London collective Ibibio Sound Machine will release its sixth studio album, Chopping Mountain, on September 11, 2026, via American independent label Merge Records. Formed in 2013 around frontwoman Eno Williams and saxophonist Max Grunhard, the group has forged its identity at the intersection of West African rhythms, afro-funk, and electronic textures.
Born in southeastern Nigeria, Eno Williams grew up surrounded by the sounds of highlife, gospel, and traditional folklore from the Ibibio community. This oral history guides the entire project, structured around themes of community support, love, and a striking visual Afrofuturism on stage.
Chopping Mountain is the sixth studio album from the collective Ibibio Sound Machine. The album's official release date is set for September 11, 2026, on Merge Records. Musician Max Grunhard handles production for the project, marking their first in-house production effort since 2019's Doko Mien. The record was created at the band's Vanguard Studios in South London. The lead single accompanying the announcement is titled "Concept of Love." A Paris concert date has been confirmed at Le Hasard Ludique for April 14, 2027.
Chopping Mountain marks a strategic return to self-production at their own Vanguard studio in South London. Retaking the controls following external collaborations with Hot Chip in 2022 and Ross Orton in 2024, the Williams-Grunhard tandem streamlines their songwriting around an organic live feel, blending brass, percussion, and synths without superfluous flourish.
The project's strength lies in its narrative grounding: rather than diluting traditional Ibibio storytelling to fit Western dance floors, Eno Williams places community transmission at the center of every track, demonstrating that African polyrhythmic structures and electronic dance music share the same social function of collective catharsis.
For the West African music scene and artists across the continent, Ibibio Sound Machine's continued rise demonstrates that a minority regional language like Ibibio can capture major international labels without compromising its ritual heritage. This commercial success offers a tangible business model for creators in Douala, Lagos, or Cotonou who fuse vernacular rhythms with modern digital production.
By asserting the modernity of West African oral heritage within global indie circuits, this release carves out an exciting path for the young African alternative scene, proving that the authenticity of local languages remains a powerful engine for musical export.
