KMRU has curated a new compilation Place: Nairobi that will benefit the non-profit, The Green Belt Movement.
Professor Wangari Maathai founded the GBM in 1977 with the goal of empowering communities, particularly women, to conserve the environment and improve livelihoods. It encourages the people it works with to plant trees that bind soil, store rainwater, provide firework and restore watersheds. They are on the front lines fighting climate change in Africa.
The 14-track compilation features tracks from artists in Nairobi that KMRU has chosen. The first tune has been released by 7headc0 titled “jusflu.” KMRU breaks down how he chose the compilation tracks and he impact he hopes it can have.
“Nairobi’s electronic music scene is quite eclectic, featuring diverse styles of music genres together creating personal narratives by the artists, musicians and producers. This curation features a glimpse of the different styles of music coming out of Nairobi electronic music scene,” explains KMRU in a statement.
“From the sampled based productions of MR.LU* who has been reintroducing old Kenyan traditional folklores and narratives in his electronic production; Barno, who blends ambient with elegant piano sounds; Coco Em’s experimental improvised work and Nabalayo’s ‘Changanya’ style: a modernized folk music form that is built on the aesthetics of local folk music in Kenya, to Charles Nyiha’s film-like compositions to M3 live jazz synth improvisations. The scene is quite diverse in styles and Place: Nairobi is only a scratch of the surface of what’s happening in the Nairobi electronic music scene. The curation focuses on burgeoning artists exploring different sonic auralities in music production.”
Place: Nairobi will be released on September 24. Pre-order it on Bandcamp.
Tracklist:
01. L3GS – JADI
02. 7headc0 – justfiu
03. Nabalayo – Room 23
04. MR. LU* – Kinanda
05. Kimina – Nuru
06. Munyasya – Incandescent Plight
07. Barno – A Lifetime
08. Coco Em – 2021
09. KMRU – Window Stills (Field Recording)
10. Ngat Maler – Flux
11. [MONRHEA] – o_O
12. Charles Nyiha – Violet
13. Janice Iche – Thirsty Reggae
14. M3 – So Unfazed
