‘Dropping BASS like an Earthquake!’ – Up close with the ‘Goddess’ of Hardcore, Miss K8

Crowned with the title ‘the Goddess of Hardcore,’ Kateryna Kremko, or better known as Ukrainian trailblazer Miss K8 has experienced an outstanding 2016 filled with international tours, mainstage bookings and of course, the release of her incredible album “Magnet.” Not to mention, K8 yet again made a name for herself amongst the broader public when she was voted into the DJ Mag Top 100 for the second year in a row!

Seeing as she’s the ultimate ‘female fighter,’ to round up this week devoted to the lovely ladies of Hard Dance music, we caught up with Miss K8 to speak about her achievements, her album tour and much more!

– Hi K8! Thanks for this interview and welcome to Alive At Night. First of all, let me start by saying congratulations for making it into the DJ Mag Top 100 for the second year in a row! Tell me, how did you first react when you heard the news?
Hey Cassi! Thanks a lot! I was obviously really happy, especially to see that I went up six positions this year. Let’s see what next year will bring!

– You are one of the few Hard Dance artists voted into the DJ Mag Top 100; what is your opinion Hard Dance’s ‘lacking’ presence in this poll?
It would be nice if Hard Dance music could be represented by more artists in this poll, but somehow it has gone down in the past few years. Maybe people don’t see the importance of it. For an underground music style like Hardcore, a spotlight like this is good in my opinion. I think it’s cool that through this, many new people around the world become familiar with this type of music and might even start enjoying it.

– You are also one of the two female artists voted in to the Top 100; do you have anything to say about the lack of female artists included in this list?
I don’t really focus on the male to female balance in the list. But in general, the DJ world exists of many more guys than girls. That’s a fact, so it makes sense that there’s less girls in the list.

– Generally, do you feel as though female DJ’s and producers are treated differently to males? Have you ever experienced this inequality yourself?
I think that every female DJ can confirm that they have been treated differently one way or another, but to be honest, I’m quite tired of the subject. Female or not female, it doesn’t matter – you must prove yourself no matter what gender you are. It’s just as difficult for guys as it is for girls to achieve success.

People like to talk and say that it’s so easy for girls because they have their looks or that a flirt goes a long way. I’ve been in the Hard Dance scene for more than 10 years now; I didn’t just walk in and started playing mainstages. From my first event as a promoter in Ukraine to my very first DJ set, my first European performance to my first release on Masters of Hardcore. All of these things took a lot of dedication and persistence.

– Do you have any words of wisdom for young women hoping to pursue a career in music?
Follow your dreams and your passion. Don’t be jealous of others, but instead focus on yourself and work hard to reach your own success. If you love what you’re doing and set your goals then you will reach them. From the beginning I was passionate about music and I am living proof that your dreams can come true.

– 2016 has been an incredible year for your career and one of your biggest highlights was the release of your album “Magnet.” How does it feel to know that even months after its release this album is still widely appreciated?
It feels awesome! The album received such a huge response and has been supported by many artists across different styles. Also, my Masters of Hardcore anthem “Raiders of Rampage” was greatly received… All in all, this year was just crazy!

– One of my all-time favourites from the album is your collaboration with Angerfist, “Bogotá.” Can you tell me what’s behind this track and its epic atmosphere?
This city impressed Angerfist and I so much that we decided to devote a track to the people, of not only Bogotá, but all of Colombia. When Angerfist visited this city for the first time, I heard that the energy and atmosphere was something special. When I had the opportunity to play there myself, I fell totally in love with Bogotá. What an amazing crowd! The club was exploding and the people were screaming louder than the music. I had only one wish, which was to not stop and keep playing for them, but as always, when you’re enjoying something so much time flies and your set comes to an end.

The next day my manager and I were exploring the city and we were absolutely amazed. What impressed us the most was the Monserrate Mountain; standing on top of it and having an incredible view of the entire city is just so breath-taking! The Colombian people are so kind, so friendly and their hospitality makes you feel as though you’re at home.

A special thanks to Luis Vargas and his team for giving us all of these amazing memories.

– Your music is of an incredible quality and you manage to create banging tracks with huge atmospheres and incredible melodies! What’s your choice to pursue this accessible and catchy style of Hardcore as opposed to creating something faster?
Well, actually my music is quite diverse. I have tracks which are more melodic but at the same time I like to create tracks that are a little harsher and darker. Same goes with my DJ sets; I can start with one style, smoothly add another wave and then take you into total destruction by the end. I like all kinds of Hardcore and I like to build up my sets with these different sounds.

