Born in Pennsylvania but never leaving his Kenyan roots behind, Baraka Ongeri aka Binki is combining different genres delivering unique and experimental futuristic sounds. The year was 2018, Binki had finished his studies in theatre and was on his way to New York to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor. Upon being rejected at a few auditions, Binki turned to music as an escape and a way to cope with his feelings, and let me tell you I am glad he did. In the same year, Binki released his first single, “Marco”. The alt-pop song has a strong confessional assertive tone to it but it’s the unexpected funky catchy chorus that will play on loop in your head during the next days.

In 2019, Binki released three more singles. “Wiggle”, in which he presents us such a great guitar solo, “Sea Sick”, a laid-back song with a simple beat but with a great build up, and “Heybb!”. “Heybb!” is an indie-pop banger with such a  high energy that I find it hard to not move along with the rhythm. In 2020, Apple utilized this song for one of their famous commercials and that was the moment Binki’s name started to be heard around the World.

In 2021, Binki surprised us with his first ambitious alternative EP, “Motor Function”. The first track, “Clay Pigeon” mixes the indie rock sounds and tackles the topic of how to open up with others and yourself. The second track, “Landline”, is my personal favorite, it has this involving ambiance with a futuristic sound. Binki uses repetition as an expressive technique which allows us to pay attention to the other elements of his songs. “Revolve” is the song that follows, it’s fast-paced with an aggressive start where the synths carry a sinister tone. To wrap up the EP, we have “Invisible Fence”, a little more laidback but still on theme. Binki takes the sounds from the 2000s which are familiar due to the dance environment but combines and transforms them in a way that gives his songs a futuristic character. Binki’s sound is good, it is different and makes me travel to the past and imagine the future at the same time.