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BIBIO

Bibio

PHANTOM BRICKWORKS (LP II)

    Started in 2017, 'PHANTOM BRICKWORKS' is an ongoing ambient/drone project by Stephen James Wilkinson a.k.a. Bibio. The work explores the human echoes still present in various sites around Britain. Wilkinson has visited these locations, observed their gradual decline, and responded with improvised and composed music.

    New in 2024, a sequel titled 'PHANTOM BRICKWORKS (LP II)' is a 10-track LP, mastered by Guy Davie and vinyl cut by Hendrik Pauler. The new record draws attention to new sites - some are intriguing, vast scars on the natural landscape, others survive only in local memories, historic clips and photographs. A few remain submerged from ordinary sights, while some exist purely as legends and stories.

    STAFF COMMENTS

    Barry says: Beautiful, organically blooming pieces that float in the same waters as the original Phantom Brickworks, but with a drify, hypnotic focus we didn't get as much the first time around. As ever, with anything Bibio has ever done, it's unique and stunning.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. DINORWIC
    2. DOROTHEA’S BED
    3. PHANTOM BRICKWORKS VI
    4. SURAM
    5. LLYN PERIS
    6. PHANTOM BRICKWORKS VII
    7. TEGID’S COURT
    8. BROGRAVE
    9. SPIDER BRIDGE
    10. SYCHDER MCMLXXXIX

    Bibio

    Sunbursting EP

      Following on from a milestone 10th album and a string of reissues from earlier in his musical journey that dropped throughout the year, Bibio maintains the tradition of complementing each album with an EP. Enter the ‘Sunbursting EP’, which exists within the same musical realm as BIB10 whilst also delving into fresh concepts and sounds. Drawing inspiration from Brazilian and yacht rock influences, a diverse array of instruments intertwine with contributions from a number of collaborators including Olivier St. Louis, Óskar Guðjónsson, Dorian Concept and more. One for the endless summer.

      TRACK LISTING

      1. Sorry (Won’t Cut It) Feat. Olivier St Louis
      2. Shine A Light On Your Mirror
      3. A Matter Of Fact
      4. Rosewoods
      5. All Of The Above
      6. Clay Dots
      7. Sunbursting Feat. Óskar Guðjónsson

      Bibio

      Vignetting The Compost - 2023 Reissue

        ”‘Vignetting The Compost’ partly draws on a theme of the endless cycle of life and death, of growth and decay and how the two are dependant on each other […] This album also explores the processes of pain, loss, suffering and healing, with an optimistic hopeful tone growing over the lamentation like ivy on a gravestone. I’ve always been fascinated with the quality of the imagination and dreams, how edges are unfinished and indefinite, unlike the boundaries of a cinema screen. In dreams, forms and details can seem vivid yet vague, impressionistic, powerful yet difficult to recall. These were the qualities and aesthetics that I focussed on with this album, including intertwining musical ‘vignettes’ amongst the more structured tracks.” – Bibio

        TRACK LISTING

        A1. Flesh Rots, Pip Sown
        A2. Mr. & Mrs. Compost
        A3. Everglad Everglade
        A4. Dopplerton
        B1. Great Are The Piths
        B2. Odd Paws
        B3. Under The Pier
        B4. Weekend Wildfire
        C1. The Clothesline And The Silver Birch
        C2. Torn Under The Window Light
        C3. The Ephemeral Bluebell
        C4. Over The Far And Hills Away
        D1. Amongst The Bark And Fungus
        D2. Top Soil
        D3. Thatched
        D4. The Garden Shelter

        Bibio

        Ovals & Emeralds - 2023 Reissue

          “’Ovals & Emeralds’ explores particular themes that I found haunting as a child: outdated ornate Victorian design, dolls and clowns, automatons, wind up toys, fairgrounds and circuses. The goal was to evoke these themes through manipulation of my own instrumentation, rather than directly sampling fairground organs etc. Although there are some more playful moments on the EP, the dreamlike qualities often take the form of feverish nightmares, dizzying and disorientating with a dose of paranoia.” - Bibio

          TRACK LISTING

          A1. Oval Emerald Vertigo
          A2. The Death Of A Trapeze Artist
          A3. Carosello Ellitico
          B1. Six String Marenghi
          B2. Polycoulrophon
          B3. Segee And The Indian

          'I like contrast between my albums,' says Stephen Wilkinson aka Bibio. 'When I finish an album, I crave doing something different for the next one.'

          No more so is this made apparent with Wilkinson hitting a major milestone, releasing his 10th studio album. Over those ten albums he has gracefully glided between electronica, ambient, folk, pop, indie, funk, soul and just about any other sonic avenue he’s decided to turn down. After 2019’s "Ribbons", an album he describes as organic and woody sounding with a psych folk vibe, for "BIB10" he decided early on that he wanted to use more synths, drum machines, and electric guitars. 'I wanted this album to sound more polished and slick, but not software perfect. My influences for studio production mostly come from the 60s, 70s, and 80s where the craft was very different - getting a more polished sound, without ironing the humanity out of it, was part of the ethos.'

