Mirko Loko

Mirko was born in 1979 in Lausanne and has had an appetite for good music for as long as he can remember – even taking the name Loko because a record that was released in 1995 on the Chicago-based Relief Records inspired him. He first started DJing in the clubs of Lausanne in the late 90s and was soon snapped up by Couleur3 (Swiss national radio), who recruited Mirko as a DJ and programme planner between 1997 and 2002. During this time Mirko continued DJing nationally but also started playing out internationally. These gigs included Rex in Paris, Cielo in New York and even the 2001 Detroit Electronic Music Festival, where he was invited to perform by techno innovator Carl Craig. In 2003, Mirko moved from Switzerland to New York and accepted a residency at Christian Smith’s techno party Tronic Treatment, which at the time was racking up such headliners as Richie Hawtin and Matthew Dear. All these experiences set the scene for what was to come and in the following year Mirko returned home to become artistic programmer at Loft Club in Lausanne.

In 2005 Mirko met fellow Swiss Raphaël Ripperton and formed a production unit that would impact heavily on the scene over the next few years. Fat Lazy People’s debut, ‘Big City’, was released in 2006 on James Holden's label Border Community, immediately propelling the guys into the spotlight. From there tracks followed on other influential labels, including Mathew Jonson’s Wagon Repair and Carl Craig’s Planet E. Of course, there were remixes too, like their reworking of Daniel Bell’s classic ‘Science Fiction’ for Perc Trax and Oliver Lieb’s ‘Isotropy’, which later featured on a James Zabiela compilation for DJ magazine. Plus the never to forget C2 remix, which Carl Craig created, of Fat Lazy People’s Planet E release, ‘Pixelgirl’. However, at the height of their success, in 2007, the duo decided to split to pursue solo projects… So Mirko moved on, remixing for Tania Vulcano and Tato’s IsGud label as well as Alexkid’s Imprimé Records. Between 2007 and 2009, he was also committed to his role as assistant programmer for the electronic side of Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Nevertheless, something different was brewing: the ‘Mousa Big Band’ track, a collaboration with Luciano that was included on their Family EP and released on Loco Dice’s Desolat label, alongside Mirko’s own productions ‘Liah’ and ‘Serena’. In fact, so impressed was the Dice man that he played both ‘Mousa Big Band’ and ‘Liah’ during his 2008 Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1.

2009 is shaping up to be a key year for Mirko. He’s already played the mighty Miami Space terrace for a Viva vs Cadenza party during WMC and forthcoming festival dates mean that he will be criss-crossing the globe to perform at, among others, Monegros in Spain, Lowlands in the Netherlands, Summer Sonic in Japan, Creamfields in the UK and Sonofilia in Mexico. These dates notably mark the beginning of a new venture with Cadenza boss Luciano, as Mirko joins a live colour coordinated ‘visual music’ collective called Æther that premieres this summer. What is more, after enchanting the golden ears of dons Ricardo Villalobos and Luciano, he has just released his debut solo album – Seventynine – on Cadenza. This is as much a tribute to his inspirations as it is a testament to Mirko’s talent and kindred musical spirit. A spirit that is now as warmly welcomed by the Cadenza family as it is around the world!