KMRU
KMRU (Joseph Kamaru) is an ambient music artist who has a focus on field recording. He is drawn to meditative and calming music, possibly as a result of his upbringing in the noisy streets of Nairobi. He describes it as a means to ‘slow things down.’
In high school, Joseph moved from the city to a more rural area. This drastic change of sonic environment caused a sensitivity to his surroundings and a focus on his aims. Kamaru started to conduct field recordings, collecting material to use in his music production. He emphasises minimalism as a means of inspiration, the limitation forces you to make the best work with what you have. There is also an emphasis on being open to whatever happens, improvising on synthesisers while not restricting the outcome.
Kamaru is currently doing a three year master’s program in the Berlin university of arts. The transition from Nairobi to Berlin was difficult as the sonic landscapes are so different, Kamaru started to wonder if his sound would change. Joseph’s intention and understanding of field recording developed as he went deeper into the practice. His relationship to the practice was strictly functional, he valued the recording itself, for its sonic qualities and utility for music. Now, Kamaru has started to consider the location as an important aspect of the practice.
‘I feel that sound itself is the best way to learn and understand our surroundings‘
Kamaru has been making an effort to remove the act of recording occasionally, just to sit and listen as a meditative activity. Sometimes he will bring a notebook and pen to describe his surroundings, this seems to be a method of becoming more perceptually literate. Experience is as important as the act of recording. Occasionally he will draw what he hears as a way to document experience.
Kamaru’s ambient music philosophy is to use elements of recordings in extended ways to create new textures/melodies. The aim of his method is to blend music with field recording to create a sense of insecurity in the listener as to whether music is happening, the field recordings also provide a narrative behind the music. The listener has something to connect to enhancing their experience.
I find KMRU’s work inspiring as its a practice I’m unfamiliar with, I don’t make ambient music and I only rarely conduct field recordings. His idea of giving the listener something more to connect to and giving instruments a narrative is very interesting. I believe this philosophy applies to my interest diegetic underscore, the recordings you compose with carry a narrative that is evident even after manipulation.