London electronic afro-funk futurists Ibibio Sound Machine have announced their fifth studio album, led by new single "Got to Be Who U Are."
The follow-up to 2022’s acclaimed Electricity, Pull the Rope is due May 3 through Merge Records.
Recorded with producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) over the course of two weeks, co-bandleaders Eno Williams and Max Grunhard changed up their songwriting process to be more insular before jamming with the rest of the band. Reconceptualizing their method of putting songs together in the face of less studio time, they found the decision-making processes for the record’s sound more instinctual than ever before.
“Ross is from Sheffield, which has an edgier, more industrial vibe than London,” Grunhard explained in a statement. “He hears things differently than us, is more grounded in rave and grungier sounds, and knew when to add drums or push the instrumentation more. It was very different for us, but it lends itself to where Ibibio Sound Machine is going.”
Williams added, “We are the places we grew up, the places we’ve been, and the people we’ve met along the way. Hopping around the globe, we’ve found that people are fundamentally the same — they’re people. Opposing sides push and pull, but there is an alternative to war, violence and suffering.”
This sentiment is at the core of lead track "Got to Be Who U Are." Here's what the band had to say about the single:
“Got to Be Who U Are” is about the idea that what brings us together is stronger than what separates us. No matter where we may go, we will always carry the essence of who we are in our hearts, and yet the places and things that separate us are not as important as we may be led to believe. Be happy and proud of who or what you are. Musically, the track begins by stating its message over a traditional African mbira part and then drops into a similar vocal except now over more of an electronic dance vibe which is meant to have an uplifting tone to it to carry along the message that we may be in Europe, Africa or America, but a simple sound or thought can instantly connect us. The places mentioned in the chorus “Surulere, Isale Eko, Ikoyi, Yaba” are all areas in Lagos, Nigeria where Eno grew up. The different parts of the music are connected even though they are using totally different sounds, symbolizing movement of people across the world and the fundamental connection between places and people no matter where one may be.
Listen to the irresistible groover below, where you'll also find the album tracklist.
Pull the Rope:
1. Pull the Rope
2. Got to Be Who U Are
3. Fire
4. Them Say
5. Political Incorrect
6. Mama Say
7. Let My Yes Be Yes
8. Touch the Ceiling
9. Far Away
10. Dance in the Rain