The reclusive Nigerian synth-funk pioneer who vanished from music for decades before a stunning reissue brought his strange, prophetic sound back to life.
MOODS · hypnotic · futuristic · enigmatic · funky · eccentric · psychedelic · rhythmic · mysterious
BIOGRAPHY
William Onyeabor (1946-2017) was a Nigerian musician and businessman who self-released nine albums of synth-driven funk between 1977 and 1985 on his own Wilfilms label. Though little is known for certain about his early life, some accounts describe him studying record manufacturing in Europe and possibly cinematography in Russia before returning to Nigeria to build his own studio.
After converting to Christianity in the mid-1980s, Onyeabor withdrew from music entirely, refusing interviews and running a flour mill instead. His music remained a cult curiosity in Nigeria until Luaka Bop's 2013 compilation, Who Is William Onyeabor?, reintroduced his work to the world, followed by his rare 2014 BBC radio appearance where he insisted he had never performed live.
WHY THEY'RE COOL
Onyeabor built an entire universe of analog synthesizers, drum machines, and looping rhythms in near-total isolation, crafting music that critics compare to Giorgio Moroder's futurist disco but stranger and more sprawling. He then walked away from it all, refusing to explain himself even as his reputation grew. The mystery only deepened his appeal: a 2013 Luaka Bop reissue and a David Byrne-led touring tribute band turned a private, self-released catalog into one of the most celebrated rediscoveries in reissue culture.
GEORGE'S PLAYS
First time on the station.
PLAYED ON WOKE1
