7/10

Following on from last year's 'Mineral Love' LP and his contrastingly upbeat 'Beyond Serious' EP from earlier this year, adventurous producer Bibio has now returned with a full-length that may not be what most would expect from him at this time. In a callback to his 2004 debut release 'Fi', the producer has opted for a far more experimental and ethereal direction than we are used to, recapturing the brooding nature of his infancy.

With long, strung out orchestral pieces and a mostly piano-led direction, 'Phantom Brickworks' is a swooning yet swooping full-length that aims to add a sense of minimal bliss to his otherwise more jovial back catalogue. The album's title-track, which stretches more than 13 minutes in length, proves to be the centre post on this album, naming itself as the main focus of the album's direction and taking us on a journey that is just so warm and inviting, you won't want to let it stop.

His fans may be a little surprised by this sudden drop in energy, but 'Phantom Brickworks' remains just another benchmark in the producer's reputation to entice the listener on everything he produces. A strong return with an enjoyable calmness that not many can do well.