Northern Irish electronic music duo Bicep delivered clean, deliberate tracks that led to a night of sweaty, psychedelic pandemonium Wednesday night.
I was never really interested in techno music, but now that I’m living in Berlin, I think it’s time to expand my horizons and take in the city’s techno and electronic music scene. My journey began at a sold out Bicep show at Astra Kulturhaus. Needless to say, Bicep did not disappoint.
Although some were displeased that Bicep’s show started at 12:45 a.m. on a Wednesday night (and were not aware of the show’s schedule until they arrived at the venue five hours earlier as doors opened), the late start posed no problem to the well-seasoned Berlin clubgoers.
The weekend had aggressively forced its way into the middle of a busy November week; it was a very-much-needed night of forgetting reality, purging the day’s worries, and just letting loose both physically and mentally.
Bicep seamlessly transitioned between tracks, releasing gasps of delight as the crowd recognized the haunting and mesmerizing pulses of “Glue,” or the enchanting Indian vocals of “Rain.” The duo stood like statues around their equipment, a harsh contrast to the galvanizing hooks and snares in their music, accompanied by bright kaleidoscopic stage lights.
The room filled with an electric buzz so hot, it felt like it could literally set one’s hair on fire.
Overtaken by Bicep’s hypnotic beats, there were no barriers between human beings that night as people exchanged cigarettes, drinks and the vibrations of their dancing bodies. The communal energy rose high, transported by the intensity of every track’s auditory climax.
Wednesday was my techno baptism thanks to Bicep. I know I still have much to learn and explore as a baby Berliner, but I couldn’t be happier to live in a city that offers so many more nights like this one.
