Forgotten Treasure: Wally Badarou “Echoes” (1984)

With a wide range of contributions throughout the eighties, from Grace Jones’s “My Jamaican Guy” to Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is”, Waliou Jacques Daniel Isheola “Wally” Badarou was mainly known for playing a crucial role in Chris Blackwell’s Compass Point Studios recording venture in the Bahamas.

Often referred to as 80’s English band Level 42’s fifth member, the French-born Benin-raised musician, producer and synth composer put out Echoes in 1984. A ground-breaking instrumental solo journey that still sounds as fresh today as it did back then.

Many remember Massive Attack’s “Daydreaming”, off the very influencial Blue Lines album, but very few at the time would mention that the single (released in the early nineties) samples the track Mambo off of Badarou’s Echoes. From the nigerian hit “Hi-Life” to “Chief Inspector” afro-caribbean vibe, this synthesizer driven instrumental soundscape was considered a truly innovative work of art, at the time, by high profile DJs such as François K and Larry Levan. What’s surprising is how long it stayed off the radar over the last decade or so, until very recently.

Still, Echoes blends very unique sounds, from electro-funk to new-age, but maintains an unpredictable identity that keeps you at once puzzled and focused throughout this listening experience. While working with groundbreaking artists like Fela Kuti, Talking Heads or Herbie Hancock, among many others, and inspired by the production work of Trevor Horn (The Buggles, Yes, Art of Noise), Badarou’s own tracks were a very personnal challenge to explore the potential of the Prophet 5, Synclavier and DX7 fluid tones.

Below is the video for Chief Inspector, one of the most unlikely club tracks which has become over the years a cult classic. The track was hugely influencial in many scenes like the Balearic & Cosmic clubs in Europe and massive for the early 80’s NYC disco-not-disco, early hip-hop meets electro movements.

At the time, Compass Point was known for its in-house rhythm section capable of bridging the gap between reggae, pop and disco grooves. On Echoes, it seems the synth maestro works his way thru a parallel universe where dub wizardry, blissed out disco, Jamaican funk and African poly-rhythms are expanding towards each other. You also recognize a kind of sophisticated jazz sensibility on other standout cuts such as Endless Race or the elegantly Balearic « Waltz ». No wonder the likes of Marianne Faithfull, Mick Jagger and Robert Palmer all requested the help of the honorary member of M (« Pop Muzik ») very own sound signature.

If you’re in Montreal this September 21st, POP Montreal & Music Is My Sanctuary will be hosting a very special live event by Badarou himself at Sala Rossa.

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