{"id":3405,"date":"2026-10-21T06:47:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T06:47:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/?p=3405"},"modified":"2026-10-21T06:47:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T06:47:19","slug":"bicep-reveal-first-album-in-five-years-drop-three-new-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/?p=3405","title":{"rendered":"Bicep Reveal First Album in Five Years, Drop Three New Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The announcement of Slug<\/em> comes paired with a massive wave of new music, continuing a rollout strategy that began in earnest last month when the duo surprised fans by releasing three singles simultaneously: "Air," "Lemonder," and "Viper." To coincide with today’s formal album announcement, Bicep has unleashed yet another triptych of tracks: "Gas," which features contributions from Lauren Duffus and Soarr; "Ultra," featuring Eartheater and Saskia; and "Equarium," which spotlights vocals from Kehina. <\/p>\n

In tandem with the audio release, these latest singles arrive accompanied by a striking series of music videos directed by Young Replicant. Together, the visual accompaniments form a cohesive short film centered on the subculture of pigeon fanciers, blending a uniquely British Isles documentary aesthetic with the duo’s signature futuristic, melancholic electronic palettes. The cinematic approach underscores Bicep\u2019s ongoing commitment to pairing their deeply evocative club music with compelling, high-concept visual storytelling, a hallmark of their artistic identity since their breakthrough years.<\/p>\n

According to press materials accompanying the announcement, the title Slug<\/em> was inspired by a fascinating biological concept: "the stark contrast between the land slug most people immediately picture and the extraordinary colours, shapes and intricate forms of their underwater counterparts." This dichotomy between the mundane and the mesmerizing appears to have served as a guiding ethos for the production of the record, pushing the duo to explore unexpected sonic territories and expand their artistic palette far beyond the confines of contemporary dance music conventions.<\/p>\n

Elaborating on this shift in direction, Bicep shared an accompanying statement detailing their ambitions for the record. "For this album we really wanted to massively broaden what we do," the duo stated. "We wanted to make a much more varied album than our previous ones and push what people might expect BICEP to sound like." This desire for sonic evolution positions Slug<\/em> as a pivotal release in their catalog, suggesting a willingness to deconstruct and rebuild the melodic house, techno, and breakbeat hybrid sounds that first earned them widespread critical acclaim and a fiercely dedicated international fanbase.<\/p>\n

Slug<\/em> will serve as the official follow-up to their critically lauded 2021 sophomore album, Isles<\/em>. Released to widespread praise from critics and fans alike, Isles<\/em> cemented Bicep\u2019s status as heavyweights of modern electronic music, charting highly across Europe and the United Kingdom while further defining their emotive, nostalgia-tinged club sound. That album showcased their ability to bridge the gap between sweaty underground rave spaces and expansive home-listening headphone experiences, a delicate balance they appear poised to explore even further on the forthcoming record.<\/p>\n

The expansive tracklist for Slug<\/em> reveals a remarkably collaborative project featuring a diverse array of vocalists and producers from across the alternative and electronic spectrum. Beyond the previously mentioned contributors, the 18-track album includes appearances from visionary electronic producer Clark, singer-songwriter George Riley, experimental pop artist Sassy 009, Ku\u010dka, Rowena Fysx, and Saskia, among others. This extensive roster of collaborators highlights Bicep\u2019s intent to draw on fresh perspectives, blending their signature hardware-heavy production style with vocal textures and sonic stylings from across the broader musical landscape.<\/p>\n

Alongside the album and video drops, Bicep has also mapped out initial live performance plans to support the release, locking in a pair of major headline concert dates for 2027. The duo is scheduled to perform at New York City\u2019s prominent Knockdown Center on March 21, followed by a high-profile open-air summer show at London\u2019s historic Old Royal Naval College on July 31. These dates are expected to preview their newly expanded live production, translating the eclectic sonic shifts of Slug<\/em> into the immersive, audiovisual-heavy live shows that have become a cornerstone of their global reputation.<\/p>\n

As fans and critics alike digest the sprawling rollout of six new tracks and look ahead to the full-length release on January 29, Slug<\/em> shapes up to be one of the most anticipated electronic music statements of the coming year. By deliberately pushing against audience expectations and drawing on an expansive roster of guest collaborators, Bicep are setting the stage for what promises to be a bold, transformative chapter in their ongoing musical evolution.<\/p>\n

Slug Tracklist:<\/strong><\/p>\n

01 Gas [ft. Lauren Duffus & Soarr]
\n02 Air [ft. Soarr]
\n03 777 [ft. Eartheater]
\n04 Lemonder
\n05 Ultra [ft. Eartheater & Saskia]
\n06 Cielo
\n07 Edmeno [ft. Clark]
\n08 Pole II [ft. Kehina]
\n09 Equarium [ft. Kehina]
\n10 Viper [ft. Clark & Saskia]
\n11 Curb [ft. George Riley & Ku\u010dka]
\n12 Horses
\n13 Janus [ft. Sassy 009]
\n14 Lamb [ft. Rowena Fysx]
\n15 Honda
\n16 Xy
\n17 Rose [ft. Kehina]
\n18 Tides [ft. Soarr]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The announcement of Slug comes paired with a massive wave of new music, continuing a rollout strategy that began in earnest last month when the duo surprised fans by releasing three singles simultaneously: "Air," "Lemonder," and "Viper." To coincide with today’s formal album announcement, Bicep has unleashed yet another triptych of tracks: "Gas," which features […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[283],"tags":[355,4324,2829,284,693,2587,287,1526,2006,286,2051,285,18],"class_list":["post-3405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eastern-music-and-soundscapes","tag-album","tag-bicep","tag-drop","tag-eastern-music","tag-first","tag-five","tag-instruments","tag-reveal","tag-songs","tag-soundscapes","tag-three","tag-world-music","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}