With a string of super chilled bangers under his belt including the platinum hit Wavy, Raglan’s Muroki is delivering on the promise that saw his self released debut picked up by Benee and played by Elton John on his Rocket Hour radio show back in 2020.
That track For Better Or Worse was an immediate taste of what Muroki had to offer — his voice a hypnotic instrument effortlessly caressing melodies over hazy, roots based pop.
Signing to Benee’s Olive Records label, Muroki released the Dawn EP in 2021 which included the notable Wavy, a song that hovered around the top of the charts on Spotify, radio and Shazam on both sides of the Tasman.
Muroki’s second EP came in 2022. Heading East featured the dancefloor heater Find Me and another tasty selection of roots pop.
He headed out on two tours to Australia, performances in LA and Berlin, two more national tours of Aotearoa and numerous festival appearances, ending 2022 on a true musical highlight joining Jack Johnson and his band on stage in Auckland to jam Wavy with the Hawaiian based superstar.
After his international travels, 2023 saw Muroki release the singles Sweet Lime and Watching Movies, both written and recorded in sessions in New York and Berlin.
He returned to Australia to play another tour and then prepared for his next release, the Timezones EP.
Timezones featured a new collaboration with Benee, the infectious Love Cocoon, and the EP took an overtly funky turn through its seven tracks, which Muroki termed his ‘black soul’ record.
Love Cocoon topped the Triple J playlist in January and Muroki returned to Australia to record that song live for the station along with a stunning take on Tame Impala’s Borderline for Triple J's legendary Like A version slot.
Muroki blends his Kenyan and Coromandel roots into a brew that feels distinctly mixed in Raglan, the home town he mostly strongly identifies his music with — its sunbaked, sleepy seaside intimacy and pounding surf a defining backdrop to this 22 year old’s sound.
Multifaceted silky and rhythmic grooves have strong ties to his surfing background, adding in sounds from South America to Africa and back to the west coast of Aotearoa.
A musician's musician, brimming with talent and soul far beyond his years, Muroki started learning as an eight year old, and with the guidance of his blind guitar teacher, he's been on a unique journey with his craft ever since.
Collaborations as diverse as Nasaya, Flowidus, Leisure and Benee show that Muroki can lend his natural vocal flow to any number of styles.
On stage and record, Muroki is emerging as a shining talent, bringing a growing audience to his soulful sound.