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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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| Apparently the artist known as Bibio (aka Stephen Wilkinson) is a particular fave of Boards Of Canada's Marcus Eoin. So much so that Eoin recommended that Mush Records check him out, and clearly they agreed 'cause here's Bibio's debut album on that very label. Each of the seventeen tracks is amply processed and arranged from his collections of cassette-recorded field recordings, as well as samples of his own performances on various instruments. According to his bio, Wilkinson's list of influences runs the gamut from Joao Gilberto to My Bloody Valentine, from the Incredible String Band to Tortoise, but you really wouldn't be able to tell simply from listening to fi. Not at all, unlike many other current artists who wear their influences on their sleeves to the point of simply aping their idols, Bibio hasn't fallen into this trap. Furthermore, although many of the tracks may fall under the flavor-of-the-day description of acoustic guitar melodies with electronic and field recording textures, unlike many other current (dare we say lazy?) artists, Wilkinson doesn't just plop a static-y cloud atop a folk song. No, he fully integrates his sonic elements into a fully enveloping listening experience - brittle and fuzzy like they've being transmitted out through a rickety antique radio. - Aquarius |
1XLP/Out Of Print