Kato

Thomas Kato Vittrup, performing under the name Kato, serves as a Danish DJ and producer whose high-energy tracks for celebrations merge house rhythms, hip-hop elements, and Euro-pop styles. Across Scandinavia he has earned dozens of gold and platinum certifications, collected several awards, and played repeatedly at festivals.

Vittrup started creating and mixing tracks in the early 2000s, though momentum built once he issued “My House” during 2007. Further singles followed, among them a version of Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” yet the decisive breakthrough arrived with the 2010 release “Turn the Lights Off,” recorded with Jon Nørgaard; the track reached the Top 10 in Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and Norway, where it claimed the top position. It featured on his first full-length effort, Discolized, issued by the Danish label disco:wax and featuring appearances by Outlandish, U$O, Dr. Alban, and additional artists. After the album itself entered Denmark’s Top 10, a 2011 reissue appeared as the double-CD Discolized 2.0, containing remixes, alternate takes, and further singles such as the Danish chart-topping “Sjus” with Ida Corr, Camille Jones & Johnson plus “Speakers On” alongside Infernal. The expanded edition outperformed its predecessor by reaching the summit of the Danish album chart.

In 2012, performing this time simply as Vittrup, he joined vocalist Jeremy Carr—who had already contributed to the Discolized 2.0 cut “Celebrate Life”—on the single “Live Forever.” He also appeared on Danish rapper U$O’s track “Klapper af Den,” which peaked at number three in Denmark. His second proper album, Behind Closed Doors, arrived in 2013 with guest spots from Snoop Dogg, Brandon Beal, Shontelle, and others, and it climbed to number four on the Danish charts. That same year Kato and Safri Duo teamed with singer Bjørnskov for the single “Dimitto (Let Go),” another Danish number one. Additional major successes included “Ejer Det” featuring Specktors & Djämes Braun, 2014’s “Dumt på Dig” with TopGunn, and “Without You,” credited to Vittrup.

Kato’s third album, Now, came out in 2015 and reached number five; it again showcased Beal and Snoop Dogg while presenting three songs performed by Grace Tither, one of which was “Show You Love,” a collaboration with Sigala. After the 2016 single “Live It Up” with Wafande, a fresh rendition of “Show You Love” featuring vocalist Hailee Steinfeld appeared in 2017 and marked his first release on Virgin EMI.