WITH THE RECENT RELEASE OF HIS ALBUM 'PEEL' ON EDITIONS MEGO, KENYAN SOUND ARTIST KMRU CONSTRUCTS a COMPELLING work OF EMOTIONAL SPACE AND DEPTH. NEIL HOUSEGO CAUGHT UP WITH KMRU AKA JOSEPH KAMARU TO DISCUSS THE LP, HIS GRANDFATHER AND THE ART OF LISTENING.   

Silence is never silent...as you sit in the stillness, and your ears adjust, slowly but surely more information presents itself. The sharp staccato siren in the distance, the fluttering wave of leaves in the wind, the blurred drone of a muffled voice seeping through walls. Details come into focus, while others fade, ambience and atmosphere shift, the feeling comes trickling in. Kamaru’s's latest album 'Peel' taps into this sensation. An audio work of textural depth that weaves field and acoustic recordings together with subtle electronics to create an emotionally engaging tapestry. Sit still and listen carefully.

'I just try to express myself in the best way through my music. I'm more of a sound artist, as my work revolves around the audio conversation in a broad sense'. Kamaru's voice in the extended audio discourse is original and compelling. His work has steadily been gathering momentum these last couple of years. But it's the recent release of 'Peel', his first album on Peter Rehberg's Editions Mego label that feels like a watershed moment for the artist. The Austrian imprint, home of Fennesz, Florian Hecker and Rehberg's own PITA project is the perfect place for the project to reside and broaden his exposure. 'My music can fall under genres such as ambient, drone, experimental, but I'm always trying to be genre-fluid with these categories. Back in Nairobi, I'm known for making weird and wonderful music'. In his home city, KMRU is already established as a leading light in the region's vibrant underground music scene. An assured, sensitive voice, his expansive auditory worlds offer a contrast to the pumping dynamics of benga music, local hip-hop and EDM.

Kamaru was born into a household rooted in music. The late, Kenyan musician and namesake Joseph Kamaru, is his grandfather. Over a career spanning six-decades, Kamaru Senior defined himself as the voice of the people with a unique brand of politically conscious guitar music. The struggles of Postcolonial Kenya exposed, explored and illustrated at will. He was active and committed, even when the political risk was high. 'My grandfather was a close friend, and I learnt a lot about the environment, life and music from him'.

The importance of music and it's inherent potential resonated with the young Kamaru, who after experimenting with many instruments eventually picked the guitar as his primary mode of learning and expression. 'We jammed together on the guitar, and this influenced my approach of writing chords and melodies from an instrument'. Now working primarily in Ableton Live it is clear that the convergence of old and new techniques is central to Kamaru's method. A personal evolution facilitated in part by his education at Kenyatta University, where he graduated with a degree in Music Technology. However, the core principles garnered from precious time with his grandfather still run deep. '(My grandfather) was an improviser, and spontaneous in his works. He also released a lot of music'. With a committed work ethic as a foundation, Kamaru learnt how to improvise with an instrument.

Through many sessions, it soon became apparent that to be a good improviser, you have to be an exceptional listener. The art of conversation begins with listening, and 'Peel' is entirely centred around this approach. 'While in Montreal, I started a track that was all based on improvisation and 'one-take' recording. I wanted to write more tracks with this concept based on my experiences and field recordings from the location. This later turned into 'Peel' when I came back to Nairobi just after the borders closed'.

As 'Peel' unfolds, the earthy, drone-like chord structures move, and the edges of auditory distance come into focus. Bell-like sounds slowly twist in place, and the entire environment is gently exposed. The apparent simplicity of the chord structures and static melodic phrases hide a compositional depth that reveals more and more with each listen. The results are emotionally sincere, grounded and connected. 'It was all spontaneous, I started working on the first track 'Well' and decided this is the direction this project will take. ‘Peel’ is one of my first projects that has a theme with all the tracks relating to one another. I spent hours recording different takes, all improvised and layered with some field recordings and sounds recorded during my trip'.

Kamaru's method with field recordings is perhaps a testament to his ability to listen. The fascination with subtle changes in timbre, the attack of a struck object, the resonant overtones of a sound decaying are all sensations with infinite variety. Kamaru hunts these out, with unending enthusiasm. He explains, 'Most of the time it's investigative field recording, where I begin with an idea of a sound or place and explore single subjects in detail. Sometimes I have no predetermined objective before going to the field'. Armed with his Zoom H6, iPhone and binaural Soundman microphone he examines the land and subject matter like an aural cartographer. Exploration and discovery always at the fore. 'Sometimes I just drive and decide to pin a location on the map and record this place, the next time I'll map a different location past my previous points'.

Although new technology makes the logistics of this process more accessible than ever, the selection and editing process is crucial. Anyone with a smartphone can snap pictures, but it takes a considerate eye to find the perfect shot, the parallels are easy to draw. Once the subject matter has been recorded, the work begins in earnest. 'At first, after making a field trip, I come and listen through the recordings and identify them. I listen for sounds that trigger my memory and begin naming them. Something like "Magadi Road, Child singing by the barrel, etc.'. The listening is critical, and finding the triggers that emotionally resonate are of prime importance. Taking photos of the location also helps to recall the memories and allows Kamaru to explore this interplay to reveal new emotional spaces and environments. 'I approach this in 3 different ways. Using field recordings as own compositions (performing sounds). Using field recordings as samples, instrument (resampling and editing sounds). Using field recordings as textures for sound synthesis'. The process is never linear or repetitive. It's a delicate dance between listening and improvisation. 'Once I open Ableton Live, I will go through different banks of the field recordings, I look for sounds/ patterns that can be building blocks for a full piece and build off with that. Other instances, I will drop a long piece of recording and improvise and layer on top of another. When I have a track, improvisation of 4-10 minutes, then I proceed adding more sounds onto this, and using repetitive sounds. I enjoy this a lot. And my recent releases have this repetitive layered sound'.

The recordings are an infinite inspirational resource, and nothing is wasted. There's always another project on the horizon. 'If it doesn't work, it'll work for something else. I have a sketch folder in Ableton where I put all unused recordings and improvised synths which didn't fit a project. Most times they will end up being used in other projects, if not I'll share them with my friends too'. Kamaru gets involved in collaboration at every opportunity. His recent work with Contours on the track 'Portals' is a shining example. Although his work is sometimes solitary, he understands the importance of this activity and relationships. 'Collaboration is vital in the music industry, and it aids creativity. For me, every collaboration I take is a learning process, and encourages me to stay open-minded'. Performing live is an extension of this too. 'Always staying open-minded has helped me through this a lot, mostly when performing live and this reflects naturally while making music'.

And so our conversation returns to the positive influence of his grandfather, someone whom he collaborated with as a loving grandson and fellow musician. Although he was a man that existed in a different time, with different trends and technology, the underlying principles remain. This is a lesson in listening and action. 'Recently I have been attached to my grandfather's music, I think it is because for the past year I have been working on the archival/ reissue project and have been more in contact with his work'.

Whether listening to the struggle of your people and translating that into a Kikuyu song or listening for that unique sound to communicate heartfelt emotion, the similarities are clearly visible. Kamaru is forging his own path and identity on the foundations of listening and sensitivity. As life ebbs and flows around us, it's glorious to sit still every now and then and listen…really listen. 'This has been a learning process for the past 2 or 3 years. Being honest and striving to stay authentic, which is hard. But the more and more I create, the more I find my own space'.

‘Peel’ by KMRU is Out Now. Listen to his ‘Altered States and Imaginary Worlds’ Mix for Mezzanine here: