Romanian-born, Toronto-bred Simina Grigoriu has been steadily racking up a plethora of accolades during her esteemed decade-long career. Starting off as a DJ, she quickly made the transition as a producer and kicked off her own label Kuukou; a home for techno forward productions where she calls all the shots. In this time she’s also transplanted to Berlin, a place she now calls home and the major source of her creative inspiration, a source as diverse as her influences.

Simina’s musical roots stem deep in her childhood when she studied classical violin and keyboard. Coupled with her parents’ musical legacy and her passion for hip hop freestyling as a teen, it encapsulates the foundation of her style, an avenue she continues to explore to this day.

Garnering on the exposure of Toronto’s clubs, where growing up, the likes of Jeff Mills, Josh Wink and Juan Atkins struck a chord, Simina’s style grew and developed constantly into the straightforward and uplifting techno she fronts today. Her first productions came to light on the Berlin label Sonat Records in 2010 with the huge Mukluks & Ponytails EP, followed by releases with Phase Insane Records in Spain, Italy’s Intelectro Vibe, Urban Sound and Frequenza Records. A debut album was sure to follow, as Exit Citybecame one of Susumu Records’ highest chart toppers.

After a yearlong break, where she focused her efforts on motherhood while keeping an active studio schedule, Simina christened Kuukou Records in July 2016 with her inaugural EP on the label with Techno Monkey. Shortly after, she doled out Matching Numberson POPOF’s FORM, an immediate hit EP complete with a smashing remix by Julian Jeweil. Since then, Simina has become a mainstay on some of the most notable labels in the techno world, with critically acclaimed, internationally-lauded releases on the likes of ELEVATE, Octopus Recordings, Tronic Music, Set About, Prospect Records and Complexed Records to name just a few.

An active globetrotter, having wowed huge crowds at festivals and nightclubs all over the world, it’s no surprise the techno chief named her label ‘Kuukou’ (Japanese for airport). Since its inception the burgeoning imprint has gone from strength to strength, with a steady stream of hard-hitting releases from the likes of Hito, Torsten Kanzler, Gallya, Fabio Florido, Dusty Kid, BB Deng, Drumcomplex, Alfred Heinrichs, Martin Books and Daniel Boon amongst others.

Fast-forward five years from its inception, and with a forced hiatus in international touring casting a shadow over the majority of 2020 and a large part of 2021, Simina used the time at home as an opportunity to channel her boundless creativity and energy into a hugely exciting new label project. Returning to her inaugural Techno Monkeyrelease from 2016, Simina decided it was time to honour the record with an ambitious remix album featuring some of her all-time favourite producers. Sure enough, exactly five years to the day since the record first did its damage across international airwaves and packed, sweaty warehouses, the Berlin-based artiste released Techno Monkey Remixed Volume 1.– the first of three instalments complete with an eclectic trio of contributions Paul Kalkbrenner, Camea and Hito. With each artist hand-picked by Simina, the nine-track project was to be rolled out over the course of the year, with incredible remixes delivered by the likes of Lilly Palmer, Filterheadz, Wex 10 and more.

One of the most dedicated, hard-working characters in the industry, it comes as no surprise that Simina has a lot in store for her fans over the remainder of 2021 and beyond. Now a mother of two and replete with renewed creative aspiration, the recent global blip certainly isn’t going to dampen her spirits. Optimistic that life is now returning to some degree of normality, it’s safe to say the coming months and years will provide an abundance of amazing releases, performances and surprises from one of Techno’s most dynamic ladies.