Mind Bokeh

Bibio | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 29, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warp Records
• ASIN: B004IMDCJC
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,280 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

''Bokeh is a Japanese word,'' explains British artist-composer Stephen Wilkinson, a/k/a Bibio, in reference to Mind Bokeh, his second full-length disc for Warp. ''The word from which it originated, boke, means blur or haze. Bokeh with an 'h' on the end, however, is more specific to photography; it's the out-of-focus region of a picture. Photographers and lens manufacturers, particularly Japanese ones, are obsessed with bokeh, because the creaminess of the blur and its relationship to the focused subject may enhance the sharp aspects of the photograph, may make the portrait stand out.'' Bokeh is a good analogy for Wilkinson's newest work, where his alternately dreamy/woozy atmospherics surround ever more confident song craft.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Electro-pop with an experimental edge March 28, 2011

By William Merrill TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:MP3 Music

Music fans who heard bibio's song "Lover's Carvings" on the kindle commercial might be better advised to buy the song rather than an entire album by him. I'm thinking that the experimental nature of most of bibio's music might be off-putting to many listeners. The artist uses distorted beats, altered vocals, ambient sounds, odd time signatures and other tricks to create his melange of sound. "Carvings" was on his last album, Ambivalence Avenue. On this new one, Mind Bokeh, a song can start out in a relatively conventional way, as with the quasi-funky "Pretentious," but then the melody fractures and never quite reassembles itself. The very next song, "Anything New," starts out as a pretty straightforward electro-pop number, but the 2nd half of the song features a twisted wordless vocal that sounds like the equipment is just starting to malfunction. And the rest of Mind Bokeh continues in similar fashion. None of it is unpleasant to listen to, and I like this kind of stuff myself, but I'm not sure what mainstream listeners will think.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Channel-surfing March 28, 2011

By J. Bittancourt

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

What could I say about Bibio that might convince you this deserves your attention?
Think about the wild ambience of a group like Boards of Canada, paired with the scatter-shot sampling style of Bonobo, and throw in a dash of Caribou. Many of us have favorite songs, favorite moments, even favorite memories with those groups (maybe others as well). The truth is, that's what this album is, at its' best. It preserves the unique approach this genre demands, while pulling, in some dramatic fashion, at your heartstrings.

I can remember how hearing the turn in the last 90 seconds of "Excuses" (the introduction to this album) made me glance to make sure it was the same song, because it devolves into a rough electro-jazz, influenced by Kraftwerk and Herbie Hancock, before ending suddenly. Many of the songs whiz by in a kind of distorted haze, but, on second and third listens, bonds are formed with the textures created. Every song has at least one or two moments that call back to something in my childhood. That lingering nostalgia is what created the connection for me to this album.

While it seems like a couple of the tracks don't fit well on this album (most people will call out to "Take Off Your Shirt"), remind yourself that albums need to breathe and take a few turns. This is not a mere collection of tracks. When "Saint Christopher" jazzily calls back to the title track, albeit in speedier, more upbeat form, you can start to recognize what this album is truly doing. It is a way to channel memories from our past, and propel them towards our mysterious, yet bright future.

One of my favorites of 2011.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Like late 70's early 80's sensual super nova-nostalgia March 28, 2011

By Jeff Abbott

Format:MP3 Music

How to describe this? First these aren't songs, they're tracks. It's like a crazy collage of cut-out magazine photos all strewn together, glued on some neon poster board and slapped on your wall haphazardly. I pity the producer who tries to classify this music under some type of genre (and "electro-pop" doesn't begin to describe it). I totally agree with the other reviewer. If you're not familiar with Bibio then chances are this type of music is going to be somewhat foreign to you. It really is a bit for a discerning listener or maybe even an audiophile. It can be playfully chintzy at certain moments and then woefully sensual at others -and this can happen all within just one track. It's good music to listen to with your headphones on and your eyes shut tightly -just soaking it all in. Overall I really liked this.