CATCHING UP WITH M.RUMBI: RECENT RELEASES, UNLIKELY COLLABS, TOUR DATES AND HIS UPCOMING EP: 'RE-IMAGINED'

For  nearly half a decade, Micheal Rumbi has been contributing continuous hits to the alternative scene with the sound he likes to call Indie-pop; using the sharpened resources of his laid-back and ethereal guitar compositions, his finely tuned beats as a producer and his lively and underrated bars as a rapper, all of which have mashed up into this sensual and distinct soothing sound he can call his own. 

His past life as a sketch artist has also paid it's dues as the edgy yet alluring visualizers and imagery he has used to express his music has built him the brand of an artist who is introspective, charismatic and yet street-smart. His story begs to be quite unique being a Kenyan-born musician based in Bloemfontein who has now successfully built his career with some  surprising collaborations such as his latest release with Russian singer Elza Tsaiger in their song 'Further Lighter'. A potent ballad that blends both ambient electronic synths laid along the soft chimes of piano and guitar, swaying into the unexpected rumbles of a marching snare, a somewhat eerie mystical experience if a song in this genre were composed in Moscow. Previous to this, a partnership with a hometown friend Monique Burger birthed his single 'You're not here'. Their song reinforces what he admits to be his minimalist approach to songwriting as he lays his intricate Electric guitar chords underneath Monique's sultry yet fierce vocals. Indie, dynamic, yet ambient reflects a lot of what Rumbi is about. A vivid reflection of his simple town yet a surprising contrast to his more zestful rapper persona 'Basic City'.

I got a chance to catch up with Rumbi in what looks to be his busiest year yet as he is determined to shift gears amidst several tour dates, a year long 26 track project which includes his upcoming 'Re-Imagined Ep'; an upbeat and exciting compilation of remixes to singles from his past projects such  '4.3k' which he released in August 2020 and 'See Me. Si Me' which he released in November of the same year. Here we get to see a fun side of Rumbi. Something you can bump to on a night out with friends or the perfect hype for that epic house party. 

How does the process behind your collaborations work?

I write the lyrics to all my songs except in my upcoming EP. Most of my songs are inspired by the first few words of the song so I write and sing the melody and send it to the singer who then adds harmonies. 

How did you go about writing 'You're not here'?

It was something about looking outside the window and someone not being there. After that, I kind of just built up that feeling of wanting someone who can't really be there. If you were sitting in that room and that (special) someone couldn't see you, that would be the soundtrack.

Is there a personal story behind the song?

Everything and nothing is personal. If I think an idea is dope, it doesn't mean it is necessarily connected to my life. But I do try to make sure the emotion is real. I remember when I started making music, one of the first things i realised is that it makes you feel these wide spectrum of emotions that i didn't understand. I love the idea that you can provide an emotion and make people feel that way. With my music I like the idea of fragility and tenderness. It's one of the reasons I like music. 

Most of your music tends to feel light, tell me more about this?

Innately, I think I turn towards a more melancholic sound, so what I seek to capture in my work is that fragility. I feel like my songs 'More' and 'Less' really capture what I would like to do by using vocals and two to three instruments. They feel light and tender like if you squeeze too hard the feelings would disappear. 

With this project coming I think it will give people the idea that there can be more but it doesn't fit what I am trying to do with my music. If you're putting out music to be consumed there is the idea of compromise between yourself and your fanbase but my most stripped down songs are the ones that perform better so if it's reading my fanbase, it seems that this is what they want.

You have worked with a lot of artists outside South Africa and the continent, tell me more about that and how that works?

Most of the work I'm going to do this year is going to be with artists around the world.  I have songs coming with different artists from the Philippines and the UK. 

There's an app called 'Vampr' which people call the ‘Tinder for musicians’. I found a few vocalists  there including Elza and I produced our first song called 'What is Love' in November last year. Further Lighter is a follow up of a song that she wrote. It's about Hope.

Your Re-Imagined Ep sounds very different from most of your work. How did it come about?

It's a remix Ep, it's based on the music I was making in 2020 which was more Hip Hop, R&b and neo soul. I have shifted away from that to a more indie & afro-pop sound. I wanted to release this Ep last year as a way of ushering this sound. But I didnt manage to release it, so it's coming out now in July and August, with two tracks each month.

The project is also a shoutout to all the vocalists I have worked with like Monique Burger, Nawekulo, Elza Tsaiger, Basic City and even Kenyan singers Alexis Muriithi and Wendy Kay

What inspired you to release 26 tracks in a Year?

I'm using the idea of consistency. I feel like dropping a track every month would be more ideal. But now this project is based on what I've observed to be working for me recently.

Could you share with us some of your influences as a producer?

Muyama Hiroto  and Nujabes. I am a big fan of instrumental music and the pre-lofi era which is really good for streaming.

You seem to enjoy performing quite a lot. Tell me about your upcoming shows?

I am taking part in a showcase called 'M. Rumbi and Friends' for 'Harare Afrifaa' which is a festival in Zimbabwe on the 26th of June. We're going to bring some of my shows to life. We're first putting up a fundraiser for the event. It's my first time going there so I'm definitely quite excited. I am part of the organisation that is taking South African Artists there.

I'm also the curator for 'So Far Sounds Bloemfontein' so were  we're busy setting up shows for artist's around the city.