Today’s Track: Ibibio Sound Machine – ‘Got To Be Who U Are’

Whether you’re reading in Surulere, Isale Eko or Ikoyi to Yaba – its time for a new post!

Pictured: Pictured: Eno Williams (Lead Vocals/Chief Songwriter/Producer), Scott Baylis (Synths/Trumpet), Max Grunhard (Saxophone/Synths), Alfred Kari Bannerman (Lead Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals), Tony Hayden (Trombone/Synths), Phillip PK Ambrose (Bass Guitar), Anselmo Netto (Percussion) and Joseph Amoako (Drums) performing at the Pool Recording Studio, London (2019) (Photo Credit: Kimberly Junod/WXPN)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it used to be my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day before my adulthood got right in the way! I’ve got a multi-culturally appealing new release to share with you today from an 8-piece group called Ibibio Sound Machine, a contemporary Jazz project that was formed in 2010 by vocalist Eno Williams alongside producers Max Grunhard, Leon Brichard and Benji Bouton with the idea of fusing elements of 70’s jazz, traditional 80’s Afrobeat and modern Drum ‘N’ Bass together. After the first sessions were in the can, they diverted their attention to successfully completing the line-up by adding live musicians to form their initial live band. Since releasing their debut single on Soundway in 2014, the band have released four albums, performed at events such as KEXP’s commemorative World Clash Day in 2019 and collaborated with Alexis Doyle, the frontman of Hot Chip. Their new album – ‘Pull The Rope’ – has been set for a May 3rd release on Merge Records and a live tour in cities such as Cambridge, Birkenhead, Norwich, Leeds, Dublin, Brighton, London, Edinburgh, Nottingham and others will take place during the rest of the year. Seek identity with ‘Got To Be Who U Are’ below.

One signature element of Ibibio’s Sound Machine is how vocalist Eno Williams often sings in different languages because her mother’s native tongue was Ibibio. While she was born in London, she spent most of her childhood in Nigeria with her family. Her mother, in particular, would recount numerous stories concerning folklore to her and Williams has taken inspiration from these memories by crafting lyrics from these sources to use in her music with a modern twist. ‘Got To Be Who U Are’ gets off to a rapturous start by quickly pacing itself through the steps of emphasising the message of the songwriting to incorporating a percussive African mbira chord to the mix and introducing a more uplifting electronic dance tone to the track as the washing synths establish another groovy element. There’s a breakdown in the middle that gets the nightlife vibe across, before repeating the groove to the point of irresistance from the listener. Lyrics like “Down in London to Africa” and “From Surulere to Isale Eko” revolve around the point of how music connects us regardless of location as a result of a simple hook or a tasty instrumental. These name drops are here for a reason too because Surulere, Isale Eko, Ikoyi and Yaba are areas of Nigeria, thus symbolizing the childhood of Williams again as the band have done so articulately across four albums now. Overall, this is a highly enjoyable new release that truly kicks off the marketing machine for the new LP in fine, fiery style by connecting the dots between the band’s diverse music influences and by symbolizing how musical movements unite people across the world and deliver a fundamental connection between these parties with no concern about where they may be. All of the above and a catchy chorus helps too.