Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue (Deluxe Edition) (2024/2009)

Deluxe version with three bonus tracks - Stephen Wilkinson aka Bibio has attracted fans like bees to the heather over the last few years with highly regarded releases on Mush and Warp.

Catching the attention of Warp with his remix for Clark has lead to this release on the leading UK indie, fitting in nicely with the likes of BoC, HudMo or even Broadcast with a sepia tinted and beat driven take on neo-folk and grainy soundtrack styles with just a hint of (dare we say it) hauntological awareness at work. Bibio's charming appeal can be attributed to his skill for crafting beautifully naive melodies and possessing a wider scope than many involed with the oft blanched scene of neo-folk and soft-hippy rustic-psychedelia, just check the heavy DJ Premier friendly beat on 'Fire Ant' and then check the Long Lost alike 'Haikuesque (when she laughs)' with shades of West Coast Pop-psychedelia for a neat contrast. 'Sugarette' would slot in with any of the Beat Dimensions types, while tracks like 'Lovers Carvings' or 'Abrasion' will soften any stressheads with sweetened acoustic guitars and euphoric raises sounding like Tunng on a handful of happy pills. It's undeniably gorgeous and is more typically Warp than much of the stuff they're picking up on right now so we'd have to recommend it to any lovers of the classic Warp feel-good sound and fans of everyone from Ezekiel Honig to Daedelus.