Bicep unveil "ambitious" CHROMA project and new single

Bicep have unveiled their "ambitious" new project CHROMA, which will take the form of a record label, event series, hybrid A/V show and more.

Having already teased visuals for CHROMA in front of a 15,000-strong crowd at their sold-out Drumsheds show last year, the Belfast duo have shared more details on the new project; including new single 'CHROMA 001 HELIUM' - which marks their debut on the CHROMA imprint.

Bicep, aka Matt McBriar and Andy Ferguson, have described the direction of the new label as "underground-focused," looking to explore a wider array of genres and inspirations, and provide an "up-to-date" representation of their current tastes.

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In a statement on the label, the pair said: “We’ve increasingly wanted to show a more rounded picture of what we do in the studio."

“We do a lot of more heavy techno focused music, ambient and various other styles that don't really fit into the 'Bicep' sound, and which often never sees the light of day.”

The "unique" visual identity for CHROMA was designed in collaboration with David Rudnick and his Terrain studio, and then adapted for an A/V live format with BICEP LIVE artist Zak Norman.

The pair had selected Rudnick due to sharing "a lot of the same inspirations in the design world and rave culture influence," wanting to bring a "unique language" to the CHROMA project.

New single 'CHROMA 001 HELIUM' was written "specifically" for the duo's run at London's Alexandra Palace in 2022, the pair have shared. " The show felt a little too sweet in certain sections, and we wanted to add some more grit into the show.”

Ferguson and McBriar said that, as a result, the single is "a bit darker and more club-focused than most of our music we have released over the past few years. Although it’s actually a pretty fair representation of what we’re listening to and playing in our DJ sets."

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While a number of CHROMA shows have already been announced, including sets at Coachella, AVA, Dekmantel, C2C and more — the new announcement clarifies the form their hybrid A/V DJ shows will take.

Described as more of a "hybrid between DJ set and live," Ferguson and McBriar have teased that CHROMA LIVE will be "constantly evolving and changing on a week to week basis with lots more experimentation.”

Listen to Bicep's new single 'CHROMA 001 HELIUM' on YouTube below, or click here for alternative platforms.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter