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<\/a><\/p>\nHailing from Perth in Australia, and now residing in South London, Kito & Reija Lee are a musical duo with many achievements under their girl power belt.<\/p>\n
Beginning their careers as solo artists, the girls saw success originally releasing music via Skream\u2019s Disfigured Dubz, and Diplo\u2019s Mad Decent, with whom they are still closely affiliated with today. The pair came from different musical backgrounds; however, they found a mutual love in electronic music, with Reija Lee bringing herself away from years of singing in rock and metal bands, and Kito adding a vocalist to a steadily rising solo career.\u00a0 As a pair, Kito and Reija Lee are unique, releasing music that speaks volumes in creative license; standing out from the crowd.<\/p>\n
With influences ranging far and wide from Kate Bush, M83 and Drake to Ed Rush & Optical and J Dilla, the girl\u2019s catalogue of sound is extensive. Using their varying backgrounds they have been creating phenomenal music that has taken the online world by storm.<\/p>\n
When did you guys start to make music as a duo?<\/strong><\/p>\n Kito: The first track we worked on together was LFO which was released on my debut EP on Skream’s label disfigured dubz in 2009. It was a very organic thing! We’d known each other since our early teens and I asked Reija to sing on one of my beats (she was playing bass and singing in bands at the time), which ended up being LFO. LFO was and still is one of my favourite tracks so I asked Reija if she wanted to do a full length EP together – which was our Sweet Talk EP that Diplo signed to his label Mad Decent.<\/p>\n You seem to have a diverse range of influences – who do you cite as your biggest inspiration when you\u2019re writing and making music?<\/strong><\/p>\n Reija Lee: Cyndi Lauper and Chrissie Amphlett have always been inspirational to me as frontwomen. They embody everything that I aspire to be \u00a0as a performer. Lykke Li is also a huge inspiration for me lyrically \u2013 she\u2019s amazing. Apart from your love of Electronic music, what other kinds of stuff can we expect to hear \/ find in your collection?<\/strong><\/p>\n Kito: I do listen to a lot of Rap and R&B. And Dancehall! Also synth wave stuff like Com Truise.. And old favourites like Gary Numan and Laurie Anderson! How did the collaboration with Zebra Katz occur? Who else do you have your sights set on to work with?<\/strong><\/p>\n Kito: I met Zebra Katz at the Mad decent block party in Brooklyn a couple of years ago. We ended up hanging out while I was in NYC and became friends. When he came to London he was looking for beats for his mixtape so I played him some things. I ended up roping him into the studio with Reija and we smashed out WORD$! I like working with people I click with and love when it’s a natural thing that you end up in the studio together. Having said that, I’d be really excited to work with some amazing song writers – like The Dream! His manager actually got in touch with us last year as apparently he was keen to work with us but it never eventuated to anything. I’m holding onto hope that this will happen one day!<\/p>\n
\nKito: Kate Bush is my biggest inspiration. I love everything about her. I’ve also been quite inspired by a lot of rap producers in recent years. I’m crazy about T-Minus and his moody filtered synths. He produced Swimming Pools by Kendrick Lamar, I’m On One by DJ Khaled, HYFR by Drake etc.<\/p>\n
\nReija Lee: Ahhhh where to start\u2026 My classics \u2013 Pink Floyd and other 70s\/80s rock.. I also love post rock and dreamy synth music. Bands like M83, Mono, Sigur Ros. In the last few years I\u2019ve definitely come to enjoy R&B more as well (Probably due to Kito\u2019s influence!)<\/p>\n