          The result is an album heavy in grooves, be them looping guitar licks that lock into hypnotic swirls, buoyant funk beats, silky disco, texture-heavy soul explorations or that uniquely distinct tone that sounds like nobody other than Bibio. The tone here is rich, deep, resonant and conjures up a radiating warmth throughout.

          This is apparent on tracks such as the opening "Off Goes the Light" and first single, in which Wilkinson’s prominent vocals merge beautifully with the interlocking guitar melodies and immersive synth soundscapes. Even though, on the surface, this album at times feels like one of Wilkinson’s most outwardly electronic-sounding efforts, its roots are planted firmly to the guitar. 'I became more obsessed than ever with guitars in the last few years, particularly vintage guitars,

          This underlying ethos has never been clearer than on his 10th album, a record that captures the essence of Bibio’s journey to date, with clear sonic characteristics and styles present and linkable to the past, while still exploring fresh ground and looking to the horizon. It’s a celebration record in many senses. A statement we'd definitely agree with - an artist that's united our staff and customers over a near 20 year period. 


          TRACK LISTING

          A1. Off Goes The Light
          A2. Potion
          A3. Sharratt
          A4. Rain And Shine
          A5. S.O.L. Feat. Olivier St Louis
          B1. Cinnamon Cinematic
          B2. Even More Excuses
          B3. A Sanctimonious Song
          B4. Lost Somewhere
          B5. Phonograph
          B6. Fools Feat. Olivier St Louis

          Bibio

          Vidiconia (RSD21 EDITION)

            THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2021 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY JULY 17TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

            IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 6PM ON THE SAME DAY (SATURDAY JULY 17TH).


            Brand new EP from Bibio featuring four beautiful haunting ambient pieces, reminiscent of his acclaimed Phantom Brickworks album.

            Bibio

            Hand Cranked - Vinyl Reissue

              Warp Records will reissue Bibio’s Hand Cranked album on vinyl for the first time. The album was originally released in 2006 by Mush and was one of the releases that caught the ear of the Warp label before signing Bibio for Ambivalence Avenue in 2009. That record will also be restocked on vinyl to coincide with this release. Hand Cranked, his second release, saw him delve further into the sounds he crafted on his debut, Fi, with a focus on saturated guitars, found sound and field recordings and an affinity for the pastoral inspiration of his Northern England surroundings.

              Hand Cranked stepped it up a level though, bringing in Bibio's unique take on folk and blending it with electronic loops; a sound that he would continue to help refine throughout his career. This fourteen track collection saw Bibio bring an increased confidence to his music, highlighting his virtuosic guitar playing and shedding light on his more whimsical pop inclinations that he's explored on releases since then. Available on vinyl for the first time since its original release over 10 years ago, Hand Cranked makes for a perfect lazy Sunday listening, a nostalgic drive through the country or simply a peak into an artist beginning to discover the full breadth of his talent.

              TRACK LISTING

              A1 The Cranking House
              A2 Cherry Go Round
              A3 Quantock
              A4 Black Country Blue
              A5 Marram
              A6 Aberriw
              A7 Zoopraxiphone
              A8 Dyfi

              B1 Ffwrnais
              B2 Woodington
              B3 Above The Rooftops
              B4 Snowbow
              B5 Maroon Lagoon
              B6 Overgrown

              Bibio

              Sleep On The Wing

                Bibio returns, just over a year on from his latest album Ribbons, with a new ten track EP titled Sleep On The Wing. The release follows a pattern Bibio has established in his work; releasing a follow up EP after an album exploring similar sonic ground. This release draws on a familiar range of influences from traditional folk, peaceful atmospheric soundscapes and field recordings from the natural world. Stephen Wilkinson (Bibio) once again demonstrates the breadth of his musicality, embracing a wide range of self-played instruments including the strings which gave Ribbons much of its flavour and features some new accouplements for good measure.

                Pieced together over the course of last year, with a few exceptions stretching back into Bibio’s older repertoire, the Sleep On The Wing EP is a largely instrumental collection that exhibits deep atmospheric melodies as observations on rural escapism, reflection and melancholia. Recorded in Bibio’s home studio in the UK midlands countryside, the writing process for this latest EP starts in a similar place to most of his previous works, growing from a guitar riff into a richly textured soundscape one instrument at a time.

                The sleeve artwork by notable illustrator Chris Wormell was developed by Bibio and Chris and lino-printed by Chris. Speaking about how the artwork happened, he explains: “It was an idea that came into my mind when thinking about the title. The bird - a swift - is a bird that apparently can sleep during flight and spends more of its life in flight than any other bird. It really is a creature of the air, the skies are its habitat. I wanted to have artwork that sees the world from the swift’s perspective. It was important to me that the landscape looked typically British, because the British rural landscape has been a never ending source of wonder for me, and the feeling that I try to induce in some of my music very much comes from this desire to really be at the heart of its unique qualities.”

                As on Ribbons, the surrounding nature seeps into the studio and underlies the essence of his music as it unfurls. This new work offers an in-depth study into the instrumentation and feelings surrounding this past year, imbued with revisited works which seem as poignant as they did when they were first composed over a decade ago.

