Bibio : 'The Apple And The Tooth'
Released: Out Now!!!
Label: Warp Records
With a plethora of influences, a wealth of ideas and a mind for innovation, Bibio is certainly an exciting artist to say the least. And with new LP The Apple And The Tooth he shows just how far his mind can stretch. From acoustic to electronic, nothing is off limits. Add to that six remixes of older tracks, and you have an album that has something for everyone written all over it.
Billed as “folk” on his myspace, there certainly are early signs of this in the opening tnumbers. Title track “The Apple And The Tooth” begins with a glorious acoustic riff, building slowly whilst being joined by flutes and various percussion in a jam session like feel. With layered vocals creating the sense of more than one person, this is accentuated to produce a rounded sound that belies it's initial premise. Similarly the remix of “The Palm Of Your Wave” uses subtle strings and a definitive yet muted beat, allowing soft keyboards to filter through.
Yet skip on a few tracks and you will fail to believe that it is in fact the same artist. “Steal The Lamp” is an entirely electronic affair, with melodies somewhat reminiscent of angrier Tetris. Despite the rapid change it is by no means a bad one, with haunting vocals adding texture. The remix of “Lover's Carvings” is a joy to behold, a fluctuating female voice billowing over electronic pulses in a dreamlike way. For an artist to be adept at to such contrasting genres is very impressive, and the fact that they can fit together is a testament to his innovation.
However, it is these remixes that will perhaps cause the most problems with the album. Despite boasting twelve tracks, closer examination reveals that only four of these are in fact originals, with the remaining six being re-envisions of tracks from a previous album. This is not to say that they are not accomplished tracks, with “Sugarette” in particular providing intrigue with it's eerie computerised voice and dreamy melody, it is rather that many might see it as an attempt to cut corners. Admittedly, for a first time listener there will be no problem as you soak up the old and the new, yet for existing fans there might be a few that feel somewhat hard done by, and probably rightly so.
Ultimately though it is not enough to right off an overall impressive album from a talented young man. Even down to designing the rather magnificent artwork himself, Bibio has thought long and hard about each element of every track. And with such variety, it is impossible not to like at least one, and probably a lot more.
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