Since the release of his album »Peel« on Editions Mego in 2020, Joseph Kamaru aka KMRU has not enjoyed a moment’s peace. At least this is what his discography and artistic CV suggest. Various albums, live soundtracks for films and other projects keep the Kenyan busy, especially in Berlin, where his pseudonym appears in capital letters everywhere. There he enrolled at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) and produced »Dissolution Grip« under the aegis of Jasmine Guffond, an album that took his art to a new level. Traditionally, KMRU tends to produce long tracks that are indebted to the classic ambient school. It is not uncommon for his pieces to last for more than ten minutes, during which only gradual developments take place. While he has cultivated the use of field recordings as a stylistic device on many of his recent releases, he creates music from them on »Dissolution Grip« through sound synthesis, discreetly inscribing his precious recordings. All of this culminates in the title track, the strongest of the three, which swells with tremendous power, demanding more and more attention until it can no longer be ignored. Powerful ambient music that draws greatness from simple means – arching dynamic changes, drawn-out tones, serious dramaturgy. Quite the opposite of Oren Ambarchi’s restrained »Grapes From The Estate«, but no less successful.
Dissolution Grip
