Wally Badarou - Echoes

Born in Paris and raised in Benin, keyboardist and producer Badarou is one of the unsung heroes of the music world, having graced dozens of albums with his fluid, expressive playing. A specialist in synthesizers, Badarou was a longtime collaborator with the British band Level 42, renowned for its blend of funk, pop, soul, and rock. He also worked closely with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell and was a member of the Compass Point All Stars, the in-house team of musicians at Compass Point Studios.

Of all the albums from the 1980s that emerged during the sudden rise of high-quality digital synthesizers, Echoes stands out as one that, nearly a quarter of a century later, still sounds fresh, inventive, and inspired.