Joseph Kamaru, better known as KMRU, is a Nairobi-born sound artist and producer currently based in Berlin. For KMRU, sound serves as a sensorial medium through which he explores political, material, and conceptual dimensions. Drawing from a rich repository of listening experiences in Nairobi and beyond, he expands his sonic practice to heighten awareness of his surroundings through creative compositions, installations, and performances. He has collaborated with Niamké Désiré aka Aho Ssan, Freya Edmondes aka Elvin Brandhi, and Kevin Martin aka The Bug, amongst others, and has released his work on prestigious labels such as Mego, Touch and Subtext. Alongside this, he honours his grandfather and namesake, Joseph Kamaru — the celebrated Kenyan activist and Benga musician — by reissuing his music and continuing his legacy of sonic storytelling.
“Different places have identifiable sonic identities relating to their specific locations and the auditory culture of the place. We are influenced by the environments we live in, but mostly not aware of them. This became apparent to me when I first traveled to Berlin and realised how different its sonic identity is from Nairobi. Sounds communicate the different senses and properties of the respective cities: Berlin has more motor sounds, while Nairobi has more sounds of people. We experience these sounds on a daily basis and it is important that we know how they affect us. If they change, they might indicate that something is different, and if we are attentive, we will notice it.”
