Bibio's latest album is like an aural kaleidoscope snapping into focusand features a newfound brightness.
Bibio/ A Mineral Love
British producer Stephen Wilkinson, aka Bibio, is a masterful weaver of sounds. Throughout his decade-long career, he has established himself as an endlessly voracious sonic wizard, incorporating myriad field recordings into his own brand of contemporary experimental electronica. Rooted in human sensibilities, his approach to electronic music sets him apart from his peers while simultaneously putting him in the same elite league as Brian Eno, Boards of Canada and Bonobo. Wilkinson's first Bibio record on Warp Records, 2009's Ambivalence Avenue, was a stunning hybrid of polarising genres like folk and electronica. Exuding genuine warmth, the album gave off the sensation of being wrapped up in a soft duvet on a cold day.
Bibio's following records (The Apple and the Tooth, Mind Bokeh, Silver Wilkinson) saw him dabbling in an even broader musical spectrum -- from pop to indie pop and psychedelic folk. It's these multilayered and multifaceted sounds that have made Bibio's later works exciting and unpredictable, like an adventure into the unknown. His latest studio effort, A Mineral Love, is no exception. Here, he's inching further away from the ambient inclination, gravitating towards pop-oriented songs that are well-rounded and properly realised.
Acoustic opener Petalsis is as delicate as its title, with layered samples that reflect both the sublime beauty of the flowers as well as their harrowing ephemerality. "To see age in a flower/The dawns are speeding up/You know it'll hurt you," he sings in his slightly distorted vocals. "Feel all of a sudden/Tired and teary-eyed/You knew it'd kill you."
The song sets the tone of the album beautifully, giving way to the laid-back grooves of the title track and muffled falsetto that is vaguely reminiscent of the Bees Gees. Raxeira follows suit with the similarly summery vibe coupled with nature-themed lyrics: "The way the firefly lights its fire/She wrote a song about it yesterday/The way the water turns to steam/She wrote a song about it yesterday."
As the rest of the album wears on, we're treated to the jazz-inflected Town & Country, the light funk of sax-laden Feeling and the woozy Gotye-featured The Way You Talk. And just as things are about to get a little monotonous, With the Thought of Us promptly comes to the rescue with a veritable retro house production whereas Why So Serious? (featuring Olivier St Louis) tackles the aesthetic of '80s synth-funk head on. For those craving some good old Bibio, Saint Thomas and its ascending synth patterns are the closest this album gets.
For the most part, A Mineral Love is akin to a kaleidoscope of sounds snapping into focus. A long-serving trader of diverse pop collages, Wilkinson has finally brought us a Bibio album that's not only aurally cohesive, but joyful and accessible. His considerable vocal contribution cannot go unnoticed here, either, for it's integral in making this album feels more personal and distinctively his own.
THE PLAYLIST
Dead Flowers/ Ngao (Shadow of You)
Made up of members from Merry Go Round, Poomjit and Desktop Error, Dead Flowers is another Thai supergroup that deserves some love and attention. Ngao (Shadow of You) is the band's first new music since their 2015 rock ballad single I Will Close My Eyes. With lyrics that deal with loneliness and longing, the song is an upbeat rock jam that draws its inspiration from a wide range of '90 influences from Britpop to alternative and post-rock to shoegaze.
Jennifer Lopez/ Ain't Your Mama
Let's first overlook the fact that this song is produced by Dr Luke, the infamous dude who's currently fighting accusations of abusing and raping Kesha, and concentrate on the music, shall we? Co-written by Meghan Trainor, Ain't Your Mama is a sassy Latin-flavoured pop number on which J Lo makes it her business to call out patriarchy. "I ain't gon' be cooking all day, I ain't your mama," she cautions potential suitors, "I ain't gon' do your laundry, I ain't your mama." The song is peak feminism so long as one doesn't think about who's behind it.
MIA/ Rewear It
While the politically charged Borders addressed the refugee crisis in Europe, MIA's latest cut, Rewear It, finds her encouraging us to do our bit for the environment ("Cause this generation, we rewear it"). Created in collaboration with global Swedish clothing chain H&M to raise awareness for World Recycle Week last month, the song comes with that classic MIA infectious vibe and offbeat rap verses ("Do it clean, spin your wheels/I stitched your seams, sew what you mean?"). Indeed, there's no denying that this is a well-intentioned initiative, however the whole thing feels a bit hypocritical -- a bit like oil companies campaigning against the fossil fuel industry.
Day Wave/ Stuck
Indie upstart Jackson Phillips, aka Day Wave, has the ability to make the kind of music that sounds as if it was produced through an Instagram filter (Valencia, perhaps?). To that end, his latest jangly guitar pop offering, Stuck, can be likened to a snapshot tainted with the faded colour of bygone summer. Yes, this brand of hazy and wistful sound has been done ad nauseam by myriad indie acts before, but still that doesn't negate the fact that Stuck is a perfect song to serve as the soundtrack to simmering melancholy and chronic nostalgia.
Mura Masa/ What If I Go?
Rising London-based producer Alex Crossan, aka Mura Masa, previously impressed us with Shura-assisted debut single Love For That, and now he's back with another gem. Teaming up with vocalist Bonzai, the 19-year-old producer gives us What If I Go?, a soulful blend of electro-pop and electronica with some classical influences laced on top. This is only the second single we've heard from this guy and already we can't wait to hear his debut LP, which should be coming out soon.
