| This came out in the Ides of March but it's really a summer album, positively warped by sun exposure and escapist daydreaming ‘neath the willows. Bibio is the project of UK sound sculptor Stephen Wilkinson. I have to say Marcus Eoin of Boards Of Canada recommended him to the hip-hop and electronic heavy label Mush. It's pretty much impossible to get a better "RIYL" hook than that and it's right on the money. This is looped folk music, IFM if you want to call Boards of Canada or anything else IDM. Downtempo melancholy folk? Hand Cranked is the second Bibio LP and it delivers consistent sun-dappled aesthetic pleasures. Wilkinson layers, weaves even, elliptical acoustic guitar phrases and fragile samples and field recordings. And it's really well done, not some meandering, clattering crap that should stay on the 4-track. The short pieces, 14 tracks of them, are focused with a hip-hop loop logic and get to a melodic point while remaining ambient and mysterious. Like his BoC peers, Wilkinson is skilled at obscuring and wilting sounds, artificially aging them, like cassettes baked in the sun (there's Mr. Sun again!). Tape and sampler speed is manipulated, guitars running backwards form harmonies with those running forwards, vibes and synths, piano, birds, whistles, babbling brooks pop in to say a cheerful hello. Did I mention this is summery? Most tracks are instrumental, but when vocals do appear they seem to come through on a far-away AM transistor, that Ariel Pink effect. There's another track that sounds like something like you might hear while playing Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The album progression is listenable, but does get kind of same-y. But it's a nice, drifting sensation. I want to take a nap in a hammock while listening to this, and I mean that as a compliment. - Indie Workshop |
1XLP/Out Of Print