Nigerian musician and bandleader Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey began his career in 1950s Lagos. Paying his dues playing highlife and juju, until in the 1990s he shifted his focus to gospel music. Having started his first band in the early `60s, by `73 he was fronting The Inter-Reformers. Incredibly prolific, they released over 50 LPs in the 2 decades that they were together. Eyi Yato was the title track of album that appeared in 1981. Washington’s Sol Power All-Stars have now singled this song out for a 12, and some remixes, on their Sol Power Sound imprint.

The original is 7 minutes of fine, frugging Afro funk, where the musicians have the chops to be both tight and loose. There’s all sorts of improvisation going on within the groove, especially with the drums. The cut’s kinda characterised by the group harmonies and the riffing of a strange stringed thing – which of course could be a guitar, but sounds like King Sunny Ade rocking a sitar of electrified juice harp.

Eddie C gets in on the act, but to be honest it’s the Mad Professor dub that’s the real draw. In a similar stylee to his recent reshaping of Alex Kassian’s take on E2-E4, the Prof. makes full use of the 48 channel Ariwa Studio desk, and seems to be having a whole lot of fun. Stepping away momentarily from roots reggae and lovers to indulge in some funk. Separating the OG’s busy sound, and significantly simplifying those drums, he focuses on isolating the bionic boa constrictor-like bass and twisting that through filters and phase. Having stripped back the rhythm he then starts really shaking things up. Snares crash, and the guitar gets shattered into razor sharp shards of wah-wah.

Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey & His Inter-Reformers Band’s Eyi Yato is out now on Sol Power Sound.