Ibibio Sound Machine are on tour across the UK right now in support of Electricity, the band’s fourth and most progressive album yet, which is out now. Coming off the back of a sold-out Manchester show at Band on the Wall on Friday night, the band headed to Cardiff’s St. David’s Hall on Saturday for BBC 6 Music Festival alongside Khruangbin and Ezra Collective for a colossal set that cherry-picked live favorites past and present and, in the process, showcased why they’re one of the UK’s most beloved live acts.

Ibibio Sound Machine continue to take Electricity on the road later this week with shows in Newcastle, Glasgow, and Leeds before the band return to London next week for a hometown show at the Electric Ballroom on April 14. A full list of shows can be found below.

Listen to & share Ibibio Sound Machine’s full performance from BBC 6 Music Festival now

Electricity, produced by Grammy Award– and Mercury Prize–nominated synthpop crew Hot Chip, is a gleaming, supercharged, Afrofuturist blinder and quite possibly Ibibio Sound Machine’s crowning achievement to date. Check out the band’s recent interview with Pitchfork where they discuss key influences behind the record. 

Hot Chip had this to say about producing Ibibio Sound Machine’s new album:

Prior to the sessions, we had run into Ibibio Sound Machine at festivals and loved watching them perform. There are very talented musicians throughout the band, and Eno is a massively charismatic, skilled singer. The sessions were hugely rewarding as Ibibio brought in friends and collaborators to add a wide array of different instruments—some of which were unfamiliar to us. The songs on this record are uniformly great, and we were really happy to be a part of making it.

Buy Electricity on CD, LP, and yellow & black splatter Peak Vinyl in the Merge store and participating independent record shops.

Critical praise for Electricity:

“Their most kaleidoscopic project to date. It’s got the same vibrancy, heart-thumping beats and empowered Ibibio and English vocals but the songs reach new heights both lyrically and instrumentally.” —The Observer

“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

“Perhaps the most inspired musical pairing of recent years.” —Uncut

“…a bent-circuit exploration though funk, disco and whatever else [Ibibio Sound Machine] want to throw into the mix” —Exclaim!

“A life-affirming joy.” —DJ Mag

Ibibio Sound Machine on tour:
Apr 07 Newcastle, UK – Wylam Brewery
Apr 08 Glasgow, UK – St. Luke’s
Apr 09 Leeds, UK – Belgrave Music Hall
Apr 14 London, UK – Electric Ballroom