The "indie" genre and the word “unconventional” are synonymous when defining independent artists nowadays. Labels and defined genres have become less appealing over the years as many modern artists innovate and dip their feet into a mixture of styles and sounds. Attempting to place Canadian artist Bibo into a specific category is an impossible and mind-bending task. Some could describe his music using words as euphoric, satanic, surreal, and psychedelic, validating my versatility point. The singer was born in Egypt, where we lived until he moved to the Toronto area at age 12. He told us that he "grew up really into western pop music, but Michael Jackson always stood out, for obvious reasons." His international upbringing helped formulate his current sound. He "listened to a lot of Egyptian and other Arabic music at the time too, and people around [him] pointed out that they can hear that Arabic influence in my melodies." Although he was immersed in these diverse cultural genres, he didn't take matters into his own hands until the end of high school. His initial approach to music is framed around his goal of “not necessarily making something good because that's entirely subjective. I want to make something interesting that the listener hasn't heard before."
The singer introduced his project to the world in August with his debut single 'Kisses.' The song presented Bibo as an artist who experiments and empathizes with his future fans, giving them an easily digestible emo-pop track. The song garnered recognition and landed him placements on Spotify playlists such as Fresh Finds and Study Break. His follow-up single, 'Complicated,' is a left-of-center, R&B-influenced tune. The unstructured song hones in on kick-drums and autotune to exonerate the inner workings of his 'complicated' mind. The production utilizes a core synthesizer, evolves, and concludes by deriving from his altered vocals. While many could imply that these two tracks would preview what his first EP will sound like, they will soon realize that they are mistaken.
Today, Bibo drops his first EP fittingly titled Noise Pollution, a mind game that will both challenge and intrigue listeners. The project's beauty lies in the fact that not one of the songs is remotely similar to another, leaving first-time listeners unable to guess what will come next. Here is Bibo's message to listeners before dissecting it: "my music is self-expression, I say and do things in them that reflect how my brain works, my emotions, my experiences, my culture, so I never expect anyone to like it. To me, it's like handing someone your diary and expecting them to say you're a good writer. That's not what it's about at all." On a first listen, the initial intrigue and attraction to the project are due to the unpredictability and emotional twists that each song embodies.
The project opens with the two previously released tracks then continues with 'What's It Mean?' using a voice reminiscent of Frank Ocean's signature falsetto while slowly progressing to a drugged-out mumble of harmonies. The next track, 'idfk' pays tribute to Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon era, a sound so familiar yet fades as the song diversifies on several instances. My favorite track happens to be 'Goddamn,' a one minute and twenty-one-second industrial rap song that embodies a darker, more manic side of Bibo. The project concludes with 'WTF!', a futuristic garage hip-hop finale that switches into a sexy Avant-garde soul jam. As a whole, this project is one that Pitchfork or a college music analysis class could explore and discusses for hours.
Check out the premiere of the music video for "What's It Mean?" and enter into the psychedelic world of Bibo's avant-guard psych. Make sure to stream the project Noise Pollution now on all streaming platforms.
Comments