The impact Belfast born duo Bicep have had on Irish music is unmeasurable, capturing the hearts and minds of the next-gen with their future-facing sonics. The pairing started their FMB label in 2012, going on to support a plethora of Irish artists in the process, from Cromby and Hammer to Brassica and Brame & Hamo.The label's latest record comes from yet another Irish artist. Swoose, a name that should be familiar to any Irish electronic lover, began his career handing out flyers for legendary club Stiff Kitten. From here Swoose went on to become a resident of Shine and AVA Festival, and has released a string of killer records on Shall Not Fade and Lost Palms. Now residing in London, his record on FMB brings the OG Belfast dance music community back together for a fittingly euphoric release. Title track ‘Breathe’ produces poignant undertones and contemplative thought, meditative breaks channeling the producer's fascination with wild flora and fauna. The track's interior begins to distort our sense of time and self, liquid textures forming over celestial harmonies like psilocybin. ‘Hyphae’ takes a 4/4 approach, while keeping the EP’s emotional personality present. Its pulsating bassline is balanced by far-reaching syths and dancing hi-hats, resting in a unified space of motion and colour. Rotterdam via Belfast based artist Kessler has been on the tip of everyone's tongue since the return of clubbing. He has released music on Sherelle’s BEAUTIFUL black and LGBTQ+ label and his debut Shall Not Fade release was one of the most celebrated EPs of 2021. Kesslers knackt to create beautiful, other-wordly soundscapes that are both functional and edge on the side of melancholy are unmatched. His flip of title track ‘Breathe’ swaps gentler tones for his signature UK-sound inspired drums and crowd-evaporating atmospherics. The arrangements gentle ebb and flow, maintaining that signature blend of pace and etherealness. Toronto’s Peach is on hand for the second remix – ‘Hyphae – a stripped-back early-morning groover that mixes psychedelia with flexible percussion. The track gives off a subtly uplifting vibe that blends heads-down club with minimal, punchy aesthetic. Just when you thought it was time to go home too... More

Bicep continue to bolster their Feel My Bicep imprint and follow up their recent remix of Blaze’s ‘Lovelee Dae’ with another reimagined classic. With this - the seventh addition to the catalogue, the Irish duo pay homage to another equally seminal recording as they rework ‘In Yer Face’ by 808 State. Originally released via ZTT on the group’s third studio album ‘Ex:el’ in 1991 - ‘In Yer Face’ reached number 9 in the UK singles chart. Engineered by Graham Massey, the original mix is model 808 State - bold, Northern House Music that captures perfectly the zeitgeist of 90’s Rave culture. Now - 25 years have past and on request from 808 State themselves, Bicep reimagine ‘In Yer Face’ breathing fresh air through the original, re-contextualising it and adding in their own signature sense of warming euphoria. Included in the package are two dramatically different remixes the first of which aired during Bicep’s AVA Festival Boiler Room back in 2015. Fast forward to September 2016 and the package is due for release both on 12" and digital on the 30th.

More

For the first Feel My Bicep release of the year, Brassica follows up on his previous FMB outing ‘Time Tunnel’ with a new 4-track EP entitled ‘Crystal Sea’. Brassica embodies the electronic music of Folkestone-based Mike Wright. His sound is invented by harnessing warm memories of music-past, exploring the overlaps between 90s Electronica, 80s Synth-Music, 70s Prog, and 60s Experimental Electronics - combined with modern production techniques and a deep love for Soundtrack-esque narratives. His return to the FMB label with ‘Crystal Sea’ is hotly anticipated - 4 fictitious journeys composed by staring into the abyss and placing one foot in front of the other. The compass moves this time towards early memories of the Electronica and Dance music he found so inspiring, to a time of abandoning his teenage Metal bands and beginning to dream of new musical territories. With a tighter sound, clearer focus, and commitment to this unexpected trajectory, these tracks mark both the beginning of a new chapter and a spiritual full-circle for Brassica. TRACK LISTING: A1. Crystal Sea, A2. Storm 87, B1. Sauna, B2. Synthetic Being
More

