Kiiōtō is a fresh, inspiring addition to the music scene comprising of Mercury Prize nominated singer/songwriter Lou Rhodes and producer, musician and hit-writer Rohan Heath. These artists have roots originating back to the band Lamb, fronted by singer Lou, and Urban Cookie Collective founder Rohan, both of whom are now fully pledged to their new quest ahead.
The London based duo fuse a rich pallet of sonic influences in the songs of Kiiōtō; songs that provide a platform for both Lou’s unique voice and Rohan’s distinctive musicianship and production, crafted to break the mould and create cutting-edge music ungoverned by genre or success.
Kiiōtō Writing and Production Studio
Kazbar Systems has recently supplied their writing and production studio, which is where the duo works on their ideas and foundation of their music and songs. The production studio is an integral part of their creative process, where they surround themselves with an array of acoustic instruments and synths, along with their latest additions: a Nord Stage 4, Aston Spirit microphone, Apollo X4 audio interface and Genelec active monitor speakers.
The writing studio is somewhere for them to evolve their ideas to the next level and it is paramount that this space enables a good, organic workflow.
“Kazbar have been amazing from the start. Incredibly knowledgeable and helpful in the early stages of decision making through to installation, setup and completion. Excellent job”
Pro Audio Equipment
Genelec 8341 Studio Monitors
After auditioning several different studio monitors, Rohan and Lou opted for a pair of Genelec 8341 speakers.
The 8341 are very powerful 3-way monitors for their small size, offering SAM technology and precision imaging. One of the main important features for Lou and Rohan, was the fact that these speakers can be custom set up and calibrated to best accommodate their studio, this enables them to get the best listening experience from their room. Another one of the key elements that made the choice simple for Rohan was the 8341’s phenomenal low-end reproduction without it compromising the mid and high range frequencies.
Universal Audio Apollo X4 TB3 Audio Interface
For the audio interface the duo chose the neat and brilliant sounding Apollo X4. This desktop sized powerhouse enables you to record through classic mic preamp emulations from Neve, API, Manley and more.
Lou’s favourite aspects of the Apollo are the ease of use and its range of beautifully modelled, analogue components right at your fingertips. For her, the sound quality and range of plug-ins are equal parts of the X4’s attraction. An added bonus is the visual representation when you load your plug-ins into the virtual rack.
The UA 4X offers near zero latency, making it a reliable listening source. As a vocalist, the headphone sound has a huge impact on Lou’s vocal delivery and the 4X really helps set the mood. Having a vocal chain she can rely on is extremely important, and the UA 4X enables her to secure the vocal recordings in 3 or 4 takes to keep the feel and freshness. Her go-to plugins are the Neve 1073 preamp for lovely analogue warmth, the Universal Audio 1176 Limiter, Manley MU Compressor, Pultec EQP EQ. If needed, she sometimes adds an EMT 140m Plate Reverb.
Nord Stage 4
The Nord Stage 4 is the new generation of the flagship models from Swedish based Nord Keyboards. For Rohan, the sound of the Nord Stage 4 is the best Nord have to offer. Though Rohan draws sounds from Various other sources, including the huge Native Instruments library, for Pianos, Rhodes and Hammonds, the Nord stands out miles above the rest. Although its preset sounds are totally usable ‘straight out of the box’, the keyboard gives you access to the vast Nord library online. Some of the key features he particularly likes are the drawbar feel of the organ section and the wah-wah in the effects section. Moving forward, he is sure this keyboard will be the central workhorse of his live setup for many years to come.
Aston Spirit
The Aston Spirit was a real surprise and has blown them away with its quality. Lou has recorded on anything from Brauner to Naumann microphones, which have some absolutely stunning characteristics. However, the Aston Spirit just brings out something special in Lou’s voice. It complements her beautifully, capturing that husky character and warmth that she is known for. The Spirit has proven itself to be an incredible microphone to work with, both for demo and final stage recordings.
When the pre-productions are ready, they are taken to a studio in Turnham Green, London, for analogue recording and completion.
Kiiōtō are now nine songs into their soon-to-be-released album and are presently working on the dynamic of what will be their live set.
For sneak-peaks and release dates, follow them on Instagram / facebook @we_are_kiioto
All email enquiries: [email protected]
