Bicep - Opal (Four Tet Remix)

March 7, 2018 - Ninja Tune

Forces of nature collide in rare form on this new take on Bicep’s ‘Opal’ which released on the duo’s debut album in late 2017. The Belfast blogger/production team consists of Andy Ferguson and Matt McBriar. Their internet portal Feel My Bicep quickly became a steady source of underground house music gems that gave way to a label and live act. Their musical musings are a large part of why communities such as We Hate Music exist, and it’s only fitting that the pair went on to craft their own creations in the same vein as the taste they curated for many years. Four Tet, a.k.a. Kieran Hebden, has been playing a large number of shows after the release of his wonderful 2017 LP New Energy, including a stop at my old stomping grounds in Knoxville, TN. 

Jumping straight in, Hebden's remix of ‘Opal’ takes a gem of a dance tune and refines it ever so slightly with more rhythmic direction. The Korg Polysix synth elements reign over the remix, but the song has been put on a set of head-nodding train tracks that make the original cut feel sluggish. Four Tet-trademarked iPhone field recordings fill in the spaces around the core foundation and provide a sense of bigness to the overall atmosphere. The percussion elements sit slightly behind the mix, but are not too subtle to take away the “track-to-be-played-in-a-dark-club-but-that-makes-the-roof-feel-like-it’s-been-ripped-off-and-everyone-is-now-standing-in-an-Ibiza-festival-at-sunset” feeling.

There are a few moments of close proximity ASMR-feeling vocals that pop up in key moments that add to the home listening experience. I’m not sure they’d hold similar power in a live setting, but when listening on headphones the effect is akin to someone sneaking up behind you while whispering. These bits play nicely with the wind chime elements that played a prominent role on tracks such as ‘Planet’ and ‘Two Thousand and Seventeen’ from New Energy. 

The drawn out outro to the track takes its cue from Hebden’s other project KH and the DJ tool/track that made waves over last winter, ‘Question.’ In this hard-hitting funky track, Hebden cuts out the main elements and brings in a dramatically different beat before gradually combining the two to ride out the duration of the track. In the ‘Opal’ remix, he takes a similar DJ tooled approach, bringing in a new set of hand drum elements and putting focus on the beat as if a new track were being brought in. Sharp hi-hats are added, further increasing the excitement for what’s to come, which works a treat in a live setting but does seem a bit withholding from an at-home listener’s perspective. Maybe I’m just upset I’m not going to be able to catch him at the new Mill & Mine venue in Knoxville.

:( 🍍