Mercury Music Prize–nominated vocalist Lou Rhodes and multi-award-winning pianist/songwriter Rohan Heath return as Kiiōtō with their evocative new two-track single, Moth / Zero Gravity, arriving 25 February 2026. The release includes a sumptuous broken beat remix from rising production talent Oliver Night, adding fresh rhythmic depth to the duo’s signature atmospheric sound.
Following their 2025 single Butterfly — which earned support from Chris Hawkins, Nemone, and airplay on BBC 6 Music — Kiiōtō continue to carve a distinct sonic space that blends jazz textures, electronic elements and poetic lyricism.
‘Moth’: Desire Without Restraint
“Ember in your eyes, ever seeking mine, I fly to your flame. Brazen we become, rendered into one, flying in your flame.”
‘Moth’ explores the magnetic pull of physical attraction — the kind that overrides caution and draws two people together with irresistible intensity. The track opens vulnerably with a naked vocal and piano intro before plunging into a powerful arrangement of double bass and live drums. Jazz and gospel chord layers rise steadily, culminating in a soaring acapella choir that feels both intimate and transcendent.
There are subtle nods to the broken beat innovations of 4 Hero, yet Kiiōtō’s sound remains unmistakably their own: cinematic, soulful and emotionally charged.
‘Zero Gravity’: Humanity from Orbit
Opening with a steady heartbeat that dissolves into brush drums and double bass, ‘Zero Gravity’ drifts weightlessly into expansive territory. The track reflects on the experience of viewing Earth from orbit:
“Out here we have no weight, and Earth spins below us with none of the lines that we humans create…”
Inspired by Samantha Harvey’s Booker Prize-winning novel Orbital, the song contemplates humanity from a perspective both distant and clarifying. Stripped of borders and divisions, the Earth becomes a unified whole — and so too does the emotional core of the music. ‘Zero Gravity’ is less about space travel and more about perspective: what it means to be human when seen from the outside, looking in.
Building Towards Black Salt
Kiiōtō’s debut album, As Dust We Rise (2024), received acclaim from Mojo and Uncut, alongside support from BBC Radio 4 and Worldwide FM.
Now, the duo look ahead to their forthcoming album Black Salt, set for release in April 2026. The new record promises to expand on their richly textured blend of jazz, electronic and contemporary songwriting.
Fans can experience the project live at the official album launch show on 1 May 2026 at Kings Place, with additional UK and European dates to be announced.
Moth / Zero Gravity signals a bold and emotionally resonant chapter for Kiiōtō — balancing intimacy and expansiveness, earthbound desire and cosmic reflection.
Presave the single: presave.kud.li/KIIOTO0002
