Just a Band (2003-2016)

While we're sometimes portrayed as pioneers of a kind of digital creativity in Kenya, our embrace of online platforms was initially born of necessity. Our sound and visuals didn't quite fit mainstream radio and television formats at the time, thus the internet became our natural home - a space where we could experiment freely and connect directly with listeners who were seeking something different. This approach, combined with Kenya's growing digital infrastructure, opened up new possibilities for sharing our work.

This freedom to experiment online naturally led us to explore beyond music alone. Just a Band became a laboratory for multimedia experimentation. I took on roles in music production, singing-songwriting, graphic design, and music video direction together with Mbithi Masya, who joined the band in 2008, bringing both logistical expertise and creative energy. Our work on the music videos helped develop my filmmaking skills, which would become crucial to my later artistic journey.

The band's music emerged from an unlikely mix of musical influences and our shared love of anime and science fiction. Without formal music training, we each brought different elements to our sound: my focus naturally drifted to softer, more emotional compositions, while Blinky brought driving rhythmic elements. Daniel and Mbithi's visual and strategic insights helped shape our music videos, narrative and graphic outputs, and live performances.

Our work gradually expanded beyond traditional music formats. The Goethe-Institut Kenya's invitation to create TRNSMSSN (2009), our first video installation, pushed us into unexpected creative territory. This led to a second video art show - Kudishnyao! (2012), a six-screen installation that explored themes of urban life in Nairobi through parallel narratives. The show screened at both the Goethe-Institut Nairobi and in New York as part of our first stateside tour. These exhibitions helped contextualize our music videos as a distinct form of visual art - and marked our evolution from musicians to multimedia artists.

Between 2008 and 2012, we released three studio albums that documented our evolving sound: "Scratch to Reveal," "82," and "Sorry for the Delay." Each release pushed us to explore new territory, both musically and visually. While creating music often felt like a solitary process, moments of unexpected connection transformed everything. The 2010 video "Ha-He" and its protagonist Makmende became Kenya's first viral internet sensation - a shared cultural moment that broadened our audience beyond Kenya. Our songs found their way into people's daily lives and significant moments - from weddings and gym workouts to personal triumphs and quiet afternoons.

After an active period of making music, performing and touring from 2003-2016, we took time off to explore individual projects. While a soft return in 2022 brought new songs and experiments, the project has evolved as our lives have changed - some members embracing parenthood, others pursuing different creative paths.