Vinyl & digital album: kmruahossan.bandcamp.com/album/limen

Released on April 29th, 2022

Last year, Kenyan sound artist Joseph Kamaru (aka KMRU) and French digital alchemist Niamké Désiré (aka Aho Ssan) were invited by Berlin Atonal to collaborate on a project for the festival's Metabolic Rift edition.

The duo had already been working together, but the offer provided the momentum to shift the conversation into another gear. Initially, they looked for thematic connections within their individual practices that might match Kamaru's meditative soundscapes with Désiré's crumbling cyberpunk expressionism, and surprisingly for two artists renowned for their grasp of minimalism, it was the opposite that drew their attention. Watching the world shift as it reacted to the spiraling pandemic, Kamaru and Désiré were moved to experiment with volume, physicality, and intense emotionality.

“I never made something so extreme," Désiré says of the duo's first recording, 2021's 'Ruined Abstractions', an extended composition that matches dense, powerful low-end drones with fractal digital fuzz and smokestack bruit. It set the mood for a back-and-forth that resulted in their seismic debut full-length, "Limen", described by the two acclaimed artists as an attempt to scrutinize the yin and yang of destruction and creation.

Cacophonous, concrete crunches fanfare the album's opening piece 'Resurgence' - the result of their Berlin Atonal commission - but the track refuses to languish in wrecking ball devastation. Instead, powerful synthesized harmonies ring from beneath the rubble, before stifling everything in a humid fuzz of dense, emotionally-charged cinematic electronics.

Influenced by the prescient post-apocalyptic mood of Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira" and the mythological phoenix, an immortal bird said to be reborn from the ashes of its dying predecessor, "Limen" is an album that sonically snapshots the anxious, floral beauty of an explosion or the colorful intensity of a raging fire. It's rooted in concepts of duality - the idea something unsettling can be viewed from a different angle and re-interpreted.

On the album's epic, 21-minute centerpiece 'Ruined Abstraction I + II', swirling electromagnetic interference paints a haunted parallel vista that dissolves slowly into subtle, orchestral tones and booming, widescreen thuds.

Almost angelic closing track 'Rebirth' meanwhile is the most unashamedly beautiful composition Kamaru and Désiré have written together, but its choral bliss is doused in petroleum noise and saturated distortion.

"Limen" is an album that seeks to lift a veil of silence from the world, replacing it with maximalist bombast and vivid passion. It's a dynamic piece of work that finds its creators pushing themselves to the limits, deconstructing history as it detonates around us.

All tracks written and produced by Joseph Kamaru
and Niamké Désiré; mastered by Joker

Published by Multiverse Media Publishing
© & ℗ Subtext / Multiverse LTD 2022

subtextrecordings.net/

Limen

Vinyl & digital album

KMRU & Aho Ssan - Resurgence

Look, I got a bunch of luscious mangoes and sliced watermelons on my plate. This will be enough to keep me in shape while watching The Land Before Time.

säwdā' ⎠ sevdah ⎠ saudade ⎠  sud ⎠    

papa snare at @SUTRA_club
mama bear at instagram.com/kc_ziva RIP

http://linktr.ee/SAUD

forthcoming::
26/09 Zoukak, Beirut
10/10 Highhats, Beirut
15/11 TBA Istanbul
22/11 Nyege Nyege, Uganda
5/12 SUTRA & Friends
13/12 TBA Zagreb 

2 0 2 5
06/09 CHUDO, Serbia
15/08 ISKRA weekender
02/08 Sahika, Istanbul, Turkey
25/07 Bvcolica, Czechia
28/06 Skopje, Macedonia
27/06 SUTRA x NYEGE NYEGE
06/06 Niansa, Slovenia
26/04 Sofia, Bulgaria
19/04 ZORA III : Hassan Abou Alam
18/04 Grime & Punishment, Beirut, Lebanon
11/04 UOFFU, Masters, Zagreb
29/03 SUTRA 6TH BDAY, KC Grad
07/03 Goya, Budapest
06/03 Manfaz, 90mil, Berlin
05/03 Funk, Zagreb
15/02 ZORA II : Assyouti, Sara Persico (live), Renata
07/02 Drip n Bass, Belgrade
25/01 KC Grad, Belgrade

2 0 2 4
27/12 ZORA w/ Cocktail Party Effect
14/11 Nyege Nyege Festival, Uganda
9/11 Ispod Bine, Split, Croatia
18/10 SUTRA w/ @Mumdance, @Turbomiffy, @un_earth
06/10 Unsound afterparty Swiata Krowa, Krakow
28/09 VOLTA x SUTRA, Attack Zagreb
21/09 SUTRA x Gomila Novi Sad
07/09 ŽIVA season opening w/ @realvanboom
30/08 С Е Ч А by SUTRA n frenz 
17/08 Nebuloza Gathering open air, Serbia
03/08 Ж Е Г А open air, Kac, Serbia
12/07 VOLTA @ Masters, Zagreb, Croatia
06/07 Jura workers' strike benefit
05/07 Nebuloza @ ŽIVA, Belgrade
28/06 SUTRA w/ Gabber Modus Operandi, Belgrade
07/06 Frequent Defect, Beirut, Lebanon
11/05 SUTRA w Piezo, Belgrade
26/04 NURT, Krakow, Poland
19/04 Sonica festival, Slovenia
05/04 S.A.T. ŽIVA , Belgrade
29/03 Stab Pogon, Pancevo
22/03 Inkubator, KC Ziva, Belgrade
06/03 @kiosk_radio Brussels
02/03 5th bday of @sutra_club w/ ZULI, Rama
10/02 Sounds of Resistance, Belgrade
08/02 SNOP @ AKC Attack, Croatia
26/01 Graz, Austria
19/01 Hali Gali, KC Grad
17/01 Airborne, Kwia Berlin
13/01 Orthodox NY, KC Grad
06/01 @sutra_club w/ @lu2k , KC Grad

2 0 2 3
23/12 11K, Zvezda, Belgrade
15/12 Breakboost x Illegal Tapes, Rennes, France
17/11 Savvy Club, KC Grad
10/11 Mostly Joking w/ Hajj @ ŽIVA 
04/11 Crvenilo w/ Ossia, Ojoo @ ŽIVA 
14/10 @sutra_club w/ @ehuamusic
8/10 Unsound festival official afterparty, Krakow
29/09 KRAK, Bihać
16/09 ŽIVA opening w/ @mookie, @carne, @jkornet Belgrade
12/08 ŽEGA , Serbia
02/08 Repeat bar, Berlin
28/07 Bvcolica, Czech Republic
16/06 Fields Festival, Belgrade
14/06 Falk Ist workers benefit KC Grad
10/06 Sahika, Istanbul
03/06 @FrequentDefect, Beirut
02/06 Futura Kultura, Novi Sad
20/05 Minus Eden, Skopje
20/05 Platform 0.10 Skopje
13/05 Unframed, Belgrade
29/04 Fields promo 20/44 Belgrade
14/04 Sprat bar Belgrade
05/04 Repeat bar Berlin
31/03 Trezor Sarajevo
30/03 d59b Berlin
28/03 Cashmere radio Berlin
25/03 @irshcairo video stream, Berlin
24/03 w/ Fast Castle, Berlin
11/03 @sutra_club bday secret location
27/01 Bonnefooi Brussels
20/01 @sutra_club w/ @rami-abadir KC Grad Belgrade

2 0 2 2
05/11 w/ @ShaRu 20/44 Belgrade
16/09 Mocvara Zagreb
07/09 @Kioskradio Brussels
04/09 Bonnefooi Brussels
04/09 open air, Kortriijk, Belgium
30/07 ZEGA, Belgrade
18/06 @sutra_club w/ @freddymn
21/05 Brooklyn, NYC with @Uklon fam
07/05 @sutra_club w/ @leegamble
05/03 @sutra_club w/ @aya_yco
NYE '22 @drugstorebeograd

2 0 2 1
28/12 Cairo Jazz Club, Egypt
19/12 w/ Schacke
12/11 Boiler Room w/ @sutra_club
31/10 Halloween @ O Fest Bologna, Italy
03/09 @SUTRA_club x @kepasaparadoks present @UNIZONElabel 
07/08 @SUTRA_club w/ @rrRaMa + @rami-ABADIR live 
03/07 @SUTRA_club residents
29/05 @SUTRA_club residents

