On RRR, Suddenly Last Summer — Deb Demure, founder of LA-based dark wave project Drab Majesty, in conversation with Simona Castricum ahead of their show at Howler in February. Deb and Simona discuss the romanticisation of LA in relation to the Drab Majesty mythology, and their latest album, Modern Mirror. Deb laments the technological revolution of the ’80s, the beauty of simplistic forms, and mutual fascination of panopticons, New Order's 'Technique' and much more. Settle in for a profound and illuminating chat!

Simona in conversation with Deb Debmure from Drab Majesty on 3RRR

Simona Castricum drops her fabulous bongo driven jack into her love of underground Chicago house music, with nods to her 90s backroom DF heroes DJ Sneak, Derrick Carter, Doc Martin, Cajmere, Trevor Rockcliffe and co.

Mix Dec-2015

Simona Castricum
Recorded Live at Strawberry Fields, Deep Jungle Stage. November 17 2024. Tocumwal, Yorta Yorta AU

Tracklist—
Push (G's Nasty Dub) - G Flame
Music Sounds Better With You (DJ Sneak 32 On Red) - Stardust
The Stalker (Laidback Luke Mix) - Green Velvet
Eyes Wide Open - Radio Slave
A Sound Called House - Trevor Rockcliffe
In My Soul - Onionz & Tony
Gotta Have You - Peace Division
People (Alternate Mix) - Derrick Carter
Takes U There - Puente Latino
Silky - Rok
Release - H Foundation
Just Me And You - Drum Hustler
All Up In Your Speakers - Da Ambassadors Of Pain
You Can't Hide From Your Bud - DJ Sneak
If You Wanna Help Me Jesus - The Innocent
My Beat (Derrick Carter's Disco Circus Mix) - Blaze (ft Palmer Brown)
Love Story - Andrew McLauchlan
Burning Up (Queen St. Orchestra Vocal Mix) - Cevin Fisher (ft. Loleatta Holloway)

Simona Castricum [DJ] @Strawberry Fields, 2024

Written, produced and mixed by Simona Castricum

0:00 / Running Up That Putin
2:55 / Still (Dub)
9:03 / The Drop (SK Mix)*
10:24 / The Finest
12:44 / Takes You Here There
15:16 / Sand 2
18:30 / Brunswick House
20:53 / Der Schok
27:00 / Anstey Crimewave
29:35 / Manners Maketh The Man (Dub)
34:16 / Pills (Now Im Sick)**
39:04 / Black Leather Gloves (SK Mix)***

*Sample taken from 'The Drop' by The Haxan Cloak
** Sample taken from 'Coast Is Clear' by Curve
***'Black Leather Gloves' by Cosmetics 

Trouble In Utopia

Mix Aug-2017

Triple J Mix Up: Simona
Aired on Sat 24 Feb 2018

Carlos Perron - Breakin’ In
Altieri - Spazio Terra (Fabrizio Mammarella Remix)
Mamacita - Luz (Aerea Negrot Remix)
Bottin - Acid Disco (No Fear)
Da Posse - In the Heat Of The Night (The Black Madonna It's Called Acid Mix)
Lewis Boardman - Work On Me
SIMONA - Triumph (Dub)
Wolfram ft. Haddaway - Thing Called Love (Legowelt Remix)
John Farnham - Age of Reason (SIMONA’s Edit)
Hard Corps - Je Suis Passee (Dub)
Vince Watson - Speaker Freaker
Simona Castricum - Still

Triple J Mix Up: Simona

Simona Castricum’s new single ‘The Half Light’ is out digitally April 12. 'The Half Light' is an instantly relatable pop song about human disconnection, accompanied by a dreamy cover of The Motels’ classic 'Suddenly Last Summer’. The first release from Simona's forthcoming album, due in July 2019 enlists the production of James Cecil and Evelyn Ida Morris.

Suddenly Last Summer

The Half Light

Supertouch (ft m8riarchy)

Simona Castricum is a musician, producer and broadcaster from Narrm, Melbourne. Emerging from Narrm’s underground rave and club scene in the late ’90s, Simona is a former club DJ across three decades. She’s played festivals Strawberry Fields, Pitch renegades and Gaytimes, to clubs Confide, Miscellania, Fantastic, Hugs&Kisses, Pleasure Planet, Bunker, Death Disco, Trough, Abode, Meccanoid, and Q&A.

In 2009, Simona launched The Shock of the New—a trans club space dedicated to electronic music. She has helped to establish queer and trans musical communities in Narrm, playing techno, house, electro and new beat across the eras.

As a broadcaster on commmunity radio 3RRR, Simona champions intergenerational, genre-bending underground and queer music for drive-time.

Signing to Dinosaur City Records in 2023, Simona collaborates to release music independently through her studio, Trans-Brunswick Express.

As a duo with drummer Anetta Nevin (Dianas, Cars That Ate Paris), Simona drives guitar over synths and drum machines. She’s played Golden Plains, Dark Mofo, VIVID, Sydney World Pride, and Melbourne Music Week, supporting Peaches, Drab Majesty, Lydia Lunch, and !!!. Her music has been remixed by Aérea Negrot, Chiara Kickdrum, and Various Asses, while she has remixed for Courtney Barnett, Cong Josie, Pillow Pro, and Hyrda Fashion Week.

Simona has received multiple Music Victoria Award nominations for Best Solo Artist. Her Panic/Desire and SINK albums were long-listed for the Australian Music Prize. SINK also earned a 2024 AIR Award nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Release.

Holding a PhD from the University of Melbourne, Simona was awarded the Chancellor’s Prize and John Grice Award for her thesis ‘What If Safety Becomes Permanent: Architecture & Music as a Site of Transing’. Her research explores world building, trans spatial production, and queer urban morphologies.

Simona Castricum

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