Bicep Albums Ranked — All Three Records from Debut to Chroma
UK Bass & Electronics · Updated May 2026
Bicep have released three studio albums on Ninja Tune — Bicep (2017), Isles (2021) and Chroma (2023). Matt McBriar and Andy Ferguson's output has moved from the pure peak-time rave electronics of the debut toward increasingly textured, emotionally expansive territory. Here is every album ranked alongside the pre-album era that defined their sound before the first record existed.
Bicep Discography — Ranked
Pre-Album Era (2011–2016) — Feel My Bicep Blog / Self-Released
Before the debut album, Bicep were best known as the curators behind the Feel My Bicep blog — a Tumblr that documented forgotten UK garage, Belgian new beat and Italo disco records with the specificity of genuine collectors. Their DJ sets from this period are still referenced as benchmarks. The standalone single "Glue" (2013), released through R&S Records, was the first indication of what their production work could achieve — a four-to-the-floor acid house construction that sounded simultaneously like a 1988 Chicago record and completely of its moment. Understanding the blog era explains why the debut album sounds the way it does: every design decision came from a deep knowledge of the source material.
#3 — Chroma (2023) — Ninja Tune
The third album arrived two years after Isles with a noticeably more electronic, synthesiser-led palette — less of the organic instrumental texture that had defined the second record, more direct club functionality. "Tidal" is the standout: a ten-minute construction that builds from a simple melodic motif into something close to transcendent over its full length. Chroma has been received more divisively than either of its predecessors, with some listeners preferring the warmth of Isles and others finding the harder edges of the third album the correct direction for the project. A strong record that has not yet settled into its final place in the catalogue. Reference track: "Tidal".
Shop the Collection
View all →
#2 — Bicep (2017) — Ninja Tune
The debut album and one of the most coherent electronic records released in the UK in the 2010s. Where some artists struggle to translate a DJ identity into an album format, Bicep's debut was structured with the logic of a well-programmed set — "Glue" as the centrepiece, "Aura" as the emotional opener, "Spring" and "Kite" demonstrating the range within a consistent aesthetic. The record drew directly from the crate-digging knowledge of the blog era: the acid house pressure of the title track, the Belgian new beat warmth of "Vale", the garage soul of "Orca". It debuted at number 20 in the UK Albums Chart. The Glue T-Shirt from our store draws directly from this record and this era. Reference track: "Glue".
#1 — Isles (2021) — Ninja Tune
The record that elevated Bicep from a well-regarded electronic act to one of the most significant British musicians of their generation. Made largely during the 2020 lockdown when the dancefloor it was designed for did not exist, Isles turned absence into compositional material — "Cazenove" and "Apricots" have a yearning quality that made sense precisely because they were built for a space that had been taken away. "Saku", featuring Clara La San, became one of the most-streamed UK dance tracks of 2021; "Atlas" demonstrated what the Bicep sound could achieve at its most stripped back. Isles debuted at number 1 in the UK Albums Chart. It is the record by which the rest of the catalogue will be measured. Reference track: "Apricots".
Where to Start — Bicep Entry Points
If you are new to Bicep, start with the debut album — it is the most immediately readable introduction to the sound and the most direct line from their DJ identity to the studio work. Listen to "Glue" first if you want the single most representative track in the catalogue. Once you know the debut, go to Isles — it is the more emotionally complex record and the one that rewards repeated listening at home as much as it rewards a dancefloor context. For the pre-album period, the standalone "Glue" single (2013, R&S Records) and the RA podcast from 2016 are essential context.
Bicep Merch — Designs from the Catalogue
The Bicep merch collection covers both the debut-era sound and the visual identity of the later records. The Glue T-Shirt references the defining single from 2013 and the first album era directly; the Glue Era White T-Shirt extends that into the white colourway used across Isles promotional material. The Waveform T-Shirt draws from the sonic architecture that defines the Bicep sound. All pieces are DTG printed on ring-spun cotton and dispatched from the UK — no import fees for UK buyers. Browse the full Bicep merch range →
