World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who Is William Onyeabor?

William Onyeabor is something of a mystery. Here’s what we do know: between the mid-‘70s and mid-‘80s, he released a string of albums that married the best of American funk with Nigerian pop, using a small army of now-vintage synthesizers to do it. Rediscovered by crate-diggers, his ticky-tacky songs sound prescient—and quite relevant—today, frequently straying into the 10-minute range and showing their African roots in their tendency to build intensity through repetition. Start with “Atomic Bomb” and “Fantastic Man” for a wildly funky ride.

Luaka Bop’s Who is William Onyeabor? posits the mysterious late 70s/early 80s Nigerian funk musician William Onyeabor for a 21st century audience. Listening to the nine-song compilation, it makes sense that the likes of Four Tet, James Holden, and Caribou have already been buzzing with their accolades for him.

Luaka Bop’s Who is William Onyeabor? posits the mysterious late 70s/early 80s Nigerian funk musician William Onyeabor for a 21st century audience. Listening to the nine-song compilation, it makes sense that the likes of Four Tet, James Holden, and Caribou have already been buzzing with their accolades for him.