恭喜 Bicep 荣得 RA 2016 榜单 TOP 8／PYRO音乐独家专访

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RA 2016年的百大榜单在最近公布，很高兴在中国有越来越多的人开始关注这份榜单，其中有很多艺人可能并不被大家所了解或者熟悉，但是却有很多艺人已经来到中国表演过了。就如一直以来以Techno 为主的老牌电子音乐节INTRO，就邀请过无数为RA榜单中优秀艺人来到中国。

就在前不久的INTRO把舞台从北京迁移至上海，有底特律Techno的缔造者Kevin Saunderson 前来助阵，令人惊喜不已。不过他们更是邀请了一对优秀的组合— Bicep，他们更是在不久刚出炉的RA 2016 百大榜单中拿到了第八名的位置，PYRO音乐也在INTRO音乐节期间对他们进行了视频的专访，就让我们大家来了解一下这对优秀的电子音乐组合。

 Bicep 简介

来自贝尔法斯特的DJ双人组Becep讨论了在他们当地健身馆里录制的一些音色。Bicep是目前电子音乐节最受欢迎的DJ之一，但他们的起点相对较低：Andy Ferguson 和 Matthew McBriar 是从贝尔法斯特来的好朋友，从2008年开始做Feel My Bicep播客作为和粉丝保持联系和分享音乐的途径，，但是他们在大学时分开了（Ferguson在伦敦，McBriar在迪拜）。终于，在2010年不到的时候，他们转为做了DJ，并开始制作，和混音。他们从此一发不可收拾，便再也没有回头了。

采访内容

PYRO音乐：嘿你们想跟大家打个招呼吗？

A-Andy M-Matt

是的，“大家好！”

PYRO音乐：发音真棒！欢迎来中国！你们俩之前来过中国吗？

A：来过几次，他（Matt）其实在6年前在一次演出行程中来过中国，对吧？

M：对，做过一个在成都，深圳，甚至杭州的巡演

PYRO音乐：不错，你觉得中国怎么样？

A&M ：棒极了，超爱这里的美食

PYRO音乐：那么你吃辣吗？

A&M ：爱的

PYRO音乐：所以你们俩是怎么相遇并组成我们今天所看到的双人组的？

A：我们小时候，从10岁开始，就一起上学。我们有一大堆共同好友，然后一起上了大学，在我们的博客上给我们朋友们分享音乐。于是我们开始了制作音乐，并且从此开始了我们的生涯。

PYRO音乐：你们指的博客“Feel My Bicep”，它的重点就是分享你们制作音乐的品味吗？

M：是的，一开始是这样，但后来就拓展了其他内容。

PYRO音乐：你们俩都是从爱尔兰的贝尔法斯特来的吗？

M：是的，土生土长

PYRO音乐：你们能给我们这不太了解的人讲讲那边的环境吗？

A：好，目前，地下音乐一般流行house和techno。我可以列出上百个地方，但是也有一个2年前开始的新音乐节叫“Alva Festival”，实际上是Matt的姐妹们在经营。那是一个很好的音乐节，既展现了一大群爱尔兰的新星和未来之星，同时也有一些国外大牌艺人。它用3个舞台，一天5000观众，展现了爱尔兰的新景象。他还附带了一年一度的“锅炉房”，你们可以去看看“Alva锅炉房”到底是什么样子。

PYRO音乐：听起来感觉许多事都在越来越好！我听说你们俩是个唱片收藏爱好者，既然你们在巡演，你们有试着逛所有的唱片店，找到点稀有的好货吗？

A：必须啊，我们刚从东京来，我们去了Technic and Disc Union（唱片店），里面有许多非常稀有和昂贵的唱片，但对于我们来说，我们最喜欢在纽约的Dollar Bins（唱片店）里面挖掘好东西，或者去蒙特利尔，那儿有好多奇怪的，法国的，在魁北克外未发行的音乐。那是我最爱的地方。

PYRO音乐：如果你们房子着火了，上帝保佑，你们只能拿一张唱片，会是哪张？

A：哈哈哈，那没事的，因为我的唱片都是存在录音室的哈哈哈哈哈！

PYRO音乐：哈哈