Bicep - Isles

Belfast-born, London-based duo Bicep (Matt McBriar and Andy Ferguson) release their hotly anticipated second album, Isles. Two years in the making, Isles expands on the artful energy of their 2017 debut Bicep, while digging deeper into the sounds, experiences and emotions that have influenced their lives and work, from early days in Belfast to their move to London a decade ago.

'We have strong mixed emotions, connected to growing up on an island' they say, 'wanting to leave, wanting to return'. Isles is, in part, a meditation on these contradictions, the struggle between the expansive and the introspective, isolation and euphoria. With dancefloors gone dark, Bicep tailored their second album to homebound listeners. The album's lead single "Apricots" has a similar feel, steeped in a shimmering bath of warm synths, its spare percussion and arresting vocals bring the big room chills of 90s rave, while still evoking something lost or forlorn.

Heavyweight double vinyl edition produced by Ninja Tune in 2021.