UK techno stalwart Benjamin Damage makes his debut on Feel My Bicep under the name BDB - a collaborative alias with anonymous label mates. Two original tracks, a dub and a handy tool make up the 16th release on the label. It is with great excitement that Feel My Bicep welcome Benjamin Damage into the fold. As the first release on popular Berlin label 50Weapons, Damage’s critically acclaimed album Obsidian was the label’s last release before it shut down. He was quickly signed by R&S records, releasing two EPs with them (Montreal and Malfunction). He is also due to release a 4-track EP on Len Faki’s label Figure on 11 Nov, as well as an EP on ARTS in 2020. His characteristically emotional and energetic take on techno is evident in these two original tracks ‘Boss Rhythm’ and ‘Niio Rhythm’ More

Following a string of releases this year, Bicep are keeping it green on their label with Sligo local heroes Brame & Hamo’s two originals and two remixes making up FMB015. Fresh from remixing TSHA’s latest track ‘Moon’ on Ninja Tune offshoot Counter Records, 2019 continues to be a big year for Brame & Hamo who have come through the ranks of Irish talent. Having kept all releases to their own imprint Brame & Hamo; it’s now time for them to step outside their home, and up onto Bicep’s label with two tracks ‘Waves Reach’ and ‘Dust’, along with remixes from Poland's Private Press and Voiski from France. Earlier this year saw the duo teaming up with Mall Grab to perform three gigs across the UK, raising an impressive £15k for a trio of multiple sclerosis charities. More

Extracting a rich sense of emotion from an evolving analogue set-up, Hammer follows up his previous FMB outings Dahlia and C-Space with a similar tone and sound palette as he lays out a new EP with 3 tracks that capture the Feel My Bicep sound perfectly, striking the balance between delicate melody and power with aplomb. This EP follows what has been a heavy 2019 gig schedule, with stand out sets at many top festivals and clubs such as Glastonbury, Panorama Bar and Parklife, along with both an Australian and Indian tour under his belt. The lead track ‘Parabola’ manifested as a slow burning percussive experiment that, as Hammer explains, ‘quickly got fired up by an extra 10bpm for the dance floor effect, turning itself into an acid led epic’ and as a consequence accidentally becoming the A1 at the same time. ‘Parabola’ is followed by ‘Panoptic’ and ‘Entropy’; all three track names inspired by his recent love for physics podcasts. He describes how ‘they are based around types of curvatures and levels of order that, in my head, are the visualisation of the 3 tracks inside workings; the engine room of the time machine.’ All three tracks were created with Hammer’s much loved Yamaha CS1-X, ‘a spaceship in its own right’, he explains. ‘A Xoxbox and a Roland SH-2 did the rest of the hard work. Time to enter the twilight zone with this one’! More

Next up on Bicep's Feel My Bicep imprint is a fresh single from fellow Irishman ?Cromby??, featuring two remixes from Electro stalwart ?DeFeKT and the ever-dependable ?Shanti Celeste??. Having held down a 6-year residency at ?Shine?? in his hometown of Belfast, Cromby now lives in Berlin where he has continued his ascent; having gone on to earn sets at ?Panorama Bar?? and? Robert Johnson ??as well as a release on Denis Sulta’s Silver Service label. Now - he slots neatly into the FMB catalogue with ?'Retribution'?? - a single that draws from his experience spent on the floor and behind the booth at clubs in Berlin, with it's stirring chords and frazzled drums. DeFeKT's offers up a buoyant, 808-heavy take on the original while Shanti's 'Chill' mix omits the kicks in favour of her signature sunny synth tones. More

The first release of 2018 on the ‘Feel My Bicep’ label welcomes back Hammer for his first solo outing on the imprint, ’C-Space EP’. Having collaborated with Bicep on ‘Dahlia’ back in 2015 - a glistening EP that soared through myriad clubs into the wantlists of many-a-fervid Discogs user - Hammer is now granted space to stretch his legs and does so across 3 galactic tracks. ‘C-Space’, ‘Atlantic 252’ and ‘Inside Soul’ all play with rich, sweeping chords, 80s synth lines and sharp analogue drums - a blend that lends them perfectly to the Feel My Bicep catalogue. ‘C-Space EP’ comes as the first ‘Feel My Bicep’ release since the success of Bicep’s self-titled debut album. More