Chee is the stage name of South African-born producer and DJ Lesego Mlangeni, who began making music as a teenager and started releasing tracks under the Chee name in 2014. Based in Los Angeles, Chee released the single Misfortune on Underslung Audio that year. Chee and producer Jon Casey, who first connected through electronic music in high school in South Africa, formed their project It Hz around 2015 or 2016. Chee’s work spans bass and experimental electronic music, with releases on Underslung Audio, Bassrush Records and Deadbeats.
Chee drew wider attention with the 2016 EP Shrodinger on Dutch label Underslung. In 2017, Saturate Records released Fear Monger, Chee’s first full-length album. The later EPs Vultures and Paralysis Analysis came out on Deadbeats, the imprint associated with Zeds Dead; Vultures contains five tracks. Chee also released music on Deadbeats in 2020. Chee’s Deadbeats releases also include the four-track EP and single Polarities, both released in 2023. The 2021 EP Paralysis Analysis features Chee’s collaboration with Mr. Carmack, “Fight Club.”
Chee has worked with Tsuruda in a back-to-back series, and the pair have performed a live set together. In 2023, Chee released the single Humanoid 2.0 (Chee.rmx) on VISION. The 2024 single Revenge was released under the Chee name, while Tomb Of The Scorpion paired Chee with Zeds Dead on Deadbeats Acquisition UMC. That year also brought Fade Away / Oxygen Thief, a single on Grip Tape.