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Kito (musician)

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Kito
Birth nameMaaike Kito Lebbing
BornDenmark, Western Australia
GenresElectronic, pop
Occupation(s)Producer, artist, DJ
Years active2008–present
LabelsPayday, Mad Decent, Sony, Ed Banger Records, Astralwerks, Capitol
Websitekitomusic.com

Maaike Kito Lebbing, known professionally as Kito, is an Australian record producer, songwriter and DJ currently based in Los Angeles, California. Between 2011 and 2014, she was a member of the duo Kito & Reija Lee, and in 2012 collaborated with Feadz on Electric Empire. She has released an EP in 2018 called Haani and a number of singles, and has remixed songs for others as well as producing songs. In 2019 she was nominated for the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year (Los Angeles) at the 2020 Global APRA Music Awards.

Biography

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Kito grew up in the small town of Denmark, Western Australia,[1] and first began producing music as a teenager using FruityLoops.[2] At 17, Kito moved to Perth to study fashion, however soon quit and began working at a record store while studying music for a year at TAFE.[1] Kito began working as a DJ at nightclubs in Perth, and in 2006 travelled to Europe for a year, which led her to develop a love of dubstep and inspired her to become a full-time musician.[1]

In 2008, she debuted her first releases through Skream's Disfigured Dubz label.[2] Kito later sent demos of hers which she had created with friend and vocalist Reija Lee to producer Diplo on MySpace, which caused him to sign them to his label Mad Decent as a duo.[2][3] Kito & Reija Lee relocated to London in 2011,[4][3] releasing their debut extended play Sweet Talk in the same year, as well as remixing Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)".[5] Kito collaborated with Feadz in 2012 on the EP Electric Empire,[6][7] and in 2013, rapper Trinidad James sampled the group's song "Run for Cover" for his song "Females Welcomed", which was also later used as a sample for Big Boi, T.I. and Ludacris' song "King Shit".[8] The group released a second EP in 2014, II,[8] however disbanded in 2015. Kito remained in London and worked as a producer, creating songs for musicians such as Mabel, and worked on Jorja Smith's 2018 debut album Lost & Found.[4]

After a break-up in 2017, Kito moved back to her hometown in Western Australia, and recorded her second solo EP, Haani.[9] The EP, released in the following year, featured collaborations with musicians such as Elley Duhé, Broods and Hudson Mohawke.[9] She soon relocated to Los Angeles,[10] and after signing to Astralwerks/EMI Music Australia released "Wild Girl", a collaboration with Empress Of,[11] soon followed by "Alone with You" featuring AlunaGeorge.[12]

In 2019, Kito was nominated for the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year (Los Angeles) at the 2020 Global APRA Music Awards.[13]

In September 2022, Kito released "Sad Girl Music" featuring Banks.[14]

Artistry

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Kito was influenced by her mother's love of Kate Bush as a child, as well as DJ Shadow's Endtroducing..... (1996) and Dr. Octagon's Dr. Octagonecologyst (1996) which were introduced to her by her sister.[15] As a teenager, Kito primarily listened to drum and bass and hip hop,[8] and cites Burial as one of the dubstep musicians who influenced her love of the genre.[1]

Discography

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Extended plays

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Title Details
Kito EP
Electric Empire
(Feadz & Kito)
Haani
  • Released: 19 October 2018[18]
  • Label: Bimyou
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Blossom
  • Released: 5 November 2021[19]
  • Label: Kito, UMG
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

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List of singles, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certiffication Album
US
Dance
[20] 		US
Dance Airplay
[21]
"What If"[22] 2008 — — Non-album singles
"Cold"[22] — —
"Get Faded"
(featuring Tara Carosielli) 		2015 — —
"Ego"[23] 2018 — — Haani
"Strawberries"[24]
(featuring Elley Duhé, Trinidad James and Kodie Shane) 		— —
"Creature Kind"[25]
(with Broods) 		— —
"Wild Girl"[26]
(with Empress Of) 		2019 — 28 Non-album singles
"Alone with You"[27]
(featuring AlunaGeorge) 		2020 — —
"Bitter"[28]
(with Fletcher) 		— — The S(ex) Tapes
"Follow"[30]
(with Zhu and Jeremih) 		20 35 Non-album single
"Recap"[31]
(with VanJess and Channel Tres) 		2021 32 — Blossom
"Steal My Clothes"[32]
(with Bea Miller) 		— —
"Skin & Bones"
(featuring Winona Oak) 		— —
"Locked On You"[33]
(with Broods) 		— —
"Sad Girl Music"
(featuring Banks)[14] 		2022 — — Non-album single
"Take Your Vibes and Go"
(featuring Kah-Lo, Brazy, & Baauer)[34] 		2024 — — BIMYOU
"Back 2 Love"
(featuring Wafia & Nonso Amadi)[35] 		— —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart, or were not released in this territory.

