Muroki is 'ready to play with the big dogs'
Now based in Berlin, the Kenyan-Kiwi pop musician is back in New Zealand to release his debut album Amber Skies.
After three acclaimed EPs and a move to Berlin, the Raglan-raised songwriter tells Music 101 he finally felt ready to release his first album, independently.
"I was just like, 'Man, I've done so many EPs, I think it's time to play with the big dogs, you know what I mean?"
For Amber Skies, Muroki enlisted some Kiwis - Djeisan Suskov and Josh Fountain of the Kiwi electronic band LEISURE and musician Justyn Pilbrow - and Berlin-based producer John "P*Nut" Harrison, who collaborated with Amy Winehouse on her 2006 album Back to Black and who has become a friend.
"Now that we both live in Berlin, we've continued to make music together and drink nice German beers."
The 12 tracks on it were written in Raglan, Germany and Kenya, he says, and some are "finessed" versions of songs dating back to mid-COVID.
Keen to check out Portugal, Muroki shot the music video for the new single 'Break It Down' there with a fun group of New Zealand friends, including Ezra Simons and Gussie Larkin from Berlin-based Kiwi psych rock duo Earth Tongue, and his old friend from Raglan Reiki Ruawai.
"I was like, 'Imagine if we just booked out an Airbnb, and I invited all of my homies to come and surf and just go skating, but in return I'll pay for the accommodation for everyone if they'll be in my music video'.
"So that's exactly what we did. We kind of just winged the entire thing, but yeah, luckily, it worked out."
Muroki says when he was represented by a music label, he "never really utilised" the creative collaborators that were suggested.
Making music independently, though, has fast-tracked his development as an artist and made him much more hands-on.
"When you're an independent artist, there's not as much money going around, so you really kind of have to create a community of people that can help you out, and you have to help other people out
"You can kind of hear it in the music and see it in the visuals. I feel like it's got this warm, friendly vibe because of that."
It's going to be "so sick" to kick off his Amber Skies tour in Raglan on the 6th of February, Muroki says.
"I've been [back in New Zealand] for two weeks, and literally the day of the show will be the first time I've seen all my mates and stuff.
"Also, it's going to be outside in [Raglan venue] The Yard. That's been, like, a dream of mine since I was 14 years old.
"Now, finally, I'm like, 'Yes, we can fill up the outside area. It's going to be a really special show'."
