Bicep have released a new track called "Gas" with Lauren Duffus and SOARR, and this one immediately sounds like something built for a very dark room with a very good sound system.

The first thing that strikes me is how tense the production feels. There are these swirling synth sounds constantly moving around the track, while the drums stay really crisp underneath everything. It feels heavy without actually becoming overly aggressive. Almost like the song is constantly threatening to explode, but never completely does.

I also really like how the vocals are treated here. They do not sit on top of the track in a traditional pop way. Instead, they feel like part of the production itself. Bicep have talked about deliberately pushing clean sounds into rougher territory on their upcoming album, with pristine vocals being processed through analogue gear and softer synths being placed against harsher textures. You can definitely hear that philosophy in "Gas".

There is a repeated vocal idea running through the song that almost becomes hypnotic after a while. Combined with the synths, it gives the track this strange meditative feeling even though it is clearly designed for a dancefloor. I love when electronic music can do both of those things at once. You can move to it, but there is still enough atmosphere there that you can completely disappear into it with headphones on.

Doing some research, "Gas" is one of three new tracks Bicep released alongside "Ultra" and "Equarium", and it will open their upcoming album 'SLUG'. The record is apparently meant to stretch their sound much further than before, and the whole concept of the album is built around contrast and looking beyond first impressions. I think "Gas" represents that really well. It sounds immediately familiar as Bicep, but there are enough strange textures going on to make it feel slightly different.

The music video is also completely bizarre in a way that actually suits the song. It follows pigeon fanciers caught up in this sort of heist and surveillance story, dealing with ideas of freedom and confinement. If you had told me beforehand that one of the coolest electronic tracks of the week would come with a dramatic pigeon-fancier short film, I probably would not have believed you.

I do think this track is more about mood than melody. There is not necessarily one enormous hook that jumps out straight away. Instead, it slowly gets under your skin through repetition, texture and rhythm. That might not work for everybody, but I found myself liking it more each time.

"Gas" feels dark, futuristic and really well put together. If the rest of 'SLUG' keeps playing around with contrasts like this, I am very curious to hear where Bicep take it. Put this one on loud and let the synths do the work.

Author: Peter Källman

Peter Källman is a writer from Sweden who loves playing in bands, writing reviews and going to live shows!