Bibio - Mind Bokeh

  On 3/2/2011 at 6:27 PM, have lost touch said:

  On 3/2/2011 at 5:05 PM, oscillik said:

  On 3/2/2011 at 3:06 PM, Adam Beker said:

  On 3/1/2011 at 10:45 PM, oscillik said:

he seems to have dropped his trademark 'vintage' recording aesthetic,

 

 

Hey. That's not true. Listen to 'Light sleep'.

i just listened to it again...very digital sounding mastering. my point still stands

 

I think it's a mix of different recording techniques from what I'm hearing - you can still hear those trademark treatments on his vocals in a lot of tracks, and other certain elements. He probably had the opportunity to use different tools on this one with the success of AA. Regarding the vocals - the first time I heard Abberiw years back, I remembered thinking I wanted to hear more vocals. It took a couple of records to get here, but the instrumental sections are just as evenly balanced--so it's a logical progression AFAIC, and makes complete sense with the progression of his work.

i have nothing against the vocals, i'm just saying that this album sounds digital in the sense that even the tracks that sound like they're meant to have been recorded to analogue it just doesn't sound right.

  On 3/2/2011 at 7:09 PM, Adam Beker said:

Well, I doubt he did mastering himself.

why do you doubt he did the mastering himself? he has done the mastering himself for every other release he has done...

  On 3/3/2011 at 5:06 PM, reyde_espana said:

the sound is still NO DOUBT vintage sounding...

 

remember bibio first records to digital and then processes through tape... so maybe he just didnt exaggerate it as much

not what i'm hearing, and i'm not the only one that isn't hearing it either

meh, at least its better than Squarepusher's latest effort.

at least its better than everything squarepusher has ever done because squarepusher is bad.

I loved bibio's old stuff but i have to say this album is shite, the hight of shite at that.

take of your shirt and fuck off and make something decent.

Dear god K is for Kelson sounds like the end credits for Weekend at Bernie's 3

Some good tracks, some cringeworthy ones... in a way I'm kinda hoping that this isn't a critical or commercial success so as not to encourage him to stray further from what made his stuff great in the first place. AA struck a nice balance but most of this sounds too polished and saccharine.

  On 2/28/2011 at 10:31 PM, Deepex said:

this record is poopoo-garbo

sums it up beautifully

  On 3/2/2011 at 2:37 AM, jules said:

  On 3/1/2011 at 6:21 AM, tontonz said:

 

messy oily hair? check

black glasses? check

mustache? check

cardigan? check

 

LOL... yeah...

This album kinda reflects that, but there are some bitchin' moments. And some cheese.

After thorough listening, I give the album 6 cookies out of 11 mostly because he was undercutting my expectations judging from the sampler. "Mind Bokeh" - meaning literally mind blur/out of focus, sums up the album completely for me. The album as a whole doesn't have a specific genre it could fit under and just about every song falls out of focus before it gains any momentum in my opinion. I wholeheartedly agree when watmmers were saying that the album would develop nicely then go nowhere, and this is definitely apparent in multiple songs. Songs that come to mind are Pretentious, Feminine Eye, Artists Valley, Wake Up!, Take off your shirt, and Anything New (well there goes half of the album...). Osci made a point about his medium of recording being too digital, and I also agree with this statement. I flipped on Hand Cranked immediately after playing MB while chillin in the library, and it's 2 completely different Bibios in just about every aspect. He draws a few references to Ambivalence Avenue throughout the album in Saint Christopher(Dwrcan), Mind Bokeh, Light Sleep(Jealous of Roses), More Excuses(All of the flowers) and Excuses(Sugarette) but doesn't dig any deeper. Anyways, I am quite ambivalent(LOL) about the album. Some keepers and some shitters, which is not usual for Bibio. I can only hope for better but I give the man slack, I got a heart for Bibio so I will wait to see what he can vulcanize next.

MIND BOKEH - 6/11

This album is brilliant. The haters are wrong. Strongest effort to date. Each song is rad in its own way. Contains lyrics about bristling beards or hair. People who say its too sickly sweet need to continue wearing all black, listening to screamo, and eventually graduate high school. Vintage recording style still there with modern compression and composition. Each song full of depth but also more accessible than what has come before. Prententious brilliant. Contains many styles. Awesome extension of Apple and Tooth originals. Will be enjoying this album for a long time. Haters are fools and trolls. Bibio is winning, duh.

Gave this a listen last night and thought it was alright. Nothing stood out as especially good or bad. The vocal tracks didn't even bother me.

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:05 AM, The Face Culler said:

People who say its too sickly sweet need to continue wearing all black, listening to screamo, and eventually graduate high school.

ok then

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:05 AM, The Face Culler said:

Haters are fools and trolls.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subjectivity

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:05 AM, The Face Culler said:

People who say its too sickly sweet need to continue wearing all black, listening to screamo, and eventually graduate high school.

First of all, if we truly are the kind of people you are assuming we are, why do we "need to continue" subscribing to that lifestyle? Surely, we should just drop all that crap and bring ourselves around to your level so we can fully appreciate this amazing album?

Or maybe, just maybe, i don't tick any of the above boxes, and if i want to listen to this kind of stuff, i'll listen to the real deal and stick on a bit of stevie wonder, shuggie otis, steely dan, yes or whatever. And if i want to listen to great electronic i'll listen to Boc, Aphex, Autechre, etc. And if i want to listen to Bibio i'll listen to his mush records releases. I certainly won't be listening to this though. Good day sir

  On 3/3/2011 at 10:08 PM, Bob Dobalina said:

Dear god K is for Kelson sounds like the end credits for Weekend at Bernie's 3

lol. so true. there is a lot of cheese on this album.

a lot.

i don't see it sticking around in my library for too much longer.

