THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pull The Rope, the new record by Ibibio Sound Machine, casts the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard–led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remain, but, further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album Electricity, the connection they aim to foster has shifted venues from the sunny buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked, all-night dance club. The atmosphere has changed, but you’re still having the time of your life.
Produced by Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) and Grunhard, Pull The Rope finds Ibibio Sound Machine pushing beyond the sonic frontier established by their acclaimed 2022 album Electricity, with elements of post punk and Chicago house giving Williams’ rapturous vocals a timeless edge. New bangers like Got To Be Who U Are would be just as intoxicating in 1984 or 2044 as they are today.
“Got To Be Who U Are is about the idea that what brings us together is stronger than what separates us,” the bandmembers say. “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.”
