Kato

Kato Biography by Paul Simpson Discolized 2.0 The man behind "Turn the Lights Off," Kato (Thomas Kato Vittrup) is a Danish DJ and producer whose exuberant, party-themed music combines house, hip-hop, and Euro-pop. In addition to his chart-topping sophomore album, 2011's Discolized 2.0, he has achieved much success in Scandinavia, with dozens of gold and platinum certifications, several awards, and numerous festival appearances. Discolized He began producing and mixing during the early 2000s, but his career picked up after he released "My House" in 2007. Additional singles followed, including a cover of Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way," but his big breakthrough came with 2010's "Turn the Lights Off" (with Jon Nørgaard), which was a Top 10 hit throughout Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and Norway (where it hit number one). The song appeared on his debut full-length Discolized, which was released by Danish label disco:wax and included collaborations with Outlandish, U$O, Dr. Alban, and others. After the album's Top 10 success, it was reissued in 2011 as Discolized 2.0, a double-CD which included remixes, alternate versions, and additional singles, including the Danish number one hit "Sjus" (featuring Ida Corr, Camille Jones & Johnson) and "Speakers On" (with Infernal). Discolized 2.0 was an even bigger hit than the original, topping the Danish album chart. In 2012, Vittrup, going by his surname this time, collaborated with singer Jeremy Carr (who previously guested on Discolized 2.0 track "Celebrate Life") for the single "Live Forever." He also guested on Danish rapper U$O's single "Klapper af Den," which was a number three hit in Denmark. The second proper Kato full-length, Behind Closed Doors, appeared in 2013 and included collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Brandon Beal, Shontelle, and others; it hit number four on the Danish charts. In 2013, Kato and Safri Duo collaborated with singer Bjørnskov for the single "Dimitto (Let Go)," which was another number one hit. "Ejer Det" (with Specktors & Djämes Braun) and 2014's "Dumt på Dig" (featuring TopGunn), as well as "Without You" (as Vittrup), were also big hits. Kato's third album Now was released in 2015, and peaked at number five. The album included further appearances by Beal and Snoop Dogg, as well as three songs sung by Grace Tither, including "Show You Love," a collaboration with Sigala. Following Kato's 2016 single "Live It Up" (featuring Wafande), a new version of "Show You Love," this time featuring vocalist Hailee Steinfeld, was released in 2017. The single was his first to be released by Virgin EMI. His next major single landed in 2019 with "Motions," which was followed by more than a dozen tracks released into the 2020s. However, it was in late 2025 that Kato unexpectedly found himself in the public eye when "Turn the Lights Off" had a viral moment that landed the track on streaming charts and devices across the globe.