Following their only festival slot of the summer at the Gent Jazz Festival, Ibibio Sound Machine will be back on the road in the UK this autumn.
The genre-blending group have announced a series of new dates in beloved grassroots venues across the country, including Engine Rooms in Southampton on Saturday 25 October.
Fronted by Nigerian singer Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine is a clash of African and electronic elements inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West-African funk and disco, as well as modern post-punk and electro. The band’s self-titled debut album was released in 2014 on Soundway Records. Since then, they have released four more records and played at festivals across the world, honing their unique sound both on record and on-stage.
Last year, Ibibio Sound Machine returned with their fifth studio album, ‘Pull The Rope’. The album cast the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard-led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remained, but, further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album ‘Electricity’, the connection they aim to foster shifted venues, from the buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked all-night dance club.
In melding their songwriting process, Grunhard and Williams pulled the impossible trick of making Ibibio Sound Machine a tighter band than ever before, building out from their core in a way that highlights the electrifying group of musicians they play with. The record and accompanying singles earned acclaim from Uncut, Stereogum, Clash, Pop Matters, Far Out Magazine and more.
Ibibio Sound Machine will play intimate shows at venues, performing alongside the likes of Cate Le Bon and Rufus Wainwright. The tour will conclude with a date at Subscription Rooms in Stroud on 29 November.
The tour follows the release of Ibibio Sound Machine’s fifth studio record, Pull The Rope, which arrived last spring, cementing Ibibio Sound Machine as one of the most innovative and striking bands London has to offer.
UK Live Dates
25th October – Engine Rooms, Southampton
7th November – The Parish, Huddersfield
8th November – Foundry, Sheffield
15th November – The Crescent, York
29th November – The Boileroom, Guildford
29th November – Subscription Rooms, Stroud
Tickets are available here.
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