Riton is electronica DJ / musician Henry Smithson. After graduating from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, he began DJing at Newcastle's «Shindig» nightclub. There, he was discovered by Mark Rae and signed to Grand Central Records independent record label. Like Rae, he then worked in Manchester's Fat City Records label/distribution/retail outlet.

His first release, «Communicated», featured on the Grand Central compilation Central Heating 2, followed by his mostly instrumental debut album, Beats du Jour, in 2001. In 2004 he released his second long‑player, Homies and Homos.