RITON - Part of ASBO Issue 10

Everybody must have heard the Friday banger featuring Mufasa & Hyperman at least once in their lives; at a club, a bar, someone’s car stereo or while scrolling through TikTok, and if you haven’t you must have been living under Patrick’s rock in the sea, and you most definitely must pause reading this article, go on YouTube and give that song a listen... Done? Okay. Now that we’re both hopefully on the same page, let’s dive into the guy who created the iconic tune that everyone plays on the weekends.

With over 13 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Henry Smithson, best known by his stage name Riton, is an electronic music DJ originating from Newcastle upon Tyne. Apart from Friday, the biggest streaming dance record globally, Riton has produced other chart-topping bangers including Fake ID, Rinse & Repeat and Ginger, all featuring Nigerian singersongwriter Kah-Lo, and has contributed to the production of Grammy- winning song Electricity by Dua Lipa. Huge, right?

The hit-maker tells ASBO that, apart from dedicating his life to music, his formula to making it big was networking with people whom he respected, working bloody hard and patiently waiting for fruits to ripe. “It took a long time. But I wasn't rushing.” Riton says. “I was just meeting people who I respected and wanted to work with and worked for them and made music with them. So, bit by bit, I just got to know more people and worked hard at it, spending every day doing it.”

Riton | Source: Nicholas O'Donnell

Rewinding back to how it all started, Riton reveals that he was captivated by electronic music after hearing acid house records being played on the Top of the Pops TV show. It was there and then that the 10-year-old at the time asked his mum to buy him a little keyboard to pursue his passion, and the rest is history. “I was just fascinated by electronic music. I got my mum to get me a little keyboard that you could talk into, record your voice, and play on. Once I got it, I was always making stuff with it, and eventually, as I progressed, I got turntables and other equipment.”

Some of his latest tracks include I Don’t Want You featuring British singer-songwriter Raye whom he really enjoyed working with. “She's great”, he says. “She's just a genuine star, really sweet girl. We only met when we started the record and we just got on.” According to the musician, I Don’t Want You is not only about heartbreak, but also a metaphor hinting some disheartening situations that Raye has gone through in her career as a musician.

The DJ has also released Let’s Stick Around with Jarvis Cocker, a song that doesn’t just aim to make people move, but also sends the message that we must stick together to help make the world a better place and stop hiding issues like global warming under the rug. Although we don’t know what his next single is going to be, Riton leaves us with some advice – if you want something badly enough, you’ll commit your life to it and keep your eyes on the prize.