Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

20 years after starting out, Warp has lost none of its knack for unearthing cutting-edge leftfield talent, and the prolific Stephen Wilkinson was a welcome addition to their roster in ’09. Of the four Bibio records released in the last twelve months, Ambivalence Avenue is the most impressive, a melting pot of styles and tones that at first feels like genre overload but then quietly seduces on each listen. Like Kieran Hebden, Wilkinson is clearly a producer who sees folk and electronica as close cousins, and Ambivalence Avenue might just be the missing link between Jackson C. Frank and Boards of Canada. (Paul Harrington)