Duo of the moment, Northern Ireland’s Bicep, here inaugurate their new label and hew their sound ever closer to classic jacking house on their third release this year. With their breakthrough release $tripper a clear taste for the New Jersey sound revealed itself, but with their last collaborative release You / Don’t the pair offered something different, one of the year’s most addictive and moody bass tracks backed by another slice of perfect house. Here on Vision of Love all ties to the present day are cut, this one sounds like it could have actually come out in ’95, and I’m sure we won’t be hearing many complaints.
Bicep are by no means the only producers looking back into house’s past in their current releases, but they’re making a strong claim to be the best. Here are three of the most robust and intoxicating classic-style house tracks you’re likely to hear all year. Keep Keep grooves with a wordless vocal cry, the percussion building tastefully to bouncy bassline that seems like a natural sequel to $tripper, with warm keys sure to get bodies jacking on the dancefloor. Getcha’ Boi uses similarly hard-hitting beats with a digital sax sample that sounds so gloriously cheap it might have just stepped out of a time machine, taking a moodier route with a muted bassline adding a striking accompaniment. But despite these strengths its on title track Vision of Love where the duo really knock the ball out of the park, a canned beat leading into a showstopping piano loop and a perfectly chosen selection of classic vocals.
If you’re looking to the sounds of the future Bicep might not be your bag but these two know exactly what they’re doing, aiming their heavy artillery squarely at the dancefloor, where you can expect these tunes to be getting people sweating until well into next year.