With Bibio's new album, Phantom Brickworks, set for release this Friday, November 3rd, we thought we'd take a look at the meaning behind the single "Capel Celyn." Bibio's Phantom Brickworks is inspired by places that the artist has seen or delved into throughout his life.

When talking about the album, Bibio explained: 

"Phantom Brickworks is a collection of mostly improvised musical pieces, that for some years now, have provided me with a mental portal into places and times - some real, some imaginary, some a combination of both. Human beings are highly sensitive to the atmospheres of places, which can be enhanced or dramatically altered when you learn about the context of their history. Echoes and voices can sometimes be heard, in some way or another. Places sometimes have things to say."

Capel Celyn

Capel Celyn is a rural community located in the sparsely populated town of Gwynedd in Wales. It's a valley that was actually purposefully flooded in order to create a reservoir that would supply Liverpool with water. As much as the bill to do this was opposed in parliament, it nevertheless was passed. In 1965 when they went ahead and flooded the valley, homes, buildings, post offices and the cemetery were all destroyed. The chapel, after which the village was named ('capel' is 'chapel' in Welsh), was also destroyed but bricks from the original chapel were preserved and used in the building of a memorial chapel. 

Speaking on Phantom Brickworks, Bibio has also said:

"I don’t believe in ghosts but I do believe places can be haunted by meaning. Places change, not always for the better and not always by natural, benevolent or politically sound means. A place can be charged with atmosphere because of what it has been through or what it has been."

Capel Celyn Reference

Nicky Wire was inspired by Capel Celyn when writing Manic Street Preachers' "Ready For Drowning." When speaking about it, he calls it 'the drowning of the village.' Enya's "Dan y Dŵr" translates to "Under the Water" and is about the intentional flooding of the land. Los Campesinos! reference it in their song "For Flotsam," And Michael Stimpson's album was titled Dylan & The Drowning of Capel Celyn. 

Bibio presents: Phantom Brickworks A/V Installation

Ahead of the release, Bibio – along with Rough Trade – will be undertaking a worldwide premiere of an immersive audio/visual installation on November 2nd at The Boiler House, The Old Truman Brewery, in London. The plan is to create a hypnotic hour-long experience in a historical venue, exploring the themes that Bibio unpacks in Phantom Brickworks. Find all the info here. 

Image Source: GanMed64