Clear Vinyl
Mount Kimbie with their double album, comprised of individual albums by its two members - Dom Maker and Kai Campos - MK 3.5: Die Cuts | City Planning. It shows how Dom Maker and Kai Campos have grown over the past decade, and demonstrates the two sides of Mount Kimbie’s aesthetic coin - each side produced entirely by either member.
Die Cuts, produced by Dom, was inspired by his move to LA half a decade ago, around the same time as the band’s old friend and collaborator James Blake. The pair began doing production sessions with a series of increasingly big names from the world of rap and hip-hop, including Jay-Z, Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky, SZA, and Rosalia, among many others. Dom’s collaborative work is going from strength to strength, hitting a recent high with his and James’ headturning work on Slowthai’s ‘Feel Away’. Die Cuts is a reflection of this nascent community and Dom’s producerly vision. Skipping between hip-hop, RnB, and electronic pop, the album combines high class songcraft with a delicate leftfield touch, and showcases a cast of vocalists including longtime friends James Blake and Slowthai, alongside new collaborators Danny Brown, Reggie, Nomi, Keiyaa, Wiki, Liv.e, Kucka and Choker.
Kai’s side began after the duo’s finest record yet, 2017’s Love What Survives, led to a period of extensive touring. Back home, he was hungry for a change of pace. He found it in DJing, which offered a new kind of performance - unplannable, unpredictable, and thrilling. He has since become a seasoned DJ, clocking in at the finest festivals (Field Day, Dekmantel, Melt) and clubs (Printworks, Fabric, Sub Club, Concrete) and recording numerous mixes, including a slick DJ-Kicks mix in 2018. Following this, he embarked on a project of "intense listening and thinking about listening,” immersing himself in new sounds and music-making approaches. The outcome of this creative journey is City Planning. Wild, warped and loopy, the album twists avant-garde signifiers from on and off the dancefloor into a deft and refined statement. Its sleek beats and stuttering arpeggios are caked with scuzz and personality, making for an album that’s warm and inviting even at its most confrontational. They also share the news that for the first time ever, acclaimed photographers/directors and longtime collaborators, Tyrone Lebon & Frank Lebon are working together with Mount Kimbie alongside legendary US visual artist and sculptor Tom Shannon to create a multi-format creative campaign.
