{"title":"KMRU","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJoseph Kamaru, known as \u003ci\u003eKMRU\u003c\/i\u003e, is a Kenyan-born sound artist currently based in Berlin. With a unique approach to music, KMRU has captivated audiences worldwide with his experimental soundscapes and ambient compositions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInspired by the likes of Perila, Taylor Deupree, and Roméo Poirier, KMRU's music takes listeners on a journey through ethereal textures and immersive sonic landscapes. His work often explores themes of memory, identity, and place, creating an emotional connection that resonates deeply with his audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom his early beginnings in Kenya to his current residency in Berlin's vibrant music scene, KMRU continues to push boundaries and challenge traditional notions of what music can be. With releases on renowned labels such as Bryozone and Billow Observatory, he has established himself as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary electronic music.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"stupor-2","title":"Stupor","description":"\u003cp\u003eNairobi-born Berlin-based sound artist Joseph Kamaru, aka KMRU, shares his new work Stupor on the new Helsinki-based label Other Power. Commissioned by the Helsinki curatorial and commissioning agency Publics, Stupor is comprised of three original long form tracks; “CRP-12”, “Even a Tear”, and the title track “Stupor”. The tracks on the album are speculative notes to social architectures and environments the artist has traversed.  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Other People","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50394008093003,"sku":"2052551","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/1be23e02-476b-708d-4f21-4356db9ef616_831518c0_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726430866"},{"product_id":"natur","title":"Natur","description":"\u003cp\u003ekmru's debut album for Touch.\nArmed with a handheld recorder and a reverence for environmental sounds, the Kenyan artist is carving out a unique place in electronic music.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Touch","offers":[{"title":"CD.","offer_id":50404329161035,"sku":"2200257","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_96c10afa_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726568274"},{"product_id":"disconnect-2","title":"Disconnect","description":"\u003cp\u003eTwin heavyweights Kevin Richard Martin (The Bug) and Joseph Kamaru (KMRU) unite for \u003ci\u003eDisconnect\u003c\/i\u003e, a powerful study of dread, hope, and profound sonics that marries depth-trawling dub with Kamaru’s voice, ambient sensibilities, and negative space. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKevin Martin first became aware of Kenyan ambient musician KMRU “watching the short 2020 documentary Under The Bridge,” he tells us. “Which, aside from immediately finding Joseph's approach to sound and music so instantly impressive, I also found his spoken voice possessed a captivating, lilting, tonal quality, with his soft-spoken accent.” Following this, Martin dug into Kamaru’s records, and found not only a kindred spirit in skilful exploration of sonic space, but also a fan of The Bug. So began a mutually respectful relationship, initially held in Instagram DMs and reciprocal admiration for each other’s work and eventually blossoming into an invitation sent by Kevin to Joseph to collaborate on a new album.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results - debut collaboration album \u003ci\u003eDisconnect\u003c\/i\u003e - collect a back-and-forth creative dialogue that started life in Martin’s studio. “I think I surprised Joseph by suggesting he contributes vocals,” Martin tells us. This ability to identify, isolate and exploit the nonstandard is a trait shared by both musicians and employed to devastating effect on Disconnect. Its vocals, sitting somewhere between intonation and spoken word, capture the ear and fizz with simmering power. They are indeed a surprise, coming from a musician specialising in instrumental, field recording-laced ambient musics, but tell intensely evocative stories, weaving poetry into the pair’s grandiose greyscale musical architecture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe record opens with “Differences”, setting out key themes, motifs, and soundworlds with reverberous and shivering potency. Depthcharge bass hits punctuate the space as Kamaru’s voice textures the tapestry. It is just as deep, intense, and arresting as we can expect from Kevin Richard Martin, following his acclaimed rescore of Solaris (released in 2021 on Phantom Limb) and a handful of self-released solo albums that explore a sound just as heavy as The Bug but at a menacingly slower pace. And it is just as evocative and unique as Kamaru’s KMRU canon, each object delicately and purposefully placed so the timbral mosaic builds with shimmering and hypnotic beauty. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKey track “Differ” (the project is built from three core ‘moments’, pushed and pulled into divergent reconstructions to make up the wider body of work) hits like the shattering of galaxy-sized panes of glass. Shards tumble and collide, spinning off into itinerant orbits across an immeasurable void. Again, Kamaru’s voice makes up part of a larger whole, found here in snippets and artefacts rather than leadlines. It is a chill-inducing experience, a succinct picture of Martin and Kamaru - two immensely talented solo musicians - together opening up an irresistible beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eDisconnect\u003c\/i\u003e is the first collaboration record by Joseph Kamaru and Kevin Richard Martin, released on Phantom Limb. It will be followed by an EP titled Otherness, created in the same sessions and exploring the same themes. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Phantom Limb","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx2","offer_id":50445058507083,"sku":"2202504","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/click_ca13e8c1_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727032732"},{"product_id":"logue","title":"Logue","description":"\u003cp\u003eNairobi-based electronic musician \/ sound-artist Joseph Kamaru - KMRU - signs to Injazero for the release of his beautiful compendium album \u003ci\u003eLogue,\u003c\/i\u003e comprising works from his past years of self-releasing. KMRU is uniquely positioned between the rarely-married cultures of ambient and African musics, entwining his compositions with field recordings from his native Kenya and the surrounding countries of East Africa. Though the deep, tectonic slowness of his music can be compared to the work of Lawrence English, William Basinski, Stars of the Lid (i.e. Western musicians), Kamaru’s core culture shines through in a pure and singular way. Found within\u003ci\u003e Logue’s\u003c\/i\u003e pieces are radiant melodic antiphony commonplace in African music, and huge, spacious drones that reveal his love for ambient soundscapes, held effortlessly together by field recordings and analogue synthesis. