Tiberius b

Unconsciously influenced by highlights from their parent’s CD collection, like Portishead, Underworld and Massive Attack, the six tracks on DIN expand on the musical motifs of their debut EP Stains, spanning grunge, trip-hop, folk and Brit pop. These songs are an aesthetic homecoming, heavily influenced by relocating to the British capital in 2017. Additional co-production on tracks across DIN comes from Yves Rothman (Yves Tumor, Sunflower Bean), Vampire Weekend’s Chris Baio and Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief, Skullcrusher, Nilüfer Yanya), the latter of whom also mixed the EP. 

DIN was mostly made with a guitar plugged into their dilapidated 2010 Macbook. At its core, the EP mirrors the din of Tiberius b’s life, it’s loud and DIY, with a surreal, experimental South London flair. Filtering these elements through a distinct pop sensibility, Tiberius b’s unique sound leaves an indelible impression.

Speaking on DIN, Tiberius says: ‘It took me ages to title this project, for a while I wasn’t sure what it was about. In the final stages of its conception I was in LA mixing with Andrew Sarlo and staying at a friend’s house. She lived right by Elysian park and we would walk around it every morning before going to sessions. There’s a stretch of the pathway that looms right above a 6 lane highway, which reminded me of the existence of the word din. It struck me a few days later that this was the connecting thread of this batch of songs. They are simply the noise of my life, and in this case catalog my integration into the city of London. Pigeons bear witness to this life, and represent the ordinary magic of song making.’

The visuals for DIN have been integral to the project, devised alongside the music to capture the intimate, complex, beautiful and ugly elements of human nature. Working closely with director Aidan Zamiri (Caroline Polacheck, FKA Twigs and Pinkpantheress) and art director and stylist Hamish Wirgman, across all the visuals the trio have established a creative coalition that has elevated and confounded expectations as to what a music video can add to a song. The videos are visceral and messy whilst being intimate and mesmerizing, they capture the energy and intensity of a Tiberius b live show.

Across the rest of the EP ‘Twofer’ calls on the icons (Orlando, Eileen and Claude) for guidance on surgical decisions and speculating about whether two people of the same type can fall for each other. ‘Cornerstone’ plunges listeners into the exquisite chaos of a new life, coloured with forbidden infatuations and messy fantasies, while closing track ‘Wasted’ was written on a ten-hour flight in the throes of fresh betrayal.