Fresh from their London arena dates opening for Coldplay and Gorillaz, and in advance of their largest tour of North America yet, Ibibio Sound Machine share “Heroes,” their infectious, ground-up reimagining of David Bowie’s anthemic 1977 masterpiece.

Of the song, Ibibio Sound Machine write:

“Heroes” is one of David Bowie’s most legendary songs, one of our favourites! It was an honour for us to record our version of it, and in 2022, it still feels as timely a message and otherworldly as it must have nearly 50 years ago.

Listen to and share “Heroes” and get tickets to see the Ibibio Sound Machine live show nearest you!

Released in March, Ibibio Sound Machine’s latest album Electricity was produced by the Grammy Award– and Mercury Prize–nominated British synthpop group Hot Chip, a collaboration born out of mutual admiration watching each other on festival stages, as well as a shared love of Francis Bebey and Giorgio Moroder. The fruits of their labor reveal a gleaming, supercharged, Afrofuturist blinder.

Electricity is available now wherever you listen to music, as well as on CD and LP in the Merge store and at the band’s merch table. Look for limited-edition yellow & black splatter Peak Vinyl at participating independent record shops!

Critical acclaim:

“The group’s spectacular fourth album, Electricity, was produced alongside members of Hot Chip, who helped the Sound Machine tap into an even more powerful and emphatic presence on record. Their thunderous synths now feel like they have their own gravitational field, and Williams’ voice rings out as if from the top of a mountain. This is music that summons a crowd to join together in celebration—just the thing that’s been hardest to come by over the past two years.” —Pitchfork

"Ibibio Sound Machine sounds like an international, time-traveling dance party. The London-based band pulls from decades of Nigerian Afrobeat, U.K. drum-and-bass and electro funk music to create window-shaking grooves. Their newest album was produced by the prominent ‘00s synthpop group Hot Chip, and accordingly, there are lots of rasping synthesizers and full-bodied basslines. Over the top, frontwoman Eno Williams belts out furious incantations, including the promise of ‘spiritual, invisible, protection from evil.’” —TIME

“Afrobeats harmonize with British electronica on the latest from Ibibio Sound Machine” —NPR All Things Considered

“Easily the band’s most forward-thinking effort to date, Electricity showcases Ibibio Sound Machine diving head-first into technology while retaining the blood-pumping human element they’ve always captured so well.” —Bandcamp

Ibibio Sound Machine on tour:

Sep 16 Vancouver, BC – Fortune Sound Club
Sep 17 Victoria, BC – Rifflandia Festival
Sep 18 Fort Collins, CO – Global Sounds in the Square
Sep 20 Aspen, CO – Belly Up
Sep 22 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
Sep 23 Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre
Sep 25 Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room
Sep 28 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
Sep 29 Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre
Oct 01 Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Casino (Crown Room)
Oct 04 Chico, CA – El Rey Theater
Oct 05 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
Oct 06 Santa Cruz, CA – The Atrium @ The Catalyst
Oct 09 San Diego, CA – Music Box
Oct 11 Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre
Oct 13 Chicago, IL – The Metro
Oct 14 Detroit, MI – Loving Touch
Oct 15 Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works
Oct 16 Hartford, CT – Infinity Hall Hartford
Oct 19 Fairfield, CT – The Warehouse
Oct 20 Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live
Oct 21 Jersey City, NJ – White Eagle Hall
Oct 22 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
Oct 24 Washington, DC – Black Cat
Oct 26 Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall
Oct 27 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
Oct 28 Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House
Oct 31 Atlanta, GA – Terminal West