I'm sitting at my favorite spot downtown Guadalajara with my headphones on listening to Bibio's new album The Apple And The Tooth set for release on November 9th. Bibio, also known as Stephen Wilkinson, was signed this summer to prestigious British label Warp Records, at the same time he issued his 3rd album Ambivalence Avenue. The Apple And The Tooth full length features some new tracks and some reworks/remixes from the last album. A great soundtrack for where I am as the sun sets down and I nonchalantly observe a beautiful girl sitting a few tables away from mine...
Bibio's songs can be melancholic, manic or downright strange. Rooted in downtempo, Wilkinson isn't afraid of displaying his instrumentalist skills in guitar based ambient tracks such as Haikuesque ( The Gentleman Losers' Whispers In The Rain Mix). The first four tracks, presumably the new original material on the album, remind me of Black Moth Super Rainbow, psychedelia done with a Warp Records twist. There are even touches of dubstep bass with breakbeat madness on Steal The Lamp. With all these different flavors, Bibio stands out as a producer that doesn't want to be part of a specific scene, and whose appreciation for a broad range of music permeates through his work.
My favorite track is a self remix of an Ambivalence Avenue track and last on the album, Palm Of Your Wave. It's lush dual guitar intro leads into an unfamiliar dreamscape. Wilkinson's vocals lament over some sampled flutes while rhythmically, only a tambourine echoes on every 3rd beat. Simplistic magic.
To see what I mean, check out the streaming songs on Bibio's Myspace page.
No comments:
Post a Comment