Remixes

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Title Year Other artists Album
"Away with Me (Kito Remix)"[36] SpectraSoul featuring Tamara Bless Away with Me EP
"Who Gon Stop Me (Kito Remix)"[37] Jay-Z and Kanye West —
"Mirror Maru (Feadz & Kito Remix)" 2013 Cashmere Cat Mirror Maru Remixes
"Too Proud (Kito Remix)" 2019 Broods —
"Flowers and Superpowers (Kito Remix)" Wafia
"Navvy Pieces (Kito Remix)"[38] 2020 Navvy
"Venus Fly Trap (Kito Remix) [feat. Tove Lo]"[39] 2021 MARINA

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Alessio, Dom (11 December 2009). "Kito: "Dripping with attitude." Interview by Dom Alessio". Cyclic Defrost. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Joshi, Tara (31 August 2017). "Kito shares her studio secrets". Redbull. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b "KITO: FROM AUSTRALIA TO THE UK AND EVERYWHERE INBETWEEN". Gender Amplified. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Kito". Triple J. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  5. ^ Gordon, Smash (20 October 2011). "Getting To Know You... Kito". Fabric London. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  6. ^ Dickson, Rebecca (9 November 2012). "MAD DECENT AND ED BANGER DJS TO TOUR AUSTRALIA". Mix Mag. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Feadz & Kito - Electric Empire - 12" Vinyl". Earcandymusic. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b c Dowling, Marcus (19 March 2014). "Kito & Reija Lee Talk Their New Single "Starting Line" and Their Mutual Love of Snacks". Complex. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Rising Australian Producer Kito's HAANI EP Out Now". Broadway World. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  10. ^ Helman, Peter (27 September 2019). "Kito & Empress Of – "Wild Girl"". Stereogum. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  11. ^ Davies, Hayden (2019). "This Week's Must-Listen Singles: Kito, Nina Las Vegas x Anna Lunoe + more". Pilerats. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  12. ^ Ju, Shirley (21 May 2020). "KITO & ALUNAGEORGE SHARE "ALONE WITH YOU" OFFICIAL VIDEO". Flaunt. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  13. ^ Wilson, Zanda (12 December 2019). "London performers revealed for first Global APRA Music Awards". The Music Network. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Kito Returns With 'Sad Girl Music' Feat. BANKS". Broadway World. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  15. ^ "INTERVIEW + MINIMIX: KITO & REIJA LEE". Nest HQ. 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  16. ^ "KITO EP". Beatport. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Electric Empire - EP". Apple Music. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  18. ^ "@skopemag News For October 19, 2018 @ 2 pm est". Skopemag. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Blossom by Kito on Apple Music". Apple Music. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  20. ^ "HOT DANCE/ELECTRONIC SONGS". Billboard. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  21. ^ Peak positions for Kito's singles on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart:
  22. ^ a b "What If/Cold". Forced Exposure. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  23. ^ "Ego - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  24. ^ "Strawberries (feat. Elley Duhé, Trinidad James & Kodie Shane) - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  25. ^ "Creature Kind - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  26. ^ "Wild Girl - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  27. ^ "Alone with You (feat. AlunaGeorge) - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  28. ^ Kent, Matthew (15 May 2020). "FLETCHER and Kito share new single "Bitter", as previously heard on The L Word". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  29. ^ "American certifications – Fletcher – Bitter". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  30. ^ "KITO & ZHU SHARE FEEL-GOOD MUSIC VIDEO FOR JEREMIH-ASSISTED SINGLE, 'FOLLOW'". Conscious Electronic. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  31. ^ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  32. ^ Defaria, Cameron (6 August 2021). "Stream Kito and Bea Miller's new single, 'Steal My Clothes'". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  33. ^ "Listen to Broods team up with Kito for new track "Locked On You"". NME Australia. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  34. ^ "Kito – take your vibes and go (feat. Kah-Lo, Brazy, & Baauer)". Acid Stag. 16 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  35. ^ "Kito - back 2 love (feat. Wafia & Nonso Amadi) [Official Visualizer]". YouTube. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  36. ^ "AWAY WITH ME EP". Beatport. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  37. ^ "Christmas Special". BBC. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  38. ^ "NAVVY REVEALS VIDEO FOR 'PIECES' PLUS A KITO REMIX". Around the Sound. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  39. ^ "Tove Lo hops on Kito remix of MARINA's "Venus Fly Trap"". Around the Sound. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
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