Mr Raoul K

Mr Raoul K is a house and electronic artist from Côte d'Ivoire and Germany. He is originally from Agboville in Ivory Coast and moves to Hamburg, northern Germany, in 1992. In Hamburg, he becomes involved in dance music and starts working as a DJ while also training as a carpenter. He later moves to Lübeck in 1999, where he continues DJing and builds a home studio to learn production through trial and error.

Music style and approach

His music combines traditional African instruments and rhythms with European production methods and sound design. The result is rooted in afro-beat house and techno. He is known for a careful, methodical approach to production, and each release in his Peul series centres on a specific African instrument as the main sound source.

Labels and releases

After difficult experiences with record deals, he launches Baobab Music in 2007. His first release on the label is Le Cercle Peul, which receives attention from producers including Jerome Sydenham, Josh Deep, Tobi Neumann, Henrik Schwarz and Jephte Guillaume, as well as club audiences. On that release he uses the kora, described here as an African guitar. A later Peul release, Le Karantkatrieme Peul, features the balafon as its central instrument.

In 2008 and 2009 he releases several records on Baobab Music, including Le Cercle Peul, Himalaya, Emotion Du Peul, Jenseits, and Le Karantkatrieme Peul. He also releases Wind of Goree on Mule Musiq and Sun of Gao on Fatsouls Records.

International connections

He develops a following around the world, with particular attention in Japan. This leads to an invitation from Tokyo label Mule Musiq to appear on I’m Starting To Feel Ok Vol. 3. His track Wind Of Goree also appears on Mule Musiq. He is described as especially fond of the label.

Baobab Secret

In 2009 he sets up Baobab Secret with a friend based in London. The label serves as a sister imprint to Baobab Music and is used for tracks that do not fit Baobab Music’s usual release schedule, as well as music that moves beyond a typical Baobab sound. Its first release is Moment Psychedelik by Mr Raoul K, issued on vinyl and digitally.