TRACK: Bibio - "À tout à l'heure"

Recommended by Danny Spiteri.

U.K. producer Stephen Wilkinson as Bibio has been on a two-year clock with releasing new albums, with spring 2011 bringing us his previous LP, Mind Bokeh, and June 2009 seeing the release of its predecessor, Ambivalence Avenue. Wilkinson is continuing this cycle with Silver Wilkinson, another full-length which is set for a May 14 release via Warp Records. Below, stream the lead single from the record, "À tout à l'heure."

Before his previous two albums, Bibio's discography was relatively one-dimensional; he stuck to a fairly simple sound which paired the warped synthesizer sound popularized by Boards of Canada with densely layered acoustic guitars. It yielded consistently pleasant music, but Bibio's potential began to truly blossom with what seemed to be a creative explosion on Ambivalence Avenue. There, the producer incorporated the wistful, folk-influenced sound of his early work with detailed electronic beats and light, agreeable, vocals. Its followup, Mind Bokeh, traveled further down the path of variety, presenting a series of fantastic songs, though also suffering somewhat from its inconsistency. "À tout à l'heure" seems to be Bibio refining his sound in the aftermath of Mind Bokeh, though not to the point of sterility. Rather, it feels like an effective summary of Ambivalence Avenue: the evocative acoustic guitar lines, funk-influenced bass lines, breezy vocals, and groove-driven percussion are all in check. Bibio's versatility is one of his best assets, but "À tout à l'heure" is a reminder that it works best alongside discipline.