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Injazero","offers":[{"title":"Clear | LP","offer_id":50453316469067,"sku":"1116973","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/d1b3d711-4159-474b-9338-3d7dee0d5a7f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727170805"},{"product_id":"peel","title":"Peel","description":"\u003cp\u003eKMRU is the moniker of Joseph Kamaru, a sound artist, and producer based in Nairobi. One of the leading exponents of the burgeoning experimental music scene in Nairobi and beyond he was listed by Resident Advisor as one of '15 East African Artists You Need To Hear' in 2018 and is a regular performer at the fabled Nyegenyege Festival having also presented live performances at CTM festival and Gamma Festival. Peel is KMRU's first release for Editions Mego. exquisite mix of field recordings and electronics unravelling at a repetitive and leisurely pace to expose a rich tapestry of sound that has been revered for it's ability to cross bordear with the sheer undertow of emotional content. The subtle calming atmosphere within Peel belies the compositional prowess as layers of delicate sounds wrap around each other creating a hybrid new form ambient musics both captivating through it's textural depth and kaleidoscopic patterns. The track titles lend themselves to the themes and mood set within: Why are you here, Well, Solace, Klang, Insubstantial and the title track. This is a deep heartfelt journey with a new strong voice being expressed through the means of organically presented electronic ambient sounds, one which reveals further layers on repeat listens.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Editions Mego","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x2","offer_id":50463853904203,"sku":"1098195","price":37.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9d788342-44b2-4c10-8765-5787e61ea5cb_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1731860011"},{"product_id":"kin-1","title":"Kin","description":"\u003cp\u003eEditions Mego welcomes KMRU back to the fold. \u003cem\u003eKin\u003c\/em\u003e is Kenyan born, Berlin based, sonic wizard Joseph Kamaru’s second release on Editions Mego, following on from the classic 2020 release \u003cem\u003ePeel\u003c\/em\u003e. Since the release and subsequent praise for \u003cem\u003ePeel\u003c\/em\u003e, the artist has been a staple on the electronic scene performing on numerous stages and festivals worldwide in tandem with a flood of media recognition. Kin could be construed as the second child following \u003cem\u003ePeel\u003c\/em\u003e. The project came out of initial discussions with Peter Rehberg about what a \u003cem\u003ePeel\u003c\/em\u003e sequel would sound like. Kamaru is quick to clarify that Kin is not that record; “I'll know when that record will come and when I'll make it. It's already happening... or maybe it lives within both of these Mego records”.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is this deft ambiguity and vague tiptoeing around the concrete that encapsulates the ambiguous sound world of Kamaru’s vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKin\u003c\/em\u003e was started early 2021 in Nairobi with Kamaru exploring his noisier palette of sounds encompassing distortions reminiscent of the sounds he would muster from in his youth when playing guitar. He paused making this record for a year as soon as Peter died, then slowly returned to it through 2022 resulting in the immense new work we have here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe charms within Kin lay as Easter eggs revealing the true identity behind the colourful sonics only after multiple deep listens. With Trees Where We Can See sets the tone by way of a warm swaying melody inviting the listener in for further investigation. In 2022 KMRU and Mego stalwart Fennesz toured the USA together resulting in a strong friendship and also, the second track here, Blurred. A neat Mego\/Editions Mego loop as such. Blurred arranges twangy guitar strums alongside glistening glaciers of shimmering drones. They Are Here represents a darker hue as melancholic clouds of shadowy noir tap directly into the listener's nerve stream. Maybe takes a detour into a bristling euphoric electronic storm whilst We Are screeches in a pattern formation not unlike a highly abstracted Aphex Twin forcing its way out of a hard drive. By Absence concludes proceedings, operating as both exit music and a portal to further sonic investigation with acoustic bellowing residing amongst a kaleidoscopic backdrop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKin\u003c\/em\u003e is a trip that rewards close repeated listens as all the colours and textures, nuance and narratives unveil themselves. This isn’t a record to be glossed over, magic rewards concentration.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Editions Mego","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Black","offer_id":56025647677771,"sku":"R2589-8029","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56025647710539,"sku":"R2589-9186","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/11f5859d-4fc4-f113-a868-a0321aee2320.jpg?v=1764678389"},{"product_id":"stupor-1","title":"Stupor","description":"\u003cp\u003eNairobi-born Berlin-based sound artist Joseph Kamaru, aka KMRU, shares his new work Stupor on the new Helsinki-based label Other Power. Commissioned by the Helsinki curatorial and commissioning agency PUBLICS, Stupor is comprised of three original long form tracks. The tracks on the album are speculative notes to social architectures and environments the artist has traversed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs Bhavisha Panchia, a curator and researcher, writes in her liner notes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A musical alchemist, KMRU places his listeners' ear into a sonic-spatial matrix in which he transmutes his trans-local experience of place into elevated sonic dimensions that demand a kind of listening that you need to surrender to. If listening positions you inside an event – into a relational, social and cultural act that also positions us in the world – then listening to this album projects you inside an indeterminate unfolding, thick with tensions of movement and transitions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artist's pursuit of sounding out and responding to the world is undertaken through a creative mode of listening, recording and production, in which his 'voice' reverberates in his compositional arrangements – that mediate, translate, imagine and re-encode. As he engages with the environments he encounters, KMRU 'renders sound negotiable, thinkable'.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Other Power","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":56320272630091,"sku":"R0635-0489","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/2000x2000bb_72038ae3-9d98-4755-ac36-42ea66291068.jpg?v=1768603312"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_ad8e7f5a_thumbnail_4096_20975ad9-24d7-49a5-b73d-7cfdebb21003.jpg?v=1726029867","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/kmru.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}