Downtown Kayoto - Lite (Official Video)

Downtown Kayoto, the project of Zimbabwe born, Hull UK based musician Chiko Chinyadza, has released his new single "Lite" - the latest track to be heard from new EP 'Learning In Public' - out 6th July via Other Projects (NiNE8, Fredwave, KhakiKid). 'Learning In Public' will comprise 6 tracks, featuring previously released tasters "In2you", "Run from you" and "Changed it".

Produced by frequent collaborator, New York based Jack Laboz (María Isabel, Alice Longyu Gao), "Lite" oscillates between bouncing house, trap, and UK Grime - with Downtown Kayoto noting the impact of Kaytranada and Skepta on its creation, all the while maintaining his own unique style and potent delivery.

Allowing a wide spread of influences to bleed into its sound, lyrically "Lite" explores notions of futility and listlessness, as well as dissecting his own artistry and where he positions himself as a musician: "I'm tryna find a place in the night-time / Tryna find place where I stay".

Speaking more on the track's lyrical inspiration behind "Lite", Downtown Kayoto said: “Lite is a song about fomo and feeling so slumped to a point in which you start doubting yourself and your own capabilities. During a year that I took a break from my studies to pursue music properly, I was in the house so much. I thought when I put school on pause the music would just naturally flourish and things would just work with all of the effort I had put in prior…but that wasn’t what happened, there was more work to be done. Reinvention and growth. This song was birthed from this frustration as well as greed. I still have so much going for me but in this song I allowed myself to vent.”

Shot in London in April this year, the video for "Lite" (directed by another of Downtown Kayoto's most trusted creative sources Joe Howat) utilises a variety of intricate videography techniques, referencing and paying homage to Tyler Durden's monologue scene in Fight Club, A$AP Rocky's "A$AP Forever" video, Frank Ocean's Boys Don't Cry magazine, and the Hype Williams-directed 1998 film Belly, along the way. "We wanted the song to feel alive and active so we just gathered a ton of references from videos that we fuck with," Downtown Kayoto explains.