Bicep Announce SLUG, Their First Album Since 2021, With Three New Songs

Bicep named their third album after a slug, and they filled it with guests. SLUG arrives Jan. 29, 2027, on Ninja Tune, the Belfast duo’s first full-length since 2021’s Isles, they announced Tuesday (Oct. 20) with three new songs: “Gas,” “Ultra” and “Equarium.” The tracklist runs to 18 songs, per Stereogum and Nialler9.

The title comes from the gap between the land slug most people picture and its colorful underwater cousins. “It felt like an amazing metaphor: you think one thing, but actually there’s a whole world beyond what you initially perceive,” the duo told Stereogum.

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Every new song brings a guest. “Gas” features Lauren Duffus and SOARR, “Ultra” features Eartheater and Saskia, and “Equarium” features Kehina. They are the second of three three-song drops, after “Air,” “Lemonder” and “Viper,” a collaboration with Clark, last month, and each drop has its own three-part short film, per Nialler9. Ryan Doubiago’s films for the first set followed two U.K. free-party crews from set-up to sun-up. Alex Takács, who also goes by Young Replicant, shot this set, which follows a gang of pigeon fanciers on a heist. The third will go inside demolition derbies.

A while back, I read this article about a very expensive racing pigeon that was stolen in Brussels. It led me into this obsessive world of pigeon breeding, where it’s all about bloodlines.

Alex Takács, director, Stereogum

Watch the videos for “Gas” and “Ultra” below.

After stepping away from touring, the pair largely logged off and went back into the studio and their own archive, revisiting demos and techniques from 10 or 15 years ago, per Nialler9. The Line of Best Fit quotes them calling the result a “conversation with our past selves.” Nialler9 says the 18 tracks move between rave, breakbeat, vocal-led material and ambient soundscapes. “We just wanted an album full of surprises and contrast,” the duo told Resident Advisor.

The guest list runs past the singles: Clark returns on “Edmeno,” and George Riley and KUČKA appear on “Curb,” Sassy 009 on “Janus” and Rowena Fysx on “Lamb.” Julia Kent and Zosia Jagodzinska are also credited collaborators.

BICEP LIVE comes back first. The show returns Nov. 26 at London’s Royal Albert Hall, sold out, after a three-year hiatus, and two DJ/AV shows in Australia come before it. New live dates for 2027 are Knockdown Center in New York on March 20 and the Old Royal Naval College in London on July 31, per Nialler9. Stereogum’s list also has them at Estéreo Picnic in Bogotá on March 21 and Primavera Sound in Barcelona on June 4. SLUG itself lands Jan. 29.