Bibio Interview

This week I am thrilled to say we have a Q&A with the producer behind one of my albums of the year, Ambivalence Avenue. That’s right, it’s Bibio.

Firstly, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m from Wolverhampton, England. I’ve been messing around with music since I was a little kid. I lived in London for 4 years where I studied sonic arts, and it was during that time I found my feet as an artist.

Ambivalence Avenue is your first album released on Warp having previously largely released on Mush. How does it feel joining the Warp stable?

Amazing. I feel like a spoilt kid.

I am a big fan of Ambivalence Avenue. What I particularly like is the variety present across the tracks whilst maintaining a definite mood throughout. It implies a wide range of influences, so who are those influences and who is producing music today that inspires you?

I was influenced by Marcos Valle, 60s/70s soul productions like Dionne Warwick, Sly & the family stone. Out of the new artists, I’d say Dilla was an influence.

Sometimes my influences come from things other than music, like Alan Watts and books about Zen, or documentaries… poems, whatever.

What has the response been to the style of Ambivalence Avenue from the fans of your previous work?

Difficult to say. It seems a lot of people like it, but I don’t necessarily hear from all the fans. I haven’t really had anyone message me on myspace saying “what the hell have you done!?” but then maybe they would just rather not message me if they didn’t dig it.

I write music for myself essentially, that’s what being an artist means to me, as oppose to being an entertainer. If people dig what I do, it’s a buzz. If people don’t dig it, that’s cool also. If I made music to cater for people’s taste, then it wouldn’t be doing what ‘I’ do. It would be the work of an entertainer, not bibio.

What with the critical success of Ambivalence Avenue you must be under increasing pressure to put together a live show (I know I would buy a ticket). Are there any plans to tour the album?

I get this question in every interview and also frequently through myspace. It’s nice to know the interest is there, but I’m not ready yet. I’ll be DJing around europe and maybe further afield, get a taste for the stage and play some exclusive unreleased music of my own. It gives me a chance to play stuff that might not make it to an album, see I make lots of different types of music, like acid house, disco, dubstep, hip hop… it can’t all go on an album so DJing is an outlet.

There is a strong sense of the organic and natural in your work, especially your last album (Vignetting the compost). It feels sometimes as though there is something very specific, be it a mood or place, you are trying to convey to the listener. Is this the case, and if so what is it?

For sure. I want people to get lost in their imagination. The music is a trigger or a soundtrack to that place they might go to. I don’t make music to remind people of me as a musician, you know like you get with virtuoso people, or bands who just shred. I’m tired of that. That’s music as an athletic sport. Perhaps metal drummers should be olympians, they’re mighty impressive, but somehow there seems to be a lack of soul in that approach to music. It’s all about speed and skill, and very little to do with imagery, colour, texture or profundity.

Who are the kids on the intro to Fire Ant? What happens if you let the cat in before you get the secret ingredient? Every time I hear that intro it reminds me of a tape that me and my sister made on our first stereo when I was about 6, I do a pretty mean Lenny Henry impression on that recording.

That’s me, my family and friends on Christmas day 1985. My dad bought us a Commodore 16+4. We’re playing a game called Fire Ant. It’s difficult to hear, but my friend says “…until I’ve got the secret ingredient… I mean secret key”.

Fun times.

What does the future hold for you and us all?

The future is a phantom, an idea. There is only eternal nowness.

More releases on warp are planned. Can’t say what yet.

Any parting words?

Watch grass grow.

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