Mo Kolours

Joseph Deenmamode, recording as Mo Kolours, merges his Mauritian and British heritage as a producer, vocalist, and percussionist by intertwining sega traditions rooted in his father’s homeland with hip-hop, soul, jazz, and electronica. His wide-ranging style sits between the innovations of Fela Kuti and J Dilla, a sensibility reflected in the relaxed, spontaneous character of his self-titled debut album from 2014. Later projects explored fresh timbres through instruments including the djembe, ravanne, and caxixi, while his third album, Inner Symbols in 2018, achieved greater immediacy while preserving its stylistic range.

Although sega and favored contemporary artists shaped his early listening, Deenmamode only began crafting his own material after enrolling at art college, where a 2004 course assignment prompted his first productions. During those initial steps he connected with Paul White, regularly joining him to test ideas on drum machines. Once White’s profile rose, he invited Deenmamode to open several concerts; one such performance in 2011 led to an introduction to Alex Chase of One-Handed Music. Deenmamode subsequently issued a trilogy of EPs on the label, gathering recordings made between 2011 and 2013. The 2014 debut appeared the following year, its fluid atmosphere stemming from a process in which recording gear remained active at all times, allowing ideas to be captured, edited, and arranged afterward. His follow-up, Texture Like Sun in 2015, adopted the same method and again appeared via One-Handed. Greater involvement in London’s music community eventually brought releases on 22a Records, home to Henry Wu, Tenderlonious, and Al Dobson, Jr. For Inner Symbols, issued in 2018 on Five Easy Pieces, he centered the project on an Electro Harmonix looper, resulting in a more approachable set of tracks that nevertheless retained the unhurried, expansive approach established throughout his work.