Berlin based Kid Simius is back on his home label Jarifa Records, with a deliciously fresh new EP entitled ‘Chicken Mango’. It’s a collection of four upbeat, dance floor-ready jams full of infectious rhythms, warmth, and summer vibes, topped off with a re-rub from the mighty man Gerd Janson.

Kicking off is the very respectable title cut with its rolling disco bassline and hypnotic rhythm that locks you in from the off.

We Like To Party’, features cult Spanish band ‘Hinds’, who take the track off into piano house realms. Carrying a mean bassline, crisp beats, classic piano riff and uplifting vocal chant, its shimmering pads will spark moments of joy on the dancefloor.

Interview with Kid Simius

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is José and I make music, DJ and do live shows under the name of Kid Simius.

Tell us where you’re from and where you are now?

I’m from Granada, Spain but moved to Berlin 11 years ago and where I am currently living.

What are you looking forward to most this summer?

Obviously to play shows again, go to parties and enjoy music and people.

Talk us through your new EP.

My new EP is something between disco, house and Balearic with a bit of Spanish influence. There is a featured track called We Like to Party with a band from Madrid called Hinds, which is a band I really love and admire. On the other side Gerd Janson made a remix of that track, that’s why I could not be happier about the result. I’ve been working a lot on this Ep and now I’m extremely happy that people are able to listen to it.

Do you have a particular production process that you follow?

Not really, in fact when I realize that I have a routine I try to break it, so I don’t get stuck. I always start the tracks in a different way, sometimes it’s a jam on a synth or on the piano or guitar, sometimes it’s a sample or sometimes it’s programming or playing a beat on the drum machine. On the radio show I have here in Germany I recently interviewed Juan Atkins and he told me that a very good way to stay inspired and creative is through new technologies, that is to be always on the lookout for new gadgets or plug ins so you never get bored.

Talk us through track We Like To Party in a little more detail for our premiere?

Well, “We like to Party” is a song I made with the Madrid band Hinds. We met at a festival in Germany called Mayfeld Derbi where we played together. I had been following them for a long time, we became friends, and the idea came up to make this collaboration of which I’m super proud. I also love that the lyrics of the song are written in “Spanglish”. After that, I was lucky that one of my favorite DJs Gerd Janson did a super cool remix of the track.

Who would you love to see playing this music?

Everyone who feels it!  I don’t know.. maybe Gerd Janson too!

Where is the ideal place to listen to it?

Wherever you want!  What’s nice about this EP is that you can listen to it at home and in the club. For me it’s preferable at an open air or festival with good weather, just before the sun goes down. The EP has a very summery and vibe and that’s nice.

What was the last record you bought?

I ordered via Discogs from an Italian Record Shop the one and only record made by legendary DJ Alfredo called Inspiration. The best of it, it came packed in a pizza carton.

If someone wanted to get to know your taste, what album should they listen to?

Primal Scream – Screamadelica

What artists have you got your eyes on at the moment?

I really like what the people and friends in my surrounding area are doing at the moment artist like DJ Döner, Ede, Carlo, Michal Zietara, Lucca Olivotto, David Silver etc

What are thoughts on Spotify positive and negative?

Positive is that everyone is able to have access to an amazing amount of music every time everywhere.

At a time when a large section of the world’s population was downloading music illegally, Spotify managed to find a middle way in which artists could make a kind of profit. When the value of music was completely devalued, Spotify managed to lift it up and came up with a solution that has changed the fate of the worlds music industry. Also, so many artist can release music now.

The way in which Spotify distributes its profits is still very fuzzy and not entirely fair and clear. The system of algorithms used by Spotify is robotising the artists and the way they create, and this scares me a bit. “Do this if you want to get into this playlist, the voice has to get in after X second…”. In the end what they are going to achieve is that all music will be the same and we will value music according to its clicks and playlists.

It happens to me all the time, taking away the romanticism of the art this is still part of the game, and you have to play it if you want to be in it.

That doesn’t detract from how happy I am every time a song of mine makes it onto a playlist or has been played many times. In the end it makes us artists very happy to be able to share our music with as many people as possible.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

Music is not a competition.

What is the best musical advice you’ve ever been given?

That you can do and be whatever you want. That the technique is at the service of the idea and not the other way round. It doesn’t matter how many devices or synths you have, what matters is what you do with it.

In the end, music is a means of expression, and the important thing is to have something to say.So be whoever you want and do whatever you want, in music there is a place for everyone, and that’s beautiful.

What do you have in the pipeline?

Loads of stuff going on right now, after releasing my full Chicken Mango EP on vinyl with a remix made by Gerd Janson in the upcoming months, I’m gonna release a track in a VA on a new vinyl label from Berlin called “Small Great Things”. Also, I have just finished a 4 track EP with Michal Zietara coming out on Loser Records in September, and last but not least, I’m finishing a kind of Balearic Ep with the punk singer Bonaparte which is gonna be amazing and blow your mind. I can’t wait to show you everything!

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about you?

There are no labels, no tags just music. There’s no fakery or pretence, just pure, deep authentic love for music in its many beautiful forms.

-Kid Simius

Artist: Kid Simius feat. HINDS
Title: We Like To Party
Label: Jirafa Records
Release Date: 2021-07-30

Turn it up & enjoy!

DuBeats

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