Bibio is the folk-meets-electronica project of self-taught producer/multi-instrumentalist
Stephen Wilkinson, from England's Black Country (aka the West Midlands). As a student of sonic arts at London's Middlesex University,
Wilkinson was first inspired by '90s electronic acts such as
Aphex Twin,
Autechre, and especially
Boards of Canada, but became equally intrigued by mid-20th century British folk. He combined these sounds in his own music, along with found sounds and field recordings, for a unique mix of organic and synthetic atmospheres.
Boards of Canada's
Marcus Eoin handed
Wilkinson's demos to Mush Records, which released
Bibio's debut album,
Fi, in 2004, and its more song-based follow-up,
Hand Cranked, two years later.
Wilkinson also released the limited-edition Sheila Sets Sail/Tribio on the Artist's Valley imprint, part of a collective
Wilkinson has with producers Andy Harber and
Richard Roberts. The Ovals and Emeralds EP, which featured organ instead of
Bibio's usual acoustic guitars, arrived in 2008;
Vignetting the Compost followed in 2009. That summer,
Bibio moved to Warp for the eclectic
Ambivalence Avenue, followed several months later by the release of a remix-heavy album,
The Apple and the Tooth. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide