Bicep announce first album in five years, Slug

Bicep will release Slug, their first album in five years, on January 29 via Ninja Tune, Pitchfork reported.

The Belfast-born, London-based duo of Matt McBriar and Andy Ferguson confirmed the record five years after 2021's Isles. That gap makes Slug their third studio album.

The announcement arrived with three new songs. “Gas” features Lauren Duffus and Soarr. “Ultra” features Eartheater and Saskia. “Equarium” features Kehina.

Those tracks follow three earlier singles from the same album. Bicep had already shared “Air,” “Lemonder” and “Viper,” which were listed by Ninja Tune with a September 25 release date.

The full album brings in wider voices. Clark, George Riley and Sassy 009 all contribute to Slug.

The title has a natural history root. The duo said SLUG was inspired by the contrast between land and sea slugs, Stereogum reported. One stays low to the ground. The other moves with colour and light.

For fans, this means six songs are already public before January. Three from September, three from the latest drop. The rest of the tracklist is still to come.

Bicep signed to Ninja Tune in 2017, according to the label’s artist page. Their self-titled debut arrived that year and reached the Top 20 in the United Kingdom. Second album Isles followed in January 2021 and reached No. 2 on the Official UK Album Charts. The duo have since been nominated for two BRIT Awards, Ninja Tune states.

Live dates will follow the release. Bicep are booked to play New York’s Knockdown Center on March 21, 2027. They are then booked to play London’s Old Royal Naval College on July 31, 2027.