KATE


SIMKO TOP THREE CLUBS


01.SMART BAR CHICAGO, IL, USA “Smart Bar is where I was inspired by the likes of house residents DJ Heather and Derrick Carter, along with techno legends like Jeff Mills, Marco Carola, Carl Craig... This past year the club made me a resident, which I’m still buzzing about!”


02. FABRIC LONDON, ENGLAND “The best club in the world in my book. They run such a tight ship there – the sound is incredible, their music curation is top notch, and the staff is the coolest. It’s like a home away from home at the club, a highlight of my year each time I set foot behind the decks.”


03. COCOLICHE BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA “I’ve been playing at Cocoliche since around 2006 once per year. It’s a dark basement club, very different from the more fancy clubs in the city. People come to dance, and it’s always a good time.”


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THEbirthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is the home of high culture and tradition, having given us the multi-disciplined genius of Leonardo Di Vinci, Michelangelo’s iconic statue David and Gucci, the chosen garb of ‘90s garage ravers. So not, perhaps, the kind of place you’d expect to find one of the world’s finest clubs. Having been hosting its Saturday night party ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ for over a decade, though, Tenax well deserves its position in the hearts of those who’ve taken their place behind the decks and on stage, a list that stretches from Carl Craig and Cassy to Daft Punk, David Mancuso and Human League since the venue opened in 1981. Fuelled no doubt by the double espressos of the country’s cafe culture, Tenax prizes itself on being as dedicated to quality music as its past bookings attest. If you’re wondering how this all fits into the highbrow history of the city, then bear in mind that it’s also hosted theatre, visual arts and poetry, making it quite the all-round venue.


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CASTLE CLUB, AIYA NAPA, CYPRUS


CAPACITY: 3000 thecastleclub.com


10


OPENEDin 1988, owner Tasos Kritikos originally lived in Castle Club. But 24 years later, there’s no room for white goods, as it’s grown into Aiya Napa’s largest club, boasting 14 bars and nine resident DJs across its three rooms of music. This being a well-known party destination for young kids making their first pilgrimage abroad, there’s a wide range of tastes catered for. The Urban Fusion room lays down r&b, dancehall, ragga and even funky, while the Nu Disco room is built around party classics rather than obscure Revenge re-edits. It’s Revolution, however, with its suspended cages for dressed-to-sweat dancers, that’s the largest pull, pumping out trance, house and progressive all summer long. And if you fancy getting in on the DJ action whilst soaking up a bit of the island’s enviable sun, Castle Club also runs a DJ academy dedicated to helping even the most inexperienced novice.


TENAX FLORENCE, ITALY


CAPACITY: 800 tenax.org


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BRAZILis one of the BRIC nations (along with Russia, India and China) designated as having growth economies. And in line with its quickly developing economy, its club culture, too, is becoming an ever more important presence on the global stage. Anzu is one of an increasing number of clubs in the Portuguese-speaking South American country that are beckoning in home-grown electronic music fans, not to mention the world’s best DJs. Anzu’s music policy is big, brash and opulent, matching the club’s décor, with big room trouse ‘n’ electro types like Mason, Steve Angello and Dirty South, alongside techno masters like Luciano and John Acquaviva pushing the soundsystem to overdrive. “Anzu Club is an incredible experience, it has an amazing soundsystem and beautiful people,” says Gui Boratto. “It’s really nice to play in a place built for people that love good music. I’ve played many times there and I feel very welcome to return. I’ll come back asap!”


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GUVERNMENT TORONTO, CANADA


CAPACITY: 4000 theguvernment.com


09 www.djmag.com


TORONTOmay have its fair share of prescient party spots, including Footwork, a taste-making 250-capacity nook for cool cats, and spawned top-notch techno imprints such as No.19 and My Favorite Robot — heck, even DJ Sneak now calls the place home — but when you crave something a little more spectacular, Guvernment is the club you need. Pick your night carefully, however. Turn up on the wrong night, you could find yourself queuing round the block for Kasabian, but choose correctly — namely their annual birthday celebrations or bank holiday rinse-outs — and the likelihood is you’ll find only the colossi of modern-day danceland manning the gargantuan main room of this 10000-capacity entertainment multiplex (Guvernment itself is only a part of this sprawling hub). Sander Van Doorn, Arty, EDX, Sebastian Ingrosso and Alesso are pegged for April, so you get the idea.


PAPAYA PAG, CROATIA


CAPACITY: 4500 papaya.com.hr


02


CROATIA may have become the location of choice for UK promoters touting holidays with party benefits, but its home-grown clubs can struggle to attract punters. Papaya, however, is slowly changing that. Not only is this epic triple-stage rave resort beside the beach acquired annually by The Warehouse Project for its soiree Hideout Festival, every summer it aims for the jugular of club success by helicoptering in only the giants of modern dance music. Armin, Van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Swedish House Mafia, Markus Schulz and Tiësto are a handful making up an all-star cast responsible for encouraging over 300,000 revellers from all over the world to shake it down at the 10-year-old venue.


ANZU CLUB ITU, SÁO PAULO, BRAZIL


CAPACITY: 3000 anzuclub.com


RE- ENTRY


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