Their sound is like a common pulse — and this summer it hits Refshaleøen. Bicep are bringing their ambitious AV show CHROMA to O Days, and we're looking forward to a sensory bombardment of visuals, bass and emotional layers.
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Disclaimer: Apropos Magazine received access or a review copy. As always, we share our own impressions — unfiltered.
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O Days 2025 takes place from 31 July to 2 August on Refshaleøen in Copenhagen — and one name in the programme stands out if, like me, you have a penchant for electronic music that should not only be heard but felt. The duo Bicep are visiting the festival with their audiovisual project CHROMA, and it already looks like one of the great experiences of the year.
Bicep consists of Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar — two childhood friends from Belfast who started by sharing their love of electronic music through a blog named “Feel My Bicep”. As their tastes and collection grew, they began producing music themselves and quickly became known for their ability to blend oldschool house and techno with melodic depth and emotional layers.
Their breakthrough came with tracks like “Glue” and “Opal” — tracks that hit both the club and the heart. Their sound is tinged with nostalgia, but without being retroactive. They use analog synthesizers and work with layer-on-layer compositions, which give their music a warm and organic feel, even when the bass is pumping hard. Bicep have released two critically acclaimed albums — the self-titled “Bicep” (2017) and “Isles” (2021) — and their live shows have been noted for combining electronic precision with strong visual narratives.
They have built a reputation as one of the most respected and innovative names in the UK electronic music scene, playing at everything from small clubs to big festivals such as Glastonbury and Coachella.
CHROMA is a new chapter in Bicep's universe — an ambitious AV set created in collaboration with British visual artist Zak Norman (Black Box Echo) and designer David Rudnick. Together they have created a total audiovisual experience where sound and image not only complement each other, but merge into a new form of live performance. It's not a concert, it's not a DJ set -- it's something in between, and all its own.
This is the first time CHROMA hits Copenhagen, and it's hard to imagine a better setting than the industrial landscape of Refshaleøen. The show combines lasers, visuals and light installations with both brand new material and classics from Bicep's back catalogue — so whether you're a hardcore fan or new to their universe, this is an entry you won't regret.
Musically, Bicep finds himself in a field of tension between the hard-hitting and the sensitive. They build up slowly, layer by layer, until the whole body feels activated. CHROMA promises to drag that experience out even further -- into the space where art and club merge. It's rave as reflection. And even though we haven't yet stood there and felt it with our own bodies, we know it's going to be one of those moments when you forget what came before -- and don't quite know how to land afterwards.
So if you're curious as to why Bicep has achieved cult status in the electronic music world, CHROMA is a good place to start. Here you get a concentrate of their sound and visual identity, wrapped up in a show that both challenges and seduces — without requiring any prior knowledge or club background. It is an obvious entrance for both loyal fans and new listeners.
Reflection: CHROMA is color, sound and identity in one movement. A loop of light and layers. See you on Refshaleøen.