2 0 2 0
14/11 @SUTRA_club residents
17/10 ZEZ festival @ KSET, Zagreb, Croatia
03/10 @SUTRA_club residents 
10/09 All The Rhythms @ 2044
27/08 B.R.O. #3 @ Zappa
20/06 @SUTRA_club residents 
07/03 w/ @hodgebristol @20/44 Belgrade 
06/03 @ Technokjeller BLÅ Oslo Norway
14/02 @SUTRA_club 1st bday rave w/ @Aquarian
25/01 w/ @jsliwa @ 20/44
01/01 @JellyZone NYE 2020 Fayoum Egypt

2 0 1 9
07/12 @SUTRA_club w/ @deejayploy 
06/12 DOWNCAST w/ @zhe-pechorin 
16/11 Grounded Festival Slovenia
01/11 BOILER ROOM @clubdrugstore
12/10 @SUTRA_club rave w/ Desonanz Festival and @Pessimist @Eomac @Ontal @Andreas-Hz b2b @Kronombass @drugstorebeograd
05/10 React 4  @drugstorebeograd
27/09 season opening @drugstorebeograd
26/09 Sub Rosa IX  @drugstorebeograd
20/09 @ Pixie Istanbul
06/09 @SUTRA_club w/ @MoltenMoods: @JONAS-YAMER @STAANA-eu  
12/09 Apgrade Festival
29/08 Sub Rosa VIII @drugstorebeograd
27/07 Inverza Invites 3x2 @drugstorebeograd
20/07 @SUTRA_club w/ @minor-science 
04/07 Sub Rosa VII @drugstorebeograd
24/05 @SUTRA_club w/ @the-subliminal-kid @drugstorebeograd
27/04 @MoltenMoods w/ @jonas-yamer @staana-eu @rotesonne Munich 
15/03 Mostly Joking w/ @evitceles @n_1_l @drugstorebeograd
08/02 @SUTRA_club rave premiere w/ @batuuk @drugstorebeograd
01/02 w/ @icketa Il b.u.c.o. Bologna Italy
24/01 Gana @ Thea Soti's FLESH CAGES @ KC Grad
18/01 Mostly Joking w/ @a7baljelly @icketa & Cuban Linx @ KC Grad
11/01 w/ Envelope Cruz @ ​Dorćol Platz

2 0 1 8
31/12 w/ @jass-29 @drugstorebeograd
24/11 w/ @aaaska @drugstorebeograd
02/11 w/ @esaggila @ 20/44
15/09 w/ @lakker @darasmith @drugstorebeograd
30/08 w/ @andrewakanbi Sub Rosa VI @drugstorebeograd
10/08 w/ @randomer @DokuFest Prizren
26/07 Sub Rosa V @drugstorebeograd
21/07 RE:FORM 2018 by @servisorg Kosovo
21/06 Sub Rosa IV @drugstorebeograd
18/05 w/ @mumdance @drugstorebeograd
05/05 @servisorg @drugstorebeograd
27/04 w/ @errorsmith @drugstorebeograd
06/04 Bassiani Showcase @drugstorebeograd
02/02 w/ @eomac @kujo-project @ OCCII Amsterdam
19/01/ w/ @zulimusic @ 20/44

2 0 1 7
23/12 w/ @suuutooon @bahnhof-prishtina
15/12 @waxx-traxx bday @drugstorebeograd
01/12 Desonanz Festival Macedonia
14/10 w/ @untold @drugstorebeograd
07/09 Sub Rosa III @drugstorebeograd
12/08 w/ @kangding-ray @drugstorebeograd
27/07 Sub Rosa II @drugstorebeograd
22/07 w/ @eomac @drugstorebeograd
02/07 Roots Gathering 2017 Badovc Kosovo
15/06 w/ Sub Rosa I @drugstorebeograd
12/05 RetroPlex Kapan An Macedonia
25/03 w/ Soul Tangler @strahinja-arbutina @lil_taty1 @drugstorebeograd
28/01 Gradual Movement IV Zone Pristina
20/01 Techno Yes Techno @ 20/44 

2 0 1 6
16/12 w/ @aisha-devi live @drugstorebeograd
29/10 Gradual Movement III 
28/05 Gradual Movement II 
13/02 Gradual Movement I @bahnhof-prishtina

Subtext Recordings is a Bristol founded / Berlin based label curated by james ginzburg.