A thrilling tryst of folk tales and future grooves, Ibibio Sound Machine has been practically synonymous with the London Afro-fusion scene for well over a decade.

The group features members hailing from countries as diverse as Nigeria, Ghana, Australia, Brazil, the UK and Trinidad; a testament to how much a metropolitan can boost thrilling new forms out of well-honed traditions. The results make it pretty hard not to get swept away: Ibibio Sound Machine is joyous movement left unchecked.

Charismatic vocalist Eno Williams sings in Ibibio, the language of her family in southeastern Nigeria, as well as in English, with stories often rooted in children’s folklore passed down by her grandmother, centered around themes of love, compassion, unity, resistance, and finding places of calm in a turbulent world.

Ibibio Sound Machine’s latest album Chopping Mountain is both expansive and deeply rooted, drawing on the earthy textures of classic West African highlife alongside post-punk, Afrobeat, soul and electronic music.

“The indomitable Ibibio Sound Machine are driven by an instinct for music as humanity’s means of talking to itself across vast times and spaces” – Pitchfork

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