US heavyweights Luaka Bop have delighted all William Onyeabor fans with the announcement of an exclusive LP for Record Store Day 2017. Back in 2015, and fresh from a series of sold-out gigs around the globe, The Atomic Bomb! Band jumped in the studio to record some live interpretations of some of the late William Onyeabor’s most well-loved hits. Two years on and Luaka Bop have decided to release these rare recordings on wax.
A statement from Luaka Bop on the release read as follows:
“When we began to release the music of William Onyeabor, we did not know that he’d never played shows in his entire life – though we did know he probably had no interest in doing it now. So, we put together a band to play his music live. It was never intended to compete with his original work, but meant to share his music in a live setting.”
The band itself has featured over 40 members and collaborators throughout its lifetime, with this album featuring the likes of Pat Mahoney from LCD Soundsystem, as well as Electro-Pop pioneer Alexis Taylor from UK outfit Hot Chip.
Fans are warned that these tracks are highly unlikely to be released via any other medium, so we’d strongly recommend RSD-goers to act fast on the day.