Bibio / Silver Wilkinson
CD / Digital
Warp / Released May 2013
Warp’s maestro of bizarre, beguiling, but ultimately beautiful electronica is back with another strong offering that falls between chill out, downbeat, e-folk, hip hop, slo-mo house and disco. Hence our recommendation here.
The great thing about Bibio is the way in which those elements present themselves. No obvious labouring of the genre melting pot, instead tunes can be read differently depending on the scenario, and we only become aware of how much is going on after a few listens, which is no bad thing as you want to hear the tracks he makes more than a few times over. In this instance, the blissful ambience of Wulf could be sombre or euphoric, depending on circumstances. And Orion almost stumbles onto the dancefloor at high volume, when at any other level is a twinkling, melodious, soaring echoed-synth filled opiate experience.
In fact, Business Park is actually born on the dancefloor, with its huge opening keys descending into a delicate but distinct rolling breakbeat, creating a kind of acidic future reading of post-punk or New Wave. That said, efforts like the immediately repeatable You wear their associated canons closer to the sleeve- in that instance a wonderfully staccato, cut up, sample and pitched lyrical loop based stepper that (weather permitting) may just be the summer’s windows down afternoon anthem. Far more unabashed than most of what’s here, it’s evidence that the producer in question can focus on precise details in both the subtle and inescapable ends of wholeheartedly positive, warm, inviting and universally enjoyable electronic music. A doff of the cap no less.