                TRACK LISTING

                01. Sleep On The Wing
                02. A Couple Swim
                03. Lightspout Hollow
                04. Oakmoss
                05. Miss Blennerhassett
                06. The Milky Way Over Ratlinghope
                07. Awpockes
                08. Crocus
                09. Otter Shadows
                10. Watching Thus, The Heron Is All Pool

                Bibio

                Phantom Brickworks

                  Bibio returns with a new album titled ‘Phantom Brickworks’. The nine track collection demonstrates a more atmospheric side to the Warp wunderkind. ‘Phantom Brickworks’ is an eerie reminder of industries past, a tour of desolate buildings where nature has taken over man-made dereliction.

                  “I don’t believe in ghosts but I do believe places can be haunted by meaning. Places change, not always for the better and not always by natural, benevolent or politically sound means. A place can be charged with atmosphere because of what it has been through or what it has been.

                  “‘Phantom Brickworks’ is a collection of mostly improvised musical pieces, that for some years now, have provided me with a mental portal into places and times - some real, some imaginary, some a combination of both. Human beings are highly sensitive to the atmospheres of places, which can be enhanced or dramatically altered when you learn the context of their history. Echoes and voices can sometimes be heard, in some way or another. Places sometimes have things to say.” - Bibio.

                  STAFF COMMENTS

                  Barry says: From 'A Mineral Love's grooving, disco-tinged synth-heavy body-movers to this haunting suite of stretched drones, tentative piano and dusty strings. It's quite a leap, but with a producer this skilled, it's no surprise it's as hypnotic and well made as anything else he's ever put out. Completely different, but just as brilliant.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  9:13
                  Phantom Brickworks
                  Pantglas
                  Phantom Brickworks II
                  Capel Celyn
                  Phantom Brickworks III
                  Ivy Charcoal
                  Branch Line
                  Capel Bethania

                  Mark Pritchard / Bibio / Clark

                  A Badman Sound / Heath Town / Inf Inf Inf Inf

                    THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2016 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

                    Record Store Day rave 12” from Warp mainstays Mark Pritchard, Bibio and Clark.

                    Mark Pritchard kicks off the 12 with throwback jungle anthem ‘A Badman Sound’; the classic Amen break gets laced with rave stabs and intermittent dub sirens.

                    ‘Heath Town’ is the opposite of what you’d expect from Bibio. In particular, the second half takes stylistic cues from ‘A Badman Sound’ and features the popular, euphoric James Brown-produced ‘Yeah Woo’ sample.

                    Clark winds down with ‘Inf Inf Inf Inf’, a more ambient sound that brings in broken beats and is reminiscent of early Aphex Twin.

                    2016 is an exciting year for all three artists:

                    In May, Mark Pritchard is releasing his first album under his own name.

                    In April, Bibio releases his fifth album on Warp, A Mineral Love.

                    And after releasing his most successful album yet in late 2014, Clark returns with ‘The Last Panthers’ record, inspired by his score of the Sky Arts drama series of the same name.

                    For fans of: Aphex Twin, Autechre, Special Request, Om Unit

                    Vinyl 12" in 3mm spine sleeve with centre holes (in Warp house bag).

                    Limited to 500 copies.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    Mark Pritchard – A Badman Sound
                    Bibio – Heath Town
                    Clark – Inf Inf Inf Inf

                    Bibio

                    Fi - Warp Edition

                      Originally released in limited numbers on American imprint Mush in 2005, "Fi" introduced Stephen James Wilkinson's Bibio project to the wider world. Not only did this assured debut catch the ear of major influence Boards Of Canada, but it also won him plenty of fans at UK electronica bastion Warp, who've supported Bibio ever since. This reissue will certainly help fans join the dots between then and now, with ambient and folk still being his main crossover point, just as it was a decade ago. Highlights on here are the looped and layered banjo workout of "Bewley In White", the sombre acoustic expressions of "Puffer" or "Cantaloup" (the latter sounding like it was recorded on a broken tape machine and to interesting effect) and the creepy lo-fi ambience of "I'm Rewinding It".

                      “Fi is a special album for me because it still reminds me of those happy days of discovery, where I had very little in the way of equipment or music production knowledge, but somehow managed to find a sound I could call my own,” - Bibio

                      "Bibio is the antidote to the modern laptopia of pristine electronic music, curing us with majestic drones, gnarly disintegrating guitars and warbling tape loops filtered through your parent's broken 1970's hi-fi" - Marcus Eoin, Boards of Canada

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. Cherry Blossom Road
                      2. Bewley In White
                      3. Puffer
                      4. Cluster At CWM Einion
                      5. London Planes
                      6. It Was Willow
                      7. I'm Rewinding It...
                      8. Looking Through The Facets Of A Plastic Jewel
                      9. Wet Flakey Bark
                      10. Bewley In Grey
                      11. Teleidophonic Torch
                      12. Puddled In The Morning
                      13. At The Chase
                      14. Cantaloup Carousel
                      15 Lakeside
                      16 Bewley In Red
                      17 Poplar Avenue (Uncut)


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