BIBIO レコード& CD

Review: Originally released in 2017, Phantom Brickworks by Bibio (Stephen James Wilkinson) was an ambient exploration of abandoned sites around Britain, blending improvisation and composition to capture the lingering human presence in decaying locations. Now, the sequel, Phantom Brickworks (LP II), arrives as a ten-track double LP, complete with an MP3 download code. Mastered by Guy Davie and cut by Hendrik Pauler, this new record shifts focus to more intriguing landscapes, both real and legendary. From vast scars on the terrain to memories buried in folklore, Bibio's soundscapes evoke spaces lost to time but still resonant in history.

Review: Bibio's new album explores pain, loss and suffering but has some hopeful and optimistic melodies bring the light. It's inspired by the "vivid yet vague, impressionistic, powerful yet difficult to recall" power of dreams and as such the tracks all shift and smeared, smudge and melt into one another like intertwining musical collages with more structured pieces in between. As always with Bibio there is a rose-tinted nostalgia to this music and shades of Boards of Canada. Standouts include the likes of 'The Clothesline & The Silver Birch' and 'Flesh Rots, Pip Sown.'

Review: It's startling to think Bibio has been comfortably nestled on Warp Records for 10 years now. The folk-leaning beatsmith has taken his sound in subtly shifting directions while staying true to his delicate, melodious identity. On this latest album "Ribbons" he's sounding sweeter than ever, twirling up a 60s reverie of finger-picking guitar and tender vocals guaranteed to bring on sunshine, real or imaginary, no matter what time of year you pop it on. There are some more crooked moments to be enjoyed for fans of the more beat-oriented Bibio sound - "Pretty Ribbons & Lovely Flowers" has a wonderful crunch to it, but for the most part it's a treat to get lost in the pastoral reverie of the album's main themes.

Review: It's startling to think Bibio has been comfortably nestled on Warp Records for 10 years now. The folk-leaning beatsmith has taken his sound in subtly shifting directions while staying true to his delicate, melodious identity. On this latest album "Ribbons" he's sounding sweeter than ever, twirling up a 60s reverie of finger-picking guitar and tender vocals guaranteed to bring on sunshine, real or imaginary, no matter what time of year you pop it on. There are some more crooked moments to be enjoyed for fans of the more beat-oriented Bibio sound - "Pretty Ribbons & Lovely Flowers" has a wonderful crunch to it, but for the most part it's a treat to get lost in the pastoral reverie of the album's main themes.

Review: Stephen Wilkinson has now made some seven albums under the auspices of Bibio, all the while notably avoiding any kind of genre restrictions in his pursuit of a unique and affecting style that somehow embraces glacial ambience, folk, jazz, reggae and '70s rock along its path. 'A Mineral Love', meanwhile, takes a nature-inclined theme and uses it to create a delicate and seductive record that is as engaging as it is stylistically elusive. At all times though, a flair for melody and texture prevails throughout these ditties, ultimately creating something not unlike an imaginary John Martyn as produced by Four Tet in 1982 - and as strange and beguiling as that sounds.