Riton

Henry Smithson, better known as Riton, is a stalwart of the UK's electro house scene, known as well for his remixes of artists including Scissor Sisters, The Human League and Soulwax as he is for his original material. Born and raised in Newcastle, Smithson's career has its roots in the dance music scene of the 1990s. Inspired by his trips up and down the country to the Renaissance raves, Smithson began his own promotions in the north and subsequently founded the record label Switch. It was the label's output that put him on the radar of Mark Rae, leading to a job in his Manchester record shop Fat City and a recording deal for his solo material under the moniker Riton with the Grand Central imprint. The resulting LP, 'Beats du Jour', landed in 2001. A 2004 sequel, 'Homies and Homos' followed, swinging a little away from the first album's blend of soul, R&B and house into a more electro funk-infused sound. In the meantime, Smithson had also been making a name for himself as a remixer. Throughout the 00s he continued to release tracks for artists including Chromeo, M.I.A. and Primary 1. His work as Riton took a back seat, though in 2008 he released a self-titled album under the alias 'Eine Kleine Nacht Musik'. The name Riton didn't appear on a new record sleeve until 2011 when he released 'Dark Place/A.C.P.' shortly after the death of one of Riton's production partners, DJ Medhi. The title of the single was a coincidence, but Riton was nonetheless hit hard. He didn't put anything out for a year after the death, re-emerging in 2013 with the EP 'Lost My Mind' and the follow-up 'Bad Guy RiRi' in 2014. His next release was a collaboration that had been shelved since it was recorded in 2007, the year it took its name from. 'Die Verboten' was a Kraftwerk-inspired space rock album recorded by Riton, David and Stephen Dewaele of 2ManyDJs and designer Fergus 'Fergadelic' Purcell. Smithson's remix work continued, notably in 2015 on Mark Ronson's 'Daffodils', but not at the expense of his solo work. In 2016 he occupied the top spot of BBC Radio 1's dance chart with 'Rinse & Repeat', which featured Kah-Lo. Subsequent work has included more collaborations with Kah-Lo on 'Betta Riddim', 'Fake ID', and 'Ginger' and co-production with Mark Ronson and Diplo on 2018's 'Only Can Get Better'.

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