“Ibibio Sound Machine are a London based eight-piece who break geographical, genre and generational boundaries to create their infectious, eclectic sound. Their line-up spans musicians from Trinidad, Nigeria, Brazil and the UK who are inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West African funk and disco and British post-punk and electro.” – M Magazine, October 2015
Eno Williams reflects on how PPL Music Momentum funding has helped the band to develop and grow from their eponymous debut LP to the release of their 2nd LP in 2017:
“It was important to have the investment. We were trying to work on the second album and getting management and a new label together. The support created everything we needed to get the technical side of the album to where we needed it to go.”
With eight members and an ambitious blend of instruments and sounds, the band was determined to develop a record that captured the incredible richness of their live performances. This was simply not affordable without Momentum funding.
The funding enabled the band to focus on their creative and professional development. “It freed up space to focus on the creative side and on developing our profile and securing a US label,” she explains. “This was all part of a process where we built our media coverage and generated interest. It has enabled us to get things off the ground and develop the right team around us.”
Eno thinks it was helpful that the band had developed a trusted relationship with the PRS Foundation team – so that there was shared clarity regarding the mission and values of the band. This made it all the more gratifying to get Momentum funding.
“The funding really encouraged us to keep doing what we are doing, knowing we have support. Without it, we wouldn’t be in a position to get the LP recorded and get a deal.”
The LP has been a real success for the band – projecting them to a new level, with sell-out gigs, TV appearances, radio play and some high profile and critically acclaimed projects such as Video Jam at the Barbican as part of the hugely successful Basquet programme.
