Ovals & Emeralds, the new EP from Bibio, is full of disorienting growths of sublime field recordings, toy-chest noises, and coarse synths. On this follow-up to the superb Vignetting the Compost, Bibio’s signature creekside guitar is only present on two of the tracks, but here he has crafted his ambient work to equal perfection. The sun goes down on his usual idyllic pastoralism to bring out a bleaker landscape with a slightly menacing air to it like the meditations of Wolfgang Voigt. Amidst the wall of sound are faded music boxes and rich bonsai soundscapes that hypnotize you like a demented carnie at the circus gates.
Still no date for the limited edition vinyl, but Ovals & Emeralds is available for download. You should get on that, because this may be his swan song for Mush Records. It’s official now, Bibio is to be the newest artist on the Warp roster! I bestow my sincere blessings on this holy matrimony, as Wilkinson has certainly earned this invitation to the family. You can go to his Myspace to hear snippets of the upcoming Warp debut. From the preview, it sounds like an intense mash-up of Prefuse 73 and Iron & Wine, collapsing folk and glitch-hop into one. Below, for your viewing pleasure, is a video of Bibio performing “Oval Emerald Vertigo” from the new EP. Is that an MPC he’s banging it out on? Touché sir.
MP3 :::
Bibio – Carosello Ellitico
Bibio – Six String Marenghi
