Draft:Kytes
Kytes | |
|---|---|
 Kytes performing in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Labels |
|
| Spinoff of | Blind Freddy |
| Members |
|
| Past members | Thomas Kirchner |
| Website | www |
Kytes (stylised as KYTES) is a German indie pop band from Bavaria and formed in Munich out of Blind Freddy in 2015, currently consisting of members Michael Spieler, Timothy Lush, and Kerim Öke. They have released three albums: Heads and Tales (2016), Good Luck (2020), and To Feel Something At All (2023).
Members[edit]
- Michael Spieler, vocals and electric guitar
- Timothy Lush, drums
- Kerim Öke, guitar and keyboard
- Thomas Kirchner / Sedlacek, electric bass and synthesizer (former)
Career[edit]
The band's founding four members Spieler, Lush, Öke, and Sedlacek began playing together in 2009 as members of a school band called Blind Freddy, which they considered an experimental hobby at the time.[1] In 2015, upon deciding to pursue music professionally, they rebranded and renamed themselves Kytes, releasing the singles "Inner Cinema", which was awarded Song of the Year by the University of Canberra, and "On the Run", the music video for which was filmed in Brighton, and their debut EP, also titled On the Run, that November via Lichtdicht Records.
This was followed in 2016 by Kytes' debut album Heads and Tales from Sony's Filter Music. That year, the band won the New Music Award, awarded by German radio stations.
The band founded their own record label in 2018 called Frisbee Records, through which they released their 2019 sophomore album Good Luck. The album's singles included "Go Out".[2] Kytes also became sponsors of the Fürstenfeldbruck vocational school.
In 2023, Kytes released their third album "To Say Nothing At All". Sedlacek exited the band at the end of that year. In 2024, Kytes supported the English indie rock band King No-One on their UK tour.
Artistry[edit]
Kytes set out to be a "European band with an international sound".[1] Drawing from 80s synthpop, indie, and disco, Kytes' music has often been described as "peppy". The band have cited The Police, INXS, Parcels, Jungle, Two Door Cinema Club, Phoenix, Foals, and Tame Impala as influences.[3][4] In his review of their March 2024 Nottingham supporting gig, Karl Blakesley of LeftLion compared the band's "utterly infectious" sound to that of Foals, Friendly Fires, The Wombats, and Daft Punk.[5]
Discography[edit]
Albums[edit]
- Heads and Tales (2016)
- Good Luck (2020)
- To Feel Something At All (2023)
EPs[edit]
- On the Run (2015)
- Frisbee (2019)
- Apricosa (2022)
Singles[edit]
- "Inner Cinema" (2015)
- "On the Run" (2015)
- "I Got Something" (2016)
- "As We Row" (2016)
- "Remedy" (2018)
- "Take It Easy" (2018)
- "Alright" (2019)
- "Want You Back" (2019)
- "Go Out" (2020)
- "Runaway" (2020)
- "The Beat is on Hold" (2021)
- "Bumblin" (2021)
- "Hello (and it's Christmas)" (2021)
References[edit]
- ^ a b Sigrun (18 August 2015). ""We lie with my lips, we hide in my head" A talk with KYTES + exclusive video premiere of Inner Cinema (Micro Set)". C-Heads. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ Mosk, Mitch (16 January 2020). "Premiere: Munich's KYTES Deliver Bright, Buoyant Indie Pop in "Go Out"". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ Markus (29 January 2020). "KYTES – GO OUT (Indie/Pop – Germany)". Umstrum. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ Butschek, Moritz (20 November 2015). "Ein Interview mit Kytes". Two in a Row (in German). Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ Blakesley, Karl (15 March 2024). "Gig Review: King No-One at Rescue Rooms". LeftLion. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
Category:German indie rock groups Category:Indie pop groups Category:Musical groups established in 2015 Category:Musical groups from Munich Category:Musicians from Bavaria