Sybarite is the project of producer/multi-instrumentalist Xian Hawkins, who combines electronic and acoustic sounds in dynamic and evocative ways. Hawkins performed as part of the Silver Apples in the mid-'90s, touring with the band and appearing on the albums Beacon and Decatur before adopting the Sybarite moniker in 1999. His first EP, Meusic, was released that year by Emanate Records; the Otonomy EP and Musicforafilm, his soundtrack for the movie Kill Me Tomorrow and Temporary Residence debut, followed in 2000. A 2001 single for Zealectronic Orange preceded the release of Sybarite's debut album, Nonument, which arrived via 4AD in 2002. The album's brass and vocals made it one of Hawkins' most elaborate-sounding works, and he continued this trend on the Scene of the Crime EP, which featured a collaboration with Elysian Fields singer Jennifer Charles. Sybarite resurfaced in 2006 with the compilation Cut Out Shape, but Hawkins took a lengthy hiatus from the project to concentrate on soundtrack and freelance work. Hawkins also collaborated with Jenny Owen Youngs as the dream pop duo Bell Horses, who released the album This Loves Last Time in 2009, and issued a cassette under his own name in 2012. He resurrected Sybarite in 2016 with the album Waver the Absolute, which blended more danceable tracks with experimental ones. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi