Ibibio Sound Machine

London-based octet Ibibio Sound Machine weave together influences drawn equally from West African funk and disco's golden era, post-punk, and contemporary electronica. Producers Max Grunhard, Leon Brichard, and Benji Bouton, all devotees of 1970s and '80s African grooves, formed the group. English-Nigerian vocalist Eno Williams fronts the ensemble, which stormed club culture via its 2014 self-titled debut on Soundway. Endorsement from tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson opened pathways to global stages. The band moved to Merge for 2017's Uyai, folding post-punk textures into its stylistic blend, then issued the explosive Doko Mien in 2019. Electricity (2022) set mutant Afrobeat, funk, and post-punk against state-of-the-art electronica, while 2024's Pull the Rope turned toward deeper, darker, mutant club music.

The same trio first fashioned drum'n'bass instrumentals around Williams' voice. Though born in London, she is a first-generation U.K. citizen of Nigerian descent. Her mother, an Ibibo speaker, shared folk tales and children's stories from that heritage; Williams drew lyrics from these narratives and paired them with present-day concerns. Once the rhythm tracks existed, the producers brought in Ghanaian guitar legend Alfred "Kari" Bannerman (of Konkoma), Brazilian percussionist Anselmo Netto, and synth/horn players Tony Hayden and Scott Baylis to frame Williams' performances.

Despite drawing from earlier eras, Ibibio Sound Machine operate with a thoroughly modern sensibility that translates equally to stage and studio. Soundway released their debut single "Let's Dance" in January 2014, where it ignited London dancefloors, followed by the self-titled album in March. The group joined the 2016 Beating Heart: Malawi compilation alongside Luke Vibert and Machinedrum. That year they joined indie-rock label Merge Records. Second album Uyai appeared in 2017 and reached number six on the World Albums chart. After worldwide touring in 2018 that yielded the Eiyo EP and single "Basquiat," three further digital singles—"Tell Me," "Wanna Come Down," and "Guess We Found a Way"—preceded third album Doko Mien in March 2019 and another international run.

When the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed live work, Ibibio Sound Machine resurfaced in March 2022 with Electricity. Electronics, long present in their sound, now dominated, creating a bracing fusion of Afrobeat, post-new wave disco, and mutant post-punk. For the first time the octet sought outside collaborators, enlisting Hot Chip as producers and keyboardists plus Michael Rendall and drum programmer Peter Matson. Drummer Ross Orton and multi-instrumentalist Max Grunhard co-produced the follow-up, 2024's Pull the Rope, which Orton also mixed. The ten-song set diverged sharply from Electricity's bright, celebratory drive, favoring nocturnal club energy, denser rhythmic workouts, and tighter, more claustrophobic atmospheres.