I'm actually enjoying this very much. Take Off Your Shirt might not a low point on the album, but the rest is very listenable.

  On 3/4/2011 at 2:53 PM, jules said:

  On 3/3/2011 at 10:08 PM, Bob Dobalina said:

Dear god K is for Kelson sounds like the end credits for Weekend at Bernie's 3

 

 

lol. so true. there is a lot of cheese on this album.

 

 

a lot.

 

 

i don't see it sticking around in my library for too much longer.

You guys must hate the Jackson 5... and good times. No love for the joyful things in life?

Further to the above, I think Bibio should stop releasing album samplers. They seem to create this massive sense of anticipation (that perhaps is inevitably bound to create disappointement) by selecting catchy hooks from each track, but are not necessarily indicative of the tone of each track.

I also think some people should stop living in the past when it comes to Bibio's music. As lovely as Fi 2 would be to hear, he's probably never going to make it.

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:21 PM, Higgins VanHiggins said:

I also think some people should stop living in the past when it comes to Bibio's music. As lovely as Fi 2 would be to hear, he's probably never going to make it.

if you're referring to my comments, i'm not even referencing Fi.

i'm only comparing to Ambivalence Avenue, which has a decidedly more vintage sound to it. and a more authentic sound. Mind Bokeh is like a pastiche of a pastiche.

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:27 PM, oscillik said:

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:21 PM, Higgins VanHiggins said:

I also think some people should stop living in the past when it comes to Bibio's music. As lovely as Fi 2 would be to hear, he's probably never going to make it.

if you're referring to my comments, i'm not even referencing Fi.

 

i'm only comparing to Ambivalence Avenue, which has a decidedly more vintage sound to it. and a more authentic sound. Mind Bokeh is like a pastiche of a pastiche.

No, not you in particular, just a general vibe that I'm picking up in this thread.

I know you've disagreed previously in the thread with what I'm about to say, but I still hear his vintage sound. Yes, there's no broken down loops like in his previous work, but the likes of K for Kelson evoke old '70's themes tunes for me. Perhaps it's the maybe that his production has got cleaner (perhaps to clean or some).

I personally prefer this to Ambivalence Avenue. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy AA, but I got into Mind Bokeh much quicker than I warmed to AA.

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:16 PM, The Face Culler said:

  On 3/4/2011 at 2:53 PM, jules said:

  On 3/3/2011 at 10:08 PM, Bob Dobalina said:

Dear god K is for Kelson sounds like the end credits for Weekend at Bernie's 3

 

 

lol. so true. there is a lot of cheese on this album.

 

 

a lot.

 

 

i don't see it sticking around in my library for too much longer.

 

You guys must hate the Jackson 5... and good times. No love for the joyful things in life?

i love the jackson 5. i love good times. i just like them done well, not all plastic-y like this. to each their own. im not really hating this album, it is just doing nothing for me. he is aiming towards more of a hipster indie rock area, good for him if that's what he wants... its just what i like from him, i get that from other bands who do that well.

Anybody who hates this album has no soul. Go listen to moar bleep bloop glitch wank - get right back into that comfort zone. Mind Bokeh is clearly too human for you.

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:30 PM, Higgins VanHiggins said:

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:27 PM, oscillik said:

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:21 PM, Higgins VanHiggins said:

I also think some people should stop living in the past when it comes to Bibio's music. As lovely as Fi 2 would be to hear, he's probably never going to make it.

if you're referring to my comments, i'm not even referencing Fi.

 

i'm only comparing to Ambivalence Avenue, which has a decidedly more vintage sound to it. and a more authentic sound. Mind Bokeh is like a pastiche of a pastiche.

 

No, not you in particular, just a general vibe that I'm picking up in this thread.

 

I know you've disagreed previously in the thread with what I'm about to say, but I still hear his vintage sound. Yes, there's no broken down loops like in his previous work, but the likes of K for Kelson evoke old '70's themes tunes for me. Perhaps it's the maybe that his production has got cleaner (perhaps to clean or some).

 

I personally prefer this to Ambivalence Avenue. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy AA, but I got into Mind Bokeh much quicker than I warmed to AA.

like i said, Mind Bokeh is a pastiche of a pastiche. Ambivalence Avenue was without a doubt very authentic sounding, the mastering and EQing was done to reflect the kind of recording and mastering done "back in the day".

but Mind Bokeh has too clean of a sound, even for the tracks that are obviously meant to sound vintage. if you're gonna do a job, do it properly. and it was obviously implied that the "vintage tracks" were meant to sound vintage. so why don't they?

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:55 PM, jules said:

  On 3/4/2011 at 6:16 PM, The Face Culler said:

  On 3/4/2011 at 2:53 PM, jules said:

  On 3/3/2011 at 10:08 PM, Bob Dobalina said:

Dear god K is for Kelson sounds like the end credits for Weekend at Bernie's 3

 

 

lol. so true. there is a lot of cheese on this album.

 

 

a lot.

 

 

i don't see it sticking around in my library for too much longer.

 

You guys must hate the Jackson 5... and good times. No love for the joyful things in life?

 

i love the jackson 5. i love good times. i just like them done well, not all plastic-y like this. to each their own. im not really hating this album, it is just doing nothing for me. he is aiming towards more of a hipster indie rock area, good for him if that's what he wants... its just what i like from him, i get that from other bands who do that well.

it's funny how we're being branded as haters, when in actuality we had every faith that the new album would sound good, but we ended up being disappointed.

there is a difference between hate and disappointment. for example, i hate Voltaire. i don't hate Bibio, i'm just disappointed in this release.

this is a great release. just sayin'

sonically awesome

song wise... good

not great

releasesticly great

It gets worse every time I listen to it. That's never a good sign, but happened to me with last Squarepusher's and now I think its a good album.