Short and Sweet
Electronic Afro-funk group Ibibio Sound Machine is back one year after the groovy and colorful Uyai. This time the group fits their signature African influenced synth funk into a quick but memorable 13-minute EP Eyio. Hitting a variety of different speeds, tones and flowing together like one epic track, Eyio is the definition of short and sweet. All while further perfecting the musical hybrid they do so well and branching out with covers and track to track cohesion.
“Heart Beats Like a Drum” is a great introduction building slowly with African percussive grooves and beep/boop mono synths. The drums and instrumentation flow perfectly into “Imma” a wonderful synth funk jam. The song has bubbling synth sequences, steady funk drumming and squelching guitars. Eno Williams’s singing accompanies the instrumentation and is sung in the African language Ibibio, which is a treat to hear set to music.
“Uyai” which means “beauty” in Ibibio, is a warm and breezy slow jam which features a mix of groovy African percussion, guitars that would fit in a Jimmy Buffet song, and subtle synth sequences. It’s a very weird hybrid of instrumentation that works surprisingly well under Williams’s soft singing. “A Forest” is a pretty darn good Cure cover. It doesn’t have the same pacing or moodiness as the original, but Ibibio Sound Machine does an entertaining twist on the frequently covered Cure classic.
There definitely could have been more on this EP, but if it teases towards a full length release with quality tracks, then it’s a criticism that can be easily overlooked. Ibibio just needs to keep experimenting with their sound and focus on song structure. This quick snack of an EP from Ibibio Sound Machine is a fun little treat, 13 minutes jammed packed with interesting sounds and grooves. While not revolutionary by any means, these four tracks will make your drive to work a little less boring.
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