*Bibio Appreciation*

[TaoTapeTao]

I think in general late night driving in the middle of nowhere with a good cd on is the best sensory experience one can have.

But anyhow back to the topic... I can't get into the apple and the tooth or mind bokeh except for a few songs.. I wish I could..

[bearhead]

I think in general late night driving in the middle of nowhere with a good cd on is the best sensory experience one can have.

But anyhow back to the topic... I can't get into the apple and the tooth or mind bokeh except for a few songs.. I wish I could..

Well, Mind Bokeh isn't really anything like his earlier work. It's much a much bigger production. Personally, I like it. It took me a while to get into, though. Before, I was a bit stubborn with it just because I really only loved his really saturated stuff. But, aside from that, he is one hell of a producer. He has very interesting techniques, and I think that's sort of what gives it that "Bibio" sound. It's really electronic music at heart, but you can still tell it's Bibio's music. I think you just have to have an acquired taste for it, or let it grow on you.

The Apple & The Tooth is pretty good compilation. Some of the remixes are spot-on. Preferably the Letherette and Lone remixes...

[jcnporter]

OK, so I'm probably being a bit lazy, but I was searching for 'folktronica' and the name Bibio came up and I see the name on here loads, but never delved into his stuff.
First thing I came across on youtube was -



You may be able to predict how this is going to go - straight away I thought, 'wow, this is exactly what I've been looking for, it'll be interesting to hear where this track goes.......then around 1:30....what the fuck?
The rest of the track - not my thing, being polite, don't really see why the two bits are stuck together. Anyway, had another look and this seemed a bit more like it -



But then it doesn't seem to go anywhere and sounds a wee bit too....harsh and busy, or something.

So I thought I'd ask on here - maybe I'm being a bit unfair - where should I start with Bibio?
Looking for the guitars, a folky vibe, electronics, no singing. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree?

[adecentman]

Yo!

Bibio is actually one of my favorite musicians of all time, but pretty much only for a single album--

I got into him with Ambivalence Avenue in highschool, but the one that took me a few more years until it easily became my favorite is 'Vignetting The Compost'.
You posted The Ephemeral Bluebell from it which is actually one of my favorite tracks, I understand your perspective on it but perhaps further listenings might reveal more love! The composition of the album is quite interesting, sampling his incredible taped-guitar on his MPC and sequencing songs, so sometimes he can go a bit droney with his phrasing but overall it does the trick for me. He paints such romantic images of a guitar and an 8-track out in the forest n_n. Really I suppose I love him for his unique combo of melody, arrangement, and texture.

He did a BoC cover but it's sorta middle ground hahaha, not a strong talking point

[The Telepathic Kid]

my personal favourite Bibio is Ambivalence Avenue, but it's also not willing to fit into the one genre tag. it doesn't hold together as an album very well (none of them really do), but it's a very nice showcase that Bibs can do multiple genres and throw together multiple ideas. It's also fairly lean (42 minutes) and doesn't have any spots which severely affect its listenability.

I have a certain fondness for moments on all of his records, and if you're looking more for "folktronica", I'd suggest going with Hand Cranked which is the most focused of his acoustic era. Either that or Silver Wilkinson, his latest record, in which he mostly goes back to the acoustic guitar sound of his early days, but with a broader pop sensibility and the studio sound a Warp budget can provide. Be aware though, Wilkinson has a few of purely electronic tracks, which confuses me to some extent because some of them do not work at all in the overall context and mood of the record, but I guess that's his choice as an artist.

[portiss]

I'd start with Vignetting the compost and Ambivalence Avenue. If you like Vignetting the Compost more i'd say check his earlier work after that. If you like Ambivalence Avenue, I'd suggest his later work first.

His Instagram is pretty awesome as well. Such a talented guy.

[jcnporter]

Actually quite liking his first album, Fi, from what I've been able to hear. I think the earlier albums are more what I'm looking for, thanks for the advice folks!

[Jonse]

I was informed at the Dorset meet that I look quite a bit like Bibio at the moment.

Strangest way to be introduced to an artist. I suppose I will start with him, chronologically as I always do.

[jcnporter]

I was informed at the Dorset meet that I look quite a bit like Bibio at the moment.

Are you rockin' his style as well?

[Mexicola]

It's true, he does.

[Jonse]

I've rocked "his" style since apparently about the same time he started rocking it.

[bearhead]

Everything he's made is gold, but my favorite Bibio album of all time is fi for sure. It just flows through these little vignettes that make you feel like you're out somewhere in the countryside on a calm evening or something. But in my opinion, Vignetting The Compost is his most accomplished album. Very thorough for sure, and probably his most consistent album, stylistically speaking.

I wasn't really fond of Mind Bokeh for the longest time though. That's probably my least played from him. It's not a bad album or anything, but it doesn't really have that same charm like his other albums have. There are a few songs on the album however that I really do like (Anything New, Pretentious, Mind Bokeh, Feminine Eye, and Saint Christopher), but I don't care for the rest.

If it wasn't for Amb Ave though, I would've never even known about him. I probably wouldn't even know about BoC and all the other great stuff I know about now. That album led me to a lot of experimental and electronic music. So I have a soft spot for that album...

[The Telepathic Kid]

Mind Bokeh's unfocused nature is its biggest weakness.

[Aerial Boundaries]

I can't believe I didn't listen to him before.

His melodies are like a combination of BOC and Hedges.

[koroviev]

Looking at his instagram account (https://instagram.com/mrbibio/), it seems like 'Fi' and 'Ambivalence Avenue' will be repressed on vinyl!

[fujee]

Excellent news, though the wallet will be taking another hit... it's already pretty beaten up this year from record purchases. Hopefully these get the treatment they deserve, more like the Broadcast represses and less like the BoC ones.

[machinea]

I'm hoping they are repressing all of his mush albums.

[john fonda]

probably the most consistently imaginative remixer in the world

track record speaks for itself

[The Telepathic Kid]

His new single is wonderful,
I'm glad the new taste is more focused and stronger in the song writing department.

He needs to stop playing and just make a pop record, it's really where his strong suit is.

[portiss]

His new single is wonderful,
I'm glad the new taste is more focused and stronger in the song writing department.

He needs to stop playing and just make a pop record, it's really where his strong suit is.

I'd love that alot as well. And this new single, blows me away.
If we'd get an album full of this stuff, i'd be goddamn happy.