DUMA ^KE

From Nairobi’s metal scene, this duo adds techno to doom-laden guitars and distorted vocals

The scene is Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Here, you will find a committed underground of metal bands. A broad variation of groups covering a variation of subgenres. Things get really interesting when these niches branch further out and develop a sound of their own.

Meet Duma.

Formed in 2019, the duo comprises Martin Khanja (electronics, guitar) and Sam Karugu (vocals), who named the project after the Kikuyu word for “darkness”.

Together, they bridge the gap between the region’s club scene and its moshpit-inducing live bands. In other words, they bring doom to the dancefloor.

Duma’s sound fuses the frenetic euphoria, unrelenting physicality and rebellious attitude of hardcore punk and thrash metal with bone-crunching breakcore and raw, nihilist industrial noise through a claustrophobic vortex of visceral screams.

In 2020, Duma released their self-titled debut album. It has made some people rave enthusiastically, others scratch their heads, unable to pinpoint exactly what they’re hearing. That’s the force of Duma. They have an almost surrealist approach to both metal and electronica – and the end result is extreme sonics! Challenging, indeed, and groundbreaking!

Duma is presented together with Nyege Nyege Tapes, a Uganda-based label that brings chaos to the digital dancefloor and empowers artists across the African continent.