Kai Campos and Dominic Maker, the British indie-electronic duo better known as Mount Kimbie, were still riding a high from a gig the night before. They’d performed in Amsterdam where the group, only three dates into the Dumb Guitar Tour, finally felt grounded at the crossroads of tour life and nerves.
“I’ve gotten a lot better with the anxiety and nervousness of playing live these days,” Maker shared over a phone call before the duo hit the stage at La Cigale in Paris. “I had to find ways to get out of my head because I used to hate going on stage to play. But I’ve learned to disconnect from what we’re doing a little bit because once you’re up there, you can’t get out of it, so I’ve learned to train myself on that.
“Last night, we played in Amsterdam, and the crowd was singing back our lyrics, which is pretty mental for us because we haven’t really made music like that,” Maker continued
The duo got its start in the London underground electronic music scene, forming what the world knows now as Mount Kimbie nearly 15 years ago. These days, the group is influenced by everything, from techno to dubstep, post-punk to hip-hop, R&B to ambient lo-fi and a handful of uncut DJ mixes that have floated throughout the internet, all intertwining to make up a sound the two consider “forever changing,” a superpower of sorts since having a definite sound has never been Mount Kimbie’s niche.
However, in 2016 the band announced it would go on hiatus; the two felt it was time to dabble in other ventures while allowing each other to grow. That break ended up lasting five years during which Campos delved into DJ culture and Maker produced the likes of Rosalía and SZA.
Reuniting in 2021, the group explored new musical territory for the newest record “ɫ̳set Violent.” The nine-track record, released in April of this year, is a mix of shoegaze and synthesized rock created while the duo were in Yucca Valley, California, a departure from its London roots. They felt it was necessary to seek refuge in the desert landscape, seeking peace, tranquility and as “a last minute effort to get away from all distractions.”
In the scorching summer heat, there wasn’t a clear goal, only the intent to potentially produce a track or two. But as they settled into a secluded Airbnb for six weeks, it became the ideal setting for crafting a California-tinged record, giving birth to what the world now knows as “ɫ̳set Violent.”
“The desert is probably the best place you could go when you want to get away,” Campos said. “We didn’t have a goal go out there; it was initially just to try and basically to come up with some ideas and we hadn’t worked together for about five years at this point. So there was quite a lot of uncertainty about what we were going to do and whether it was even going to be any good. But the landscape out there provided way more for us than we expected; it’s a very surreal place. It’s completely different from where we’re from and the music we make that was usually done in London. It was also the first time we were abroad to write. It was the perfect canvas and environment to write in, especially that the guitar was such a loud voice in this record, it made sense.”
Campos found himself drawn to the home radio, turning the knob that always happen to land on the local country music station. Inspired by the genre’s use of catchy melodies and profound lyricism, it influenced the direction the group was taking. “All of these elements combined created a rich tapestry of visuals that deeply influenced the entire body of work we created.”
The band, now expanded to a four-piece with the addition of Andrea Balency-Béarn and Marc Pell, is currently embarking on the Dumb Guitar Tour across the globe. The 15-date run includes a stop at The Fonda Theatre, originally slated for the El Rey. However, due to high fan demand for tickets, the venue size was expanded.
“The last time we played in Los Angeles was at the Masonic Lodge over at Hollywood Cemetery, and that felt like ages ago for us,” Maker shared with a laugh. “It’s hard to keep up with the times at this point. But having the interest that we do from the States in such a healthy way that we’ve seen over the years and especially with the comeback of this release has been so interesting and amazing for us to watch.”
For both Maker and Campos, performing in Southern California is a significant full-circle moment. For them, it’s an homage, a tribute and an opportunity to reconnect with the roots that initiated “ɫ̳set Violent.”
“Even the last three nights, there’s like a different level of understanding between us all as a band and when you get to the last few months you to start to really communicate in a nonverbal where you’re on stage kind of sharing experiences through music, it takes on another life,” Campos said. “And I think there’s something really special when it comes to sharing that, especially with an audience and certainly an area that allowed us to create what we do. I think that’s the whole point of it all for us.”
Mount Kimbie: Dumb Guitar Tour
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: The Fonda, 6126 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles
Tickets and more information: General admission floor seats are $28; general admission balcony are $28 at
