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MH-234 Bibio - Fi  Recommended to Mush by Marcus Eoin of Boards Of Canada, the debut release from central England's Stephen Wilkinson (aka Bibio) is a triumph of saturation, distortion, and musical obscurity. Comprised of seventeen ambient songs built on samples of his own work rather than the work of others, Fi is rich in musical imagery. Using manipulated live instrumentation, field recordings, and a strong portion of effects, Bibio's musical influences - the Incredible String Band, Joao Gilberto, My Bloody Valentine, Tortoise, and the producers of Warp Records - seep into his compositions. Bibio's debut is a revelation in the emotional power of lo-fi ambient compositions and clearly establishes him as a producer who has developed his own unique voice. |
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| Reviews Summary |
| Quietly captivating - Daily Telegraph / Immediately arresting - The Wire / The perfect music to dream by - Spin / Hypnotic - Exclaim! / Truly memorable stuff - 3D World / Exquisite - 3Hive / Recommended listening - Boomkat / The most relaxing experience you've ever felt - Impact Press |
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| From the melancholic heart of central England springs this warm and ethereal piece of lo-fidelity ambient electronica. fi contains seventeen shortish treatments that sit together as a cohesive singular work. A mixture of treated live instrumentation, looped samples and field recordings, the resulting sound is dreamy and melodic. These beatless tracks evoke long hazy summer afternoons and memories of journeys past. The sounds of gently picked folk guitar are paired with bleached radio treatments, Dictaphone crackles and organic effects. The result is intensely nostalgic and cinematic. I imagined the veiled light of Sofia Coppola's Virgin Suicides distilled through sound. Nick Drake's emotive music stripped of plaintive words. A soundtrack to a seventies road movie shot on scratchy super-8. Whilst empathetic with Boards of Canada, Plaid, Aphex and a strong lineage of British electronic producers, Bibio's Stephen Wilkinson opts for a less machine aesthetic. The use of technology is evident yet clearly secondary to his natural inspirations. This work is contemporary yet reflective, modern yet romantic. I did wish that these rich tracks and the sunny lakeside picnic were a little longer. That said, this is truly memorable stuff. - 3D World |
1XLP/Out Of Print