– You also embarked on an album tour that ran through several countries around the globe! Can you share any special memories from the tour?
Yes, at the moment the “Magnet World Tour” is in full force! I decided to start the album tour in my home country, Ukraine; I love the crowd so much because they truly appreciate the music and it’s always a pleasure to perform in my homeland. The next country was France; we recently did a show over there and the club was on fire!

In a few weeks we’re doing a show in Glasgow, Scotland and I’m really looking forward to this one as the Scottish crowd are one of my favourites. In January, I’m heading to the one and only Santiago, where I’ll be doing an album showcase set. I can’t wait to see the Chilean crowd again; it’s been a while since I last performed there, and it will definitely be a personal highlight to play “Santiago” for the first time in front of a crowd the track was dedicated to.

– Touring calls for a lot of flying, and flying calls for jet-lag! How did you combat this?
When I travel around Europe it’s not really a problem; everything is relatively close and besides the regular travel tiredness it’s fine. However, when I go to Australia or Asia, it comes with an intense jet-lag. Usually when I travel to America it’s not too much of a problem though. What helps me fight the jet-lag is a day or two off; I’ll enjoy a nice cocktail now and then, some good food and a boring movie to catch those naps, which are worth gold when you’re feeling jet-lagged.

– This year you performed at Tomorrowland on the Footworxx stage; what are your thoughts on the addition of Hardcore to such a huge, commercial festival? And what was the crowd like there?
I think it’s awesome that our style is represented at these types of big festivals and the crowd at our stage was great. It’s a commercial event, but the people in front of me were definitely not. I played hard and I could see that they knew what was up. The energy was great and the tent was exploding! It seems to me that next year they should expand the Hardcore stage, hehe.

– You always look incredible during your performances and really make an effort to put together amazing outfits! What are your favourite brands of clothing/stores to shop in?
Thank you for your compliment. Sometimes my outfits are custom made and other items are found around the world. Often it’s hard to find pieces that I like, that are different and special. I’m a big fan of high-end brands like Dior, Philipp Plein, Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton or Giuseppe Zanotti, however I can also find a cute dress in Mango and Zara or a pair of a cool pants in G-Star RAW and be really happy with it too! It’s usually all about the mood I’m in.

– You are quite in touch with your fans via social media. For you, what’s the importance of doing this?
I think that it’s very important to stay in touch with my fans. My fans are the reason I’m on the stage; without their support I have no reason to be there. I love to see the crowd going crazy when I’m playing because the feeling is priceless! Sometimes it’s difficult to answer all of my messages, but I try my best. I don’t particularly have any special hours that I set aside for social media, I just share posts when I feel like it.

– What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt from working within the music industry?
I learnt how to feel the energy of crowd. For me, this is one of the most important things that a DJ should be able to do. I can somewhat direct the crowd’s atmosphere with the music that I play; when you feel that the vibe is going down a bit, you have that special track ready to make everybody go mental again!

I’m inspired by my supporters and am very thankful for their loyalty. Also, I learnt how to focus more on the positive things and I try to not mind the haters as much anymore. Finally, I learned that the more successful you are, the more jealousy will surround you – it’s impossible to be liked by everyone.

When you moved from Ukraine to The Netherlands, were your family and friends supportive to your career ventures?
My family has always supported me; especially when they saw that my DJ career was moving in a serious direction and I relocated to The Netherlands two years ago. In the beginning, they thought that it was just a hobby, but then they came to understand that it was growing and I was ready to dedicate my life to the music. Hardcore as a style is way too hard for them of course, but they are always following my latest updates, photos and are curious to see the videos from festivals. Maybe one day they can watch me perform live!

– And the question on all of our lips is: what’s Miss K8 currently working in the studio?!
At the moment I’m setting up a new studio, which is almost finished! Aside from that, I have a few collaborations planned, as well as some ideas for solo tracks. 2017 will be full of new music!

– Finally K8, what did you eat for breakfast today?
Black tea with fresh mint and lemon as well as 2 nicely buttered croissants

(P.S. don’t tell my trainer, hahaha).

Thanks a lot for this interview K8! I hope to catch you at one of your gigs sometime soon! Best of luck with the remainder of 2016 🙂

Thank you! Was a pleasure to talk with you.