Best albums of 2017 #6 Bicep – Bicep

It’s a well worn misconception that 99% of all electronic music producers want to end up in one of two camps, the first being full of insert-genre-by-numbers stream of the week fodder, the second being the world of fun impoverished SERIOUS MUSICIANS.

How can this be proved? Well, I give you exhibit A, Matt McBriar and Andy Ferguson – for they are Bicep – a duo from Belfast who’ve garnered a reputation for being inventive artists, savvy producers and head-fucking DJ’s. The pair make music which they themselves say incorporates “IDM, Italo, techno, electro, jungle and everything in between”, a sound which by employing stealthy nous carries all the resonance of yer scene heavyweights but never loses sight of the dance floor.

This self titled debut takes that philosophy and bends it, from the keening, bell like pads and precision hi-hats of opener Orca, through Rain’s eastern fringed tech-house to the faded klaxons of raves gone by on Glue.

Bicep is one of those albums that SERIOUS MUSICIANS want to make but just can’t muster up the Pete Tong chops to get it done: it’s killer blow lands on Spring, on which the duo pile on the layers like disco-cake makers, never once checking themselves in the mirror to see if the cool halo has slipped. Like the rest here it works on either your 2am or 6am playlists, choon or lullaby; It’s all the same to Matt and Andy, but sounding like you just don’t care when you really, really do means lights and magic few at the moment are better at.