Music
The records that built Irish house duo Bicep
We caught up with the Irish duo on the influential tracks that helped shape their tastes.
The records that built Bicep
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Bicep are the production and DJ duo of Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar, two Irish lads who have gained a solid reputation and ardent following for keeping music lovers up to speed with quality house, disco and techno tunes via their Feel My Bicep blog.
2015 has been a particularly fruitful year on the production front for Bicep, with the duo churning out some of the year's most deliciously melodic dancefloor cuts (see 'Just', 'Celeste' or 'Malima' for proof).
We spoke to them before they set off on their Australian and Asia tour and asked Andy and Matt to share with us eight tracks that have helped build them as producers and shape their tastes during their formative years.
Oni Ayhun - OAR003-B
It’s very hard to whittle this down to a handful of records as there’s probably thousands that have inspired us and they’re very varied. This one was a recent stand out track. I loved it particularly because of the production quality, and the fact it’s in a major key (most dance music is in a minor). It feels like a really grand piece of proper music. [Matt]
Choice - Acid Eiffel EP
Both sides of this EP are hugely influential, and so is Laurent himself as a DJ. It’s hard to say something about this EP that hasn't been said before, ‘Acid Eiffel’ is pioneering deep, dubby techno that spawned its own sub genre, but could arguably be the finest. 'How Do You Pleed?' is pure dance-floor energy and one of the best tracks ever made. These tracks take you to a place so many try to but don't even come close. [Andy]
Orbital - Halcyon On and On
This was another record I heard when I was very young, probably 15 or so. A friend had made me a CD and this was the first track. I remember getting the train through the countryside listening to it for the first time and really absorbing the delicate but subtly pumping vibe. The use of emotive, Enya like vocals really got me too. [Matt]
Omar S – Set It Out
Sometimes the hardest thing when producing is to know when enough is enough. Simplicity is often the key, but getting that right is one of the hardest things. Omar absolutely nails that principle so often. It’s hard to pick one of his tracks to show it off in its best light, but this was one of the first that put us onto him, so it would be the best place to start. [Andy]
AFX - (CAT 008'97-B1)
One of the first pieces of ‘electronica’ I ever heard. My girlfriend (when I was 16) accidentally bought me the CD meaning to get something else. I remember putting it on in bed and listening to the intricate, really emotional melodies and really appreciating what I now know is a very ‘vintage analog’ sound. It totally blew me away and changed my taste in music forever! [Matt]
EOD - Phontron (030303 Mix)
A pretty inspirational, melodic electro tune. There’s so much energy and great emotive content in this one. It has lots going on but is produced to perfection. This was a new light into how creative you can be with a track. [Andy]
Kano - Another Life
A lot of people know about our love of italo disco; it was the original theme and inspiration for the logo and blog. Big, brash and cheesy but also full of rich melodies and chords. This for me is the ultimate italo song, a masterpiece! I suppose whilst you can’t link it directly to our ‘sound,’ you can hear the use of those big chords and arps that we would use a lot ourselves. [Matt]
Herbert - Take Me Back
Looking back at a few of our more recent tunes, I definitely think there is a Herbert influence, particularly his older stuff. That quite heavy swing that brings a garage feel and percussion that kind of matches it…this is something we like in our drums. Also a big dose of rawness which it brings. I would also say there’s a boldness in his tracks that makes you think a bit more and gives you confidence to push things a little more. [Andy]
