Sometime around the mid 90's two school mates, Markku Louhio and Matti Elsinen, inspired by early techno, acid house and Prodigy, got their hands on the Fastracker program. Creating hardcore techno and experimental dance music changed radically for these guys when they discovered Goa trance. Soon their hobby of making music only with the computer evolved to a home studio set-up of MIDI instruments, mixers and drum machines.
Even though their history as producers was rooted in the Goa trance scene, performing in underground forest parties and listening to bands like Koxbox and Eat Static, they were soon to widen their scope of music.
After Kiwa's first live show on New Year's Eve 1996, Markku and Matti started challenging themselves by incorporating breakbeats, atmospheric soundscapes and their trademark funky bass lines, at a time when using influences of breaks, drum 'n' bass and house was still very exceptional within the genre. Louhio says that the past ten years has been a journey in learning to blend all the influences and styles to what Kiwa represents today, as well as finding a balance between energetic dance floor tracks and music interesting enough to be enjoyed also outside the party venues.
Since 2002 Kiwa has toured on live and DJ gigs around the world from Brazil to Israel and from Russia to Western Europe. Kiwa's live setup consists of two synchronized laptops, keyboards, controllers and loads of samples and audio channels by which they build their energetic performances on. DJ/Producer Kris Kylven, with a strong history in bands like Killing Joke, Juno Reactor, UX, The 69 Eyes and many more has been flavouring their performances as a live drummer in the past. Kylven and Louhio also started to produce tracks together in 1999 as an industrial and ethno influenced trance project, the Faithealers. Markku also deejays under the name DJ Mark Nomen.
The music of Kiwa escapes genre labels and has been said to have a unique sound of it's own. Their debut album Dreamtime Enhancer in 2002, according to many critics, was acclaimed to be a milestone in the scene due to it's style-blending approach on electronic music.
Markku and Matti have released their music on labels such as Ministry Of Sound (UK), Digital Structures (SWE), Liquid Sound Design (Dragonfly Records, UK), Atomic Reactor (UK), Bombtraxx Records (US) and Funkatech Records (UK) to name a few. Their recent remix works for Dead Famous Records (UK), Ground Level (UK) and Tribal Vision Records (CZ) include remixes for established artists like Jaia and Far Too Loud.
In 2007, their progressive album 'On The Frequency' received 4 out of 5 stars in DJ MAG, reviewed by John -00- Fleming. Not to mention, the following album Markku was producing at the time, Highpersonic Whomen's 'Push The Limit', received 5 out of 5. In 2009 Kiwa's hit single 'Drop Control' dominated the Beatport Top 100 breaks chart as #1 for 3 weeks! One of Markku's projects include the breakbeat collective Headphonics. Their electro and breakbeat influenced album charted 19 tracks within it's genres on Beatport Top 100 in 2008.
Elsinen and Louhio have worked with many different projects in genres ranging from hip hop to rock, including compositions and sound production for the Finnish television. Aside from Kiwa and Headphonics, Markku Louhio is known from his work as a producer in the progressive trance act Highpersonic Whomen.
Kiwa is currently working on new material for High Grade Recordings and Exogenic Records.
Discography
Singles
Redemption /High Grade Recordings 2009
Dynamite / Stream Funk /High Grade Recordings 2009
Drop Control /High Grade Recordings 2009
Deep Scan /Exogenic Records 2009
Phat Cat / Disco Infection Promo CD /Exogenic Records 2006
Phat Cat / Disco Infection 12" /Exogenic Records 2006
EP 12" /Surreal Audio 2001
Remixes
Stylus Rex - Volta /Ground Level 2010
Home Alone - Get Away From Me /Dead Famous 2010
Jaia - Serial Groover /Tribal Vision Records 2009
Far Too Loud - Blackout Kiwa Remix /Funkatech Records & Exogenic Recs. 2009
Skilda - He-Mandu /L'oz production 2008
Hidria Spacefolk - Nasha Universo /Exogenic Breaks 2004
Snake Thing - It's All Good 12" /Surreal Audio 2002
Albums
On The Frequency CD /Exogenic Records 2007
Retroactive CD /Surreal Audio 2004
Dreamtime Enhancer CD /Surreal Audio 2002
Compilations
Psy Trance Euphoria CD /Ministry Of Sound 2008
Ultrapop 2 CD /Fabula Records 2007
Ear Pleasure CD /Chill Tribe Records 2007
Funland Boogie Files CD /Space Boogie productions 2006
Ultrapop CD /Fabularecords 2004
13th Moon: Journey Into Future Consciousness CD /Interchill Records 2003
Angelic Science CD /Surreal Audio 2003
Trance Of Scandinavia 2xCD Trance Of Scandinavia /Digital Structures 2003
Complications CD /Exogenic Breaks 2002
Elucidations CD /Liquid Sound Design 2002
Loopus In Fabula CD /Demon Tea Recordings 2002
Psycholympics CD /Protune Records 2002
Custom File CD /Exogenic Records 2001
Open CD /Surreal Audio 2001
Beats And Beyond CD /Surreal Audio 2000
---------------------------------------------------------------
Markku Louhio - Discography of other releases
Singles
Headphonics - Protect! (10") /Exogenic Breaks 2006
Faithealers: Optical Dreams EP (12") /Aurinko Records 2000
Remixes
Far Too Loud - Blackout Headphonics Remix (Funkatech, upcoming in Oct 2008)
Audiohazard - Track One Headphonics Remix /Bombtraxx 2008
Janna - Ferris Wheel Headphonics Remix /Exogenic Breaks 2008
Tommi H - Kaikki Tai Ei Mitaan Headphonics Remix /Exogenic Breaks 2007
Spies - Wide Shot 12" (Faithealers remix) /Aurinko Records 2000
Albums
Headphonics - Evolution Of Funk (2xCD)/Exogenic Breaks 2008
Highpersonic Whomen - Push The Limit /Exogenic Records 2007
Headphonics - Mass /Exogenic Records 2007
Compilations
Highpersonic Whomen: "Push The Limit" /Psy Trance Euphoria /Ministry Of Sound 2008
Headphonics: "Behind the Case" /Abstract Boundaries /Cinetiks 2007
Headphonics: "Sunday Cut" /Helsinki Cooler 2 /Cymbidium 2006
Highpersonic Whomen: "Free Space" /Ear Pleasure /Chill Tribe Records 2007
Subfocus: "Fountains Across" /Angelic Science /Surreal Audio 2003
Faithealers: "Spiritualizer" /Magnox CD /Atomic Reactor 2002
Faithealers: New Breed /Catcher CD/ Aurinko Records 2001
Faithealers: "New Breed, Sacred Hearts"/Catcher - Japan Edition (2xCD) /Equinox 2001
Faithealers: Optical Dreams /Cyberl@b v2.0 (2xCD)/ Matrix Cube 2000
Faithealers: New Breed (original mix) /Catcher (2x12") /Aurinko Records 2000