Lustre Live (2011)
Live interactive video for 2012 international tour of Kate Simko
Visual Artist: Jeffrey Weeter
Audio Artist: Kate Simko
*Recorded Live @ Fabric in London - April 16, 2011
Initial Tour Dates: April 2012 Europe; May/June 2012 North America
Kate Simko debuted her innovative A/V live set worldwide in 2011, carving a place in the consciousness of the electronic music movement, and leaving a mark of individuality on dance floors worldwide. A truly interactive experience, the A/V set was designed by intermedia composer Jeffrey Weeter Weeter’s real-time HD video engine evolves in real-time to Kate’s soundtrack for the night. Each performance is a unique live cinematic event; a 60-minute trip that engages the audience and electrifies the room.
The debut live tour spanned Asia, Europe and the Americas and included venues like Fabric, Verboten in NYC, Copenhagen’s Culture Box, Cocoliche (Buenos Aires) and Rex Club in Paris. “We wanted to make my live electronic music set more exciting”, says Kate, of the A/V collaboration. “There’s something engaging about seeing a drummer hit a snare drum, or a vocalist grab a mic and sing. We wanted to try to push my live set in this direction, where people are drawn in by the images dancing to the music, and see me playing keyboards and performing outside the computer as well.”
The performance is more than a live set; it is a live collaborative film based on the music of Kate Simko under the direction of Jeffrey Weeter. Weeter developed custom interactive software that generates striking visuals in concert with Kate’s performance. This cutting-edge experience is composed of original HD video scenes captured around the world, modulating to the rhythms of the dance floor. The journey takes us from a train platform in Chicago to people biking past in Berlin, to the busy crosswalks of Tokyo, to an anonymous packed club, and then might transport us to a plane landing in a giant South American city at night. The visuals drift from everyday moments into abstraction, following the path created by the music.
Precisely designed, the set requires only one laptop, a projector, and a screen. Kate is able to play live keyboards and perform her set while the visuals are created based on the music. “I spent the last couple years on my solo album, and now I wanted to go for a more raw, current project, reflecting the music and sound I'm into now. I decided to bring all of my new tracks right into the live space, right to the clubs. I’m really excited about the state of dance music right now, and want to get my new music out there now as multi-sensory A/V experience, rather than wait to finish all these songs, get them on labels, wait for release dates, etc.”
Collaborating with videographers across the globe, the duo is carefully constructing a new journey showcasing picturesque HD video footage and some of Kate’s most expressive and jackin’ new music to date. The duo will be recording the performance at the Istanbul International Film Festival, on February 18, 2012, encapsulating the transitory experience of the live show. “My best experiences in dance music have been about celebrating the here and now, taking a journey with a DJ”, says Kate. “Our set is meant to carry on this classic spirit and love of underground beats – the power to transport people, and create an alternate reality during the show.”
About Kate Simko & Jeffrey Weeter…
Getting her start stateside alongside Matthew Dear, Ryan Elliott, and the Spectral Sound family, Chicago’s Kate has quietly, yet consistently, established herself as one of the standout artists in the United States. A diverse musician, Kate's projects have ranged from solo piano compositions, to remixing Philip Glass, to composing a feature-length film score, to throwing down jackin DJ sets, and producing melodic house music. Her unique background has led to a distinctive sound that has carved her niche on some of dance music's most respected labels, releasing on Ghostly International, Supplement Facts, and Hello? Repeat.
An accomplished drummer, intermedia artist, and composer, Jeffrey Weeter’s work explores the relationship between media and performance. Weeter has been testing the boundaries of interactive audio, visual, and spatial dimension for the past decade. Originally from Chicago, Weeter now teaches composition in Cork, Ireland.
Initial A/V Tour dates 2012:
Saturday February 18th --- !f Istanbul International Independent Film Festival
Friday April 6th --- Seconde Nature – Aix En Provence
Saturday April 7th --- I-Boat – Bordeaux
Sunday April 8th --- Le Pearl – Lyon
Thursday April 12th --- Rex Club – Paris
Friday April 20th --- Gamma Club - Turin
Friday May 4th --- U-Music Hall - Washington DC
Saturday May 5th --- Smart Bar, Chicago
Friday, May 11th --- W2 Media Centre, Vancouver
Friday, May 18th --- Rioma Club, Mexico City