#william onyeabor

[pastabot]

Good Name // William Onyeabor

[mudwerks]

(via William Onyeabor – Good Name (2013)

[hearth-fucker]

Imagine self-producing several albums of fucking iconic, way ahead of their time, danceable, infectious masterpieces of psychedelic Afro-funk BOPS and then becoming a reclusive born-again Christian, establishing a successful semolina mill, taking a public office in your small rural community, and refusing to ever talk about your hugely influential music again.

William Onyeabor fucking legend

[randomberlinchick]

Y’all have a lovely weekend! 🤗💃🏽🥁🎸

[omegaplus]

# 4,414

Mahmoud Guinia: self-titled debut (1989)

Reading the Arabic on any given vinyl, disc, or cassette cover means it's serious business. It was only two years ago when Omega WUSB had a great concept and decided to compile its first-ever African sounds expo; a result of being fanatics of Brian Shimkowitz' Awesome Tapes From Africa label. Obvious artists such as Hailu Mergia, Fela Kuti, Oum Kassoum, and William Onyeabor along with the African Scream Contest records and Mogadisco: Dancing Mogadishu comprised a substantial deal of that broadcast. Then you have artists like Essaouiran gnawa musician Mahmoud Guinia, master of the sintir / guembri: a three-string log guitar partially covered in animal skin. His deep bass-like strings and tribal backing band brought literal straight-up Moroccan heat with his debut. I agree with Shimkowitz on this one: it's a great stoner record. I envisioned that notion with catchy rhythms, tempo changes, and other instrumental elements producing baking-hot sounds all throughout Guinia's shouts that could jump out of nowhere at any time. Of the cassette's four tracks, "سَاسْتْ دِيمَانْيُو " was the one we went with and stood out as one of the more memorable ones that stayed with us. The end result? The African finds we ended up with gave us some distinct feels we will never forget.

[albums-log]

[larry-pritchard]

who is william onyeabor? im so glad you asked.

[filth-thezine]

Divide and Dissolve, Selda Bağcan, Arthur Russell, White Town, Neneh Cherry, TR/ST, Porno For Pyros, Suburban Lawns, Disco Inferno, William Onyeabor, The B-52s, Mari Kvien Brunvoll, Ricardo Villalobos, Grace Jones, Suuns, Clouds, RP Boo

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Infinite River

Photo: Doug Coombe

Infinite River is what happens when four veterans of the Detroit underground find themselves with a little extra time on their hands. Coming together during pandemic times, Gretchen Gonzales Davidson (Slumber Party, Universal Indians), Joey Mazzola (Sponge, Detroit Cobras), Warn Defever (His Name Is Alive) and Steve Nistor (Sparks, Daniel Lanois) let the music start to flow, using guitar, harmonium, tanpura and percussion to create a sound that’s equal parts arcing, droning and shimmering. “Their brand of drift is especially soothing and sublime,” Bryon Hayes wrote of their debut album Prequel, calling it “the perfect prescription for the current zeitgeist.” And the good news about that is: with at least two more full-lengths on the way (Space Mirror is due next, on August 18th), there’s enough to go around for everyone.

Speaking of spreading the love, guitarist Gonzales Davidson does some of that below with a list of some of her favorite music, much of which you’re sure to hear traces of in Infinite River’s sound.

Funkadelic — Maggot Brain

Funkadelic’s first few are just mind-blowing but this one… this one with the opening monologue and then that sundown-on-an-eclipsing-universe guitar solo. Just… damn.

Seventh Sons — 4am at Frank’s

I could put many ESP releases on this list: Godz 2, Albert Ayler’s Spiritual Unity, Cromagnon…. all make the world we drive through a little more chaotic and knowing. But Seventh Sons…this record shatters so many music genres in a true celebration of life. It is a crazy record. It is a perfect record.

The Flaming Lips — American Head

I have loved the Flaming Lips for a long, long time and admire their ability to keep releasing incredible music after all these years. This newest one is full of beautifully catchy melodies wrapped up in what seems to be dark, autobiographical subject matter… there is some heartbreaking stuff on here. And yet the music rises above and provides an epic experience.

Can — Tago Mago

Nothing much to say about perfection. Tago Mago is perfection. How the hell did anyone ever create something of this beauty? Just the first few tracks alone…those drums on “Paperhouse” — those drums that define Krautrock– FUUHHHHHKKKK — and then going right into “Mushroom”… taking off to Venus with a beat that is almost impossible to define. I love putting Tago Mago on the car stereo when trekking through the desert, watching the world around me turn alien.

The Dead C — The White House

How can I say it more clearly: yes, this is the album from Dead C that brought all of their weirdness together beautifully however, anything Michael Morley touches… one of the main Dead C members… is worth a deep gander. His new record, in the guise of the band Gate… is brilliant as well. I remember when Universal Indians opened for the Dead C in Detroit, and thinking — life could not get better. Galen, Aaron Dilloway’s band, was also opening, and it was so funny because Justin Allen, another Galen member, was grounded that night so they had to play without him. Anyway, The Dead C has been one of my favorites since the 1990s.

Simon Finn — Pass the Distance

The ultimate in stream-of-consciousness freaky folk music, Simon Finn’s Pass The Distance is a beautiful train ride through an enhanced artistic mind.

And a couple songs to consider for your listening pleasure…

Loren Mazzacane Connors — “Haunted House”

LMC has crafted such a unique guitar style, that he is sometimes overlooked in the grander discussion of life-after-John-Fahey. But don’t let that stop you from digging into his genius. “Haunted House” is his dark, sultry beautiful version of the blues… oh damn that slide guitar and his whispered vocals. Gives me chills every time.

Dino Valente — “Children of the Sun”

The rough life of Dino Valente, the original singer for Quicksilver Messenger Service who was thrown in jail for pot possession (oh sorry…FLOWER possession…should use the new lingo) right as the band was taking off. He would end up getting released and playing with them again. But it is his solo record that I love the most… with the songs of tough knowledge bleeding everywhere. This song is devastating. How does he produce an operatic tragedy in the confines of a song with just a guitar and vocals? WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF THE SUN!

William Onyeabor — “Atomic Bomb”

I love the crazed funk that William lays down. “Body and Soul” is another great track of his… worth listening to… but “Atomic Bomb” — what the HELL is that sound he is putting together? It is not of this time… yet not of the time it came from. Did Randy Newman get sucked into an effects pedal? How much acid is in the water in Onyeabor’s Nigerian homeland? I mean… how did he make this groovy sound? I listen to it… I take it in… I love it… I get down… wayyyyyy down… and I have no idea how it exists.

[justcallmeplz]

I dont know why I love you so much baby

I dont now why I need you all my life

I dont know why you make me get crazy

I dont know why I cant live without you baby

I dont know why I need you so close

[hearth-fucker]

I haven't seen anyone mention this, but he's one of my ALL TIME favorite artists so I want to share!

The song that plays in OFMD s2ep1 while we're seeing Stede and the Crew struggle in Jackie's bar is Fantastic Man by the reclusive but wildly talented Afro-funk artist William Onyeabor. All of his music is fucking incredible and deserves more attention! His music is also on Spotify, so go check it out.

[juniper-jam]

You loooooooooook so good

Fantastic man