Fulu Miziki is a collective from the Democratic Republic of Congo, creating instruments from found objects and recycled materials. Crafting sonic gems from everyday detritus, they are sound designers in the truest sense, guided by resourcefulness and ingenuity. Their custom instrumentation brings a distinct voice to their dense polyrhythmic improvisations and embodies the virtue of doing more with less.

The group’s sound palette available for reinterpretation through this sample collection ranges from struck drums to plucked strings. Handcrafted tones range span metallic, wooden, plastic, and rubbery textures, reflecting the myriad materials found in expanding landfills around the world. “I want to bring attention to the problem of waste management in [Kinshasa],” says group member Piscko Crane. Embracing a rare combination of sound design and environmental ideology, Fulu Miziki offer us a sample collection that’s anything but ordinary.