in 2012 I moved into Seth Troxler’s place temporarily, and felt like the scene took me in as part of the family straight away. And then a couple months later I started a masters course in Composition for Screen at the Royal College of Music, and then basically made a second music family. London is my favorite city in the world, and hands down the best city for music. This is my new home and I’m dedicated to being a part of a musical movement here in the upcoming years.

Kate Simko plays Fervor at Basing House on March 3rd.

Tickets are available now on Resident Advisor: Kate Simko at Fervor