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May 05, 2020 Bibio By Samantha Small

Bibio—the project of Stephen Wilkinson—offers you a glimpse into his serene world with his new video for “Sleep On the Wing,” the title track of his just-announced new album, out June 12 on Warp. Coming on the heels of his 2019 album Ribbons, Bibio explores, or more accurately, revists Ribbons’ sonic blend of traditional folk, comforting earworms, and a vast collection of field recordings from the natural world. Coming from a background in the “sonic arts,” Wilkinson’s virtuosic, oftentimes avant-garde composition makes him an exemplar of contemporary music. This is easily identified with the melodic and charming ebb and flow of “Sleep On the Wing.”

Animated by Sonnye Lim, the music video for “Sleep On the Wing” follows the flight of a lustrous dove through a blackhole of city windows, seemingly carried by the peaceful harmonies of Bibo. Wilkinson is optimistic, however: he’ll get through the bitter, the tragic, and eventually start anew. The dove’s journey mimics his instructions as he reaches an almost divine violinist plucking away carefully. The dove then moves from the cold city of windows to a flourishing landscape where spring is slowly turning to summer.

In a press release Wilkinson explains his intentions behind the track: “Lyrically, I feel that the song has two aspects to it: The idea of being in the wake of a loss, and with hope, continuing the life of someone who has passed, through allowing oneself to be inspired by what they did during their lifetime and what they left behind, whether it’s the things they said, the knowledge they shared or the things they made. The other aspect to the song is perhaps more direct, and talks of escaping the city to find peace in the countryside, but the title is more a celebration of dreaming and the liberating power of imagination, not necessarily a physical escape. Music has the power to inspire dreaming and fuel the imagination, and that’s what I’ve always found so addictive about music.”

Sleep On the Wing is a moderately instrumental collection of tunes accrued both in Bibio’s own studio and the dazzling UK countryside. But, there is no denying the provincial, yet professional allure of Bibo’s musicality. Sleep On the Wing is sure to be a much needed escape from the current unrest of today.

Sleep On the Wing Tracklist:

1. Sleep On the Wing
2. A Couple Swim
3. Lightspout
4. Oakmoss
5. Miss Blennerhassett
6. The Milkyway Over Ratlinghope
7. Awpockes
8. Crocus
9. Otter Shadows
10. Warching Thus, the Heron Is All Pool

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