Q&A: Kito Is Here To Make You Dance
OVER THE PAST YEAR, it’s been hard to find many reasons to get up and dance like no one’s watching. But there’s no way to sit still when listening to the brand new EP Blossom by Kito. The breakout pop and dance artist brings us her second solo project after producing for other acts for most of her career. As a producer, Kito understands the intricacies that go in to creating successful pop tracks.
Creating Blossom during the pandemic, Kito was able to understand the importance of getting back in touch with nature. Taking walks and inspiration from the natural world, she wanted to bring that fresh energy into these tracks. She likens Blossom to a bouquet of flowers with each track taking a unique form as you listen to the EP from top to bottom.
Kito brings a fresh spin on dance music and creates tracks that bring positive energy to everyone listening. With such a deep knowledge and fascination with music, Kito brings us into her world on Blossom. Get to know more about the process behind Blossom and the incredible collaborations that Kito created to create this beautiful EP below.
LUNA: What do you hope for fans and new listeners to take away from your Blossom EP?
KITO: Experiencing music is unique to everyone so I didn’t have one specific goal in mind but I do hope whatever people take away from it is positive. I hope it makes you feel good!
LUNA: How do you think being a producer affects the process of creating your own music? Do you sometimes have to take off your producer hat to get into your own songwriting headspace or do they all work in tandem with each other?
KITO: I think they definitely work in tandem. Sometimes things just end up feeling more like "me" and then I'll go in with the intention of finishing it for my project.
LUNA: There is a lot of beauty that can come out of collaborating with others. What is it about collaborating that speaks to you as an artist?
KITO: Being in a room with other artists and songwriters is what inspires me to continue to work as a producer. I love going back and forth on ideas with others and just bouncing off each other’s energies, it’s the best thing ever.
LUNA: Blossom has this positive energy that emanates throughout the EP. Were some of your goals for this EP to create something with good energy or did it just happen naturally?
KITO: Believe it was a bit of both! Working on this mostly in lockdown, I wanted to release something that was uplifting and just fun / positive. All the featured artists definitely helped bring that energy to the forefront as well
LUNA: You’ve likened this EP to a “bouquet of flowers” do you take a lot of inspiration from the outdoors and the natural world when creating your own music?
KITO: Definitely! While I was working on the EP, I would take walks in the neighborhood, get some sun to just recharge. As a producer, you’re in a studio for hours on end and I think getting some outdoor time keeps you sane. Having that connection with the natural world is crucial to me when I'm working!
LUNA: What is it that draws you to pop music and who are some of your biggest inspirations over the years?
KITO: I just love good songs! Good songs with fresh / interesting production.
LUNA: Who would be your dream collaborator?
KITO: I have so many on my wish list. I'd love to do something with Amaarae.
LUNA: From Australia, to London to LA it seems like you’ve been chasing music wherever it makes sense to. Has making these moves helped you in your journey as an artist and is there one place that you feel most at home?
KITO: I’ve truly met the best friends / collaborators by moving around. I spent 9 years in London which kind of shaped me as a producer and artist, and then LA has given me the skillset to be a better producer and songwriter. Plus the people I get to collaborate with here are so talented. I actually feel the most at home in LA that I've ever felt which is definitely nice.
LUNA: Is playing live a big part of your identity as a producer and an artist?
KITO: I spent a few years mostly focusing on being in the studio which was really important, but I think now it feels super important to be playing and experiencing my music (and other music) in a live setting. It inspires what I make!
LUNA: If you could only listen to one dance song from your youth for the rest of your life, what would it be?
KITO: Larry Heard – “Can You Feel It”
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