KMRU - Kin

Editions Mego welcomes KMRU back to the fold. Kin is the second release by Kenyan-born, Berlin-based sonic wizard Joseph Kamaru on Editions Mego, following the classic 2020 Peel. Since Peel's release and the praise that followed, the artist has been a staple of the electronic scene, performing on numerous stages and at festivals worldwide, alongside a flood of media recognition. Kin was discussed as a potential sequel to Peel in initial conversations with Peter Rehberg. The project started in early 2021 in Nairobi, with Kamaru exploring his noisier palette of sounds, encompassing distortions reminiscent of those he would muster in his youth when playing guitar. He paused making this record for a year after Peter died, then slowly returned to it over the course of 2022, resulting in this immense new work. The charms within Kin lie as Easter eggs, revealing the identity behind the sonics only after multiple deep listens. "With Trees Where We Can See" sets the tone with a warm, swaying melody that invites 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" pairs twangy guitar strums with glistening drones. "They Are Here" represents a darker hue, with melancholic, shadowy clouds that 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 the proceedings, serving as both exit music and a portal to further sonic investigation, with acoustic bellowing residing amongst a kaleidoscopic backdrop. Kin is a trip that rewards close, repeated listens as all the colors, textures, nuances, and narratives unveil themselves.