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Alai K Kila Mara On the Corner

07.02.22

At its core, Kila Mara is a techno record – one that makes clear the indelible influence of Black and African traditions on Western dance music. On moving to Berlin three years ago, Alai fell deeply in love with the city’s burgeoning techno scene, recognising its raw, hypnotic power from the polyrhythmic drum music that originated in his hometown in Kenya.

Like the music he grew up listening to, repetition was key: looping, driving rhythms took precedence over verse-chorus structures, and human voices were used rhythmically rather than lyrically. Despite being over 5000 miles from his birthplace, in Berlin’s techno clubs, he felt right at home.

As such, his debut LP, Kila Mara, is a record that celebrates cultural exchange in vibrant colour. Hand drums, marimbas and chants are underpinned by heavy, uptempo Berghain-ready kicks, and Jeff Mills-esque synth arps stretch out across driving carnival beats. It’s a record that straddles the rural and the urban; the traditional and the new. From the moment it starts, it barely stops to catch a breath – and why should it, with such a vital message at its lips?