Bicep - Stash EP [Aus Music]

Belfast boys done good Bicep return with the Stash EP, their first full release of the year, and it represents a triumphant return to Will Saul’s Aus imprint. It’s fair to say that Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar owned 2012, helping to drive a backward-looking house music trend through their various releases on Aus, Love Fever and their own Feel My Bicep imprint. So it’s a pleasure to hear that Stash shows the duo expanding on their sound with four tracks that are more reflective of their personal tastes. The title track is a full on hands in the air ecstatic blast that is perfectly partnered by the glowing depth of “Courtside Drama” and the pounding “Rise,” which demonstrates a newfound passion for infectious lead synth hooks. “The Game” provides a more laid-back change of pace, incorporating samples from the HBO drama The Wire amidst a generally melancholic tone that owes more to Aphex Twin than Kerri Chandler.