Mind Bokeh (pronounced ‘bouquet’) is the new album from the British music producer Bibio, aka Steve Wilkinson. An electronic artist, Bibio his draws influence from Boards of Canada, and other Warp artists, where he releases his music. Given his peers and his history as a producer, a lot was expected from his most recent effort, and he doesn’t disappoint.
Mind Bokeh opens with the track Excuses. Chimes ping in the distance, and synths drip and patter as the song kicks off. As the edgy bassline and percussion begin to build up, Wilkinson enters with a low, effected, and almost hushed vocal, “How was I, supposed to know”. Excuses is a dark track that doesn’t exactly peak, but is content staying in the groove until the end. The real kick comes with the Reprise at the end of the track after a moments silence giving a more energetic feel that harks back to the sounds that came before it. Pretentious is the track that follows and it’s a much more funky number, with a staggered, off-time beat. There are signs of some Latin, Caribbean and Motown musical influences in the synths, percussion and percussion respectively. Funk and groove are big features of the earlier tracks, and Anything New is guilty of this too. You can hear similar influences that can be heard in early Jay-Z and Kanye West material in this song, but Wilkinson’s vocal keeps us grounded in the present. Wake Up! combines the sentiments of the earlier tracks with an Arabic/Eastern vibe, but Light Sleep brings us right back to the groove again. Light Sleep is the climax of the earlier portion of the album in terms of style. The percussion of the track never really breaks out fully, Wah-Wah guitars, lead basslines, and jazzy synth parts make it somewhat of jazz/funk odyssey.
Once the album hits the sixth track, there’s a serious shift in style. The funk play style is out the window, and the heavier, power chord guitars enter, along with the dance beats. It’s almost like a different group. Take Off Your Shirt is a track worthy of dance floors everywhere, sounding like a rockier version of tracks by DJs such as David Guetta and his ilk. The next song, Artist’s Valley, is one of the more artistic tracks one the album. A semi-punk-pop guitar line gives an introduction, and it leads the way for staggering, stumbling electronic drums and effected, harmonising vocals. K Is For Kelson allows the sunnier elements from earlier in the album to seep back in briefly, but the elegant and moody synths return with the title track, Mind Bokeh. The album’s namesake doesn’t stay long, and seems to serve as an intro for More Excuses, the more mature, older brother of the LP opener. Driven by acoustic guitar picking, a hopping bass, and light percussion, the lyrics of the track seem to be its centrepiece. The ‘excuses’ that are sung about seem to be the only topic of any depth in the album, although this depth is only alluded to as Wilkinson seems perfectly content in the instrumentation and groove that wins out in the LP rather than introspection. And as if Bibio read my mind, the track that follows, Feminine Eye, is the perhaps the most laidback of the album.
Clearly the confidence of Bibio lies in the lighter, funkier material and there’s nothing wrong with that. On a personal level, after a number of listens to the album, I began to find some of the earlier tracks tedious and identified more with the more subtle material.
But those criticisms aside, Mind Bokeh is an incredibly enjoyable album and the stand-out tracks have to be Take Off Your Shirt, Artist’s Valley, and the duo of Excuses and More Excuses. Bibio’s album ranges expertly from introversion to extraversion in a very natural way and it spans a lot of genres. Without a doubt there’s something is this album for everyone.
Drop-d Rating: 8/10
Published on Drop-D.ie, April 8th, 2011
Mind Bokeh opens with the track Excuses. Chimes ping in the distance, and synths drip and patter as the song kicks off. As the edgy bassline and percussion begin to build up, Wilkinson enters with a low, effected, and almost hushed vocal, “How was I, supposed to know”. Excuses is a dark track that doesn’t exactly peak, but is content staying in the groove until the end. The real kick comes with the Reprise at the end of the track after a moments silence giving a more energetic feel that harks back to the sounds that came before it. Pretentious is the track that follows and it’s a much more funky number, with a staggered, off-time beat. There are signs of some Latin, Caribbean and Motown musical influences in the synths, percussion and percussion respectively. Funk and groove are big features of the earlier tracks, and Anything New is guilty of this too. You can hear similar influences that can be heard in early Jay-Z and Kanye West material in this song, but Wilkinson’s vocal keeps us grounded in the present. Wake Up! combines the sentiments of the earlier tracks with an Arabic/Eastern vibe, but Light Sleep brings us right back to the groove again. Light Sleep is the climax of the earlier portion of the album in terms of style. The percussion of the track never really breaks out fully, Wah-Wah guitars, lead basslines, and jazzy synth parts make it somewhat of jazz/funk odyssey.
Once the album hits the sixth track, there’s a serious shift in style. The funk play style is out the window, and the heavier, power chord guitars enter, along with the dance beats. It’s almost like a different group. Take Off Your Shirt is a track worthy of dance floors everywhere, sounding like a rockier version of tracks by DJs such as David Guetta and his ilk. The next song, Artist’s Valley, is one of the more artistic tracks one the album. A semi-punk-pop guitar line gives an introduction, and it leads the way for staggering, stumbling electronic drums and effected, harmonising vocals. K Is For Kelson allows the sunnier elements from earlier in the album to seep back in briefly, but the elegant and moody synths return with the title track, Mind Bokeh. The album’s namesake doesn’t stay long, and seems to serve as an intro for More Excuses, the more mature, older brother of the LP opener. Driven by acoustic guitar picking, a hopping bass, and light percussion, the lyrics of the track seem to be its centrepiece. The ‘excuses’ that are sung about seem to be the only topic of any depth in the album, although this depth is only alluded to as Wilkinson seems perfectly content in the instrumentation and groove that wins out in the LP rather than introspection. And as if Bibio read my mind, the track that follows, Feminine Eye, is the perhaps the most laidback of the album.
Clearly the confidence of Bibio lies in the lighter, funkier material and there’s nothing wrong with that. On a personal level, after a number of listens to the album, I began to find some of the earlier tracks tedious and identified more with the more subtle material.
But those criticisms aside, Mind Bokeh is an incredibly enjoyable album and the stand-out tracks have to be Take Off Your Shirt, Artist’s Valley, and the duo of Excuses and More Excuses. Bibio’s album ranges expertly from introversion to extraversion in a very natural way and it spans a lot of genres. Without a doubt there’s something is this album for everyone.
Drop-d Rating: 8/10
Published on Drop-D.ie, April 8th, 2011
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