| Mount Kimbie | |
|---|---|
Dom and Kai at a nightclub |
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| Background information | |
| Genres | Post-dubstep, minimal, ambient |
| Instruments | Music sequencer, samplers, guitar, synthesizer, drum machine, personal computer, |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | Hotflush |
| Website | http://www.mountkimbie.com |
| Members | |
| Kai Campos Dom Maker |
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Mount Kimbie is a British electronic duo that formed in London, England in 2008. The duo consists of Dominic Maker and Kai Campos. Unlike many other mainstream dubstep artists, their style revolves around guitars, sampling, loops and ambient soundscapes.
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Mount Kimbie are made up of twenty-four-year-old Kai Campos and twenty-three-year-old Dom Maker. Kai is originally from St. Austell in Cornwall, while Dom is from Brighton. They met at Southbank University in London, where Kai was having another go at university and Dom was studying film.[1] They started making music together at a home studio in Peckham. Arguably responsible for the term "post-dubstep",[2] the duo has released two unique EPs. The band's debut album, entitled Crooks and Lovers, was released on 19 June 2010 in the UK to critical acclaim, and achieved a 7.9 ADM Rating on review aggregator website AnyDecentMusic?.[3]
At the end of 2010, Crooks & Lovers was included in over thirty 'Best of 2010' lists, including NME, Mixmag, DJ Magazine, Resident Advisor, Pitchfork Media, Drowned In Sound, Boomkat, FACT, Roughtrade and Phonica Records. NME listed them at number 22 in their 30 Artists For 2011.[4]
Mount Kimbie have produced remixes for The Big Pink, Foals and The xx.[5]
The pair are closely linked to friend, producer and BBC Sound of 2011 runner-up, James Blake. He has collaborated with them live[6] and lent his skills to the remixing of "Maybes" which features on the Mount Kimbie EP Remixes Part 1, released 12 April 2010.[7]
Maybes EP was released on 2nd February 2009 and was the band's first EP released on Hotflush Recordings and is available as 12" vinyl and digital download. The debut release received wide spread critical acclaim with favourable reviews in Pitchfork [8] and Resident Advisor [9].
A1. Maybes A2. William B1. Vertical B2. Taps
Sketch on Glass EP was the band's second EP released on 31st July 2009 on Hotflush Recordings receiving rave reviews on Resident Advisor [10].
A1. Sketch On Glass A2. Serged B1. Fifty Mile View B2. At Least
The band released Crooks & Lovers to critical acclaim on Hotflush Recordings on 19 July 2010. Pitchfork Media called it a "beautiful, small and clever album"[11] and NME described it as a "lush collection of soul-stepping miniatures" awarding it number fifty-six in their top Seventy Albums of 2010.[12] For Mixmag it "breaks all genre rules going" and is "really quite beautiful". It was Roughtrade's Album of the Week and Drowned In Sound said it "was certainly a contender for album of the year"[13] iDJ Magazine gave it 10 out of 10 proclaiming it a "triumph in experimental music". By the end of 2010, Crooks & Lovers had been included in over 30 Best of 2010 lists. BBC Music said "Crooks & Lovers is an album of abrupt changes and paradoxes, at once organic and heavily processed, drowsy and yet with moments of eyes-on-stalks urgency, acoustically sweet and electrically charged. It's akin to gently drifting in and out of consciousness on a bus trip, only to be sporadically jolted back into consciousness."[14]
Tracklisting:
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Pitchfork | 8.0 |
| NME | 8/10 |
| Drowned in Sound | 9/10 |
| Rough Trade | Album of The Week |
| Mixmag | 4/5 |
| iDJ Magazine | 10/10 |
| DJ Magazine | 8/10 |
| Uncut | 4* |
| Sunday Times Culture | 4* |
| Loud & Quiet | 9/10 |
| Beatport | Album of the Week |
| Resident Advisor | 4/5 |
| Irish Times | CD of the Week |
| The Sun | 5/5 |
| Vice Magazine | 10/10 |
The first single from Crooks & Lovers was "Mayor / Would Know". It was released on 12" vinyl and digital. The video for "Would Know" was directed by Tyrone Lebon. [15]
Blind Night Errand EP was released on 29 November 2010 on 12" vinyl and digital download. The EP included the song "Before I Move Off" of which there is a video by Tyrone Lebon which debuted on Pitchfork Media - the video is a montage of 8000 photographs. The EP also includes an alternate version of "William" remixed by Mount Kimbie themselves, alongside a live recording of "Maybes" taken from a set at the Berghain club in Berlin.[16]
Tracklisting:
The Carbonated EP is the last release derived from material from the Crooks and Lovers album, and includes remixes of the title track by Airhead and Peter Van Hoesen. B-sides include "Baves Chords", produced at the same time as the Maybes EP, and "Flux", written for the Carbonated EP. The video was again directed by Tyrone Lebon [17].
Mount Kimbie exist alongside other prominent artists of post-dubstep like Joy Orbison, James Blake, Actress, Untold and Ikonika. However, the pair are recognised as pioneers of a truly unique sound that is cast over a vast number of genres.[18] Pitchfork Media describes the duo's music as "pretty, mostly mid-tempo tracks between three and four minutes long with sped-up vocal samples, little tunnels of ambience, unimposing synth patches, and syncopated percussion that sounds like someone putting away the silverware."[19]
Mount Kimbie are known to play many instruments live ranging from guitars, bass, keyboards, Native Instruments Maschine, delay pedals, samplers, Korg Kaosspad, drum pads, snare, ride cymbal, and vocals. James Blake was once a touring member of the band.
In 2010, Mount Kimbie toured the UK, Europe and America. They were also involved in the festival circuit playing at Great Escape Festival, Stag & Dagger festival, Glade Festival, Field Day Festival and Bestival amongst others.
In 2011, they will embark on a US tour in March and April. This will include SXSW and Coachella. In March, they will also play six dates in Australia.[20]
The duo sold out their headline show at Heaven on 28 April 2011. Mount Kimbie were joined by James Blake at their Warehouse Project show on 26/11/11 [21].
Mount Kimbie will appear on Channel 4's Abbey Road Debuts, a new music programme from the producers of Live from Abbey Road. The series will begin in April 2011.[22]
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK | ||
| 2010 | Crooks & Lovers | – |
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Carbonated |
| 2010 | Blind Night Errand
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| 2010 | Mayor / Would Know
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| 2009 | Sketch on Glass
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| 2009 | Maybes
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