Kito & Reija - Sweet Talk EP (2011)

7/10  

Aussie duo bring some very palatable dub-pop

The dubstep scene isn’t exactly flush with female producers, but Perth-based Kito created such a stir with her early work that she attracted the attention Skream, signing to his Disfigured Dubz label. She teams up with singer Reija Lee to bring us Sweet Talk, a four-track release with as much emphasis on the sweet-as-sugar vocals as the impact of the bass kick.

Both are particularly evident on the first track, itself entitled “Sweet Talk”. This is the post-dubstep scene moving firmly into pop territory; I can’t claim to have heard anything this year as catchy as “Boy I can see it in your face/You’re all over the place”. But there’s no sense of this being a guilty pleasure, more like delight at the sharpness of Kito’s bass kick and drawn-out synth, with a bit of Eastern influence.

They’re not afraid to mix things up, either. The disco-influenced “Broken Hearts” is a bit of a change but really well executed, with a rap from Lee (that manages to be more charming than corny) giving way to another addictive chorus while a housey beat, 8-bit bleeps and bass are combined superbly.

“On The Jam”, despite being the song on here deemed worthy to get a video, didn’t do much to excite me. You can see why they’d want to push it, with its hi-hat flurry and sweeping synths making it great for the club (or radio?). But then that’s the problem; it sounds too much like the generic dance-infused R&B floating around, not least Lee’s “Come on everyone” being repeated so often like it’s a call to mandatory dancefloor duty.

Thankfully, Kito and Reija leave us with a reminder that they can be a lot more interesting. “This City” is a dreamy, moving track, but with a clear dubstep influence. With the most syrupy of vocals by Lee being merged with the purr of the bass and a satisfying kick to the beat, this is a great example of a producer understanding atmosphere and the use of space in music.

If these are the early days for Kito, she’s showing a lot of promise. Sweet Talk has a lot of pop sensibility, while sporting enough substance to pique the interest of those more seriously into their bass music. And after all, why can’t the girls get in on the fun as well?


This EP was released by Mad Decent in March 2011, available on CD from HMV or as digital download from Boomkat