Sam Karugu is a musician, producer, and DJ who explores the boundaries of sound and music. His music is experimental and borders and blurs and mixes between Noise, grindcore, punk, industrial, breakcore, ambient and »traditional« African music. Mostly musically »formally« self-taught, but studied audio and media in film school, he sees sound and music as a powerful medium especially through performance as rituals and happenings, and friendly get togethers that connect him and the audience in a visceral and cathartic and fun way that could also inform or provoke thought. He is part of the duos Duma, Nari, Systemes Bordeliques, Usura, and solo as Final rupture of the varicose vein and Slammy Karugu among other projects. Sam is based in Nairobi, Kenya and Kampala, Uganda but is always on the move on tour in Europe, America and other parts of the world looking for new ways to challenge himself and engage with his listeners and fans. Sam has just finished his first Asia tour in Indonesia, and is working on a solo album out on Nyege Nyege tapes, and a self-release of live recordings from his Indonesia tour as well as working on numerous new collaborative projects.
Sam Karugu is awarded the 2024 co-creation residency in Berlin, Germany and Kampala, Uganda, under which he collaborates with Berlin-based Luna Vassarotti.
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