Bibio - Ribbons [Japanese Edition] (2019)

Stephen Wilkinson’s last project under the name Bibio, the ambient Phantom Brickworks, was a triumph of glitchy, distorted atmospheres that leaned confidently into darkness. Here, on the more delicate Ribbons, the British artist seeks out the light. Romantic, finger-picking instrumentals bookend the expansive album, full of wistful, far-off lullabies and acoustic explorations like “Curls” and “Patchouli May,” which have a meandering, pastoral quality that seems to embrace open spaces. But the tight, moody, low-lit funk of “Before” and “Old Graffiti” show how much fun Wilkinson can have within the confines of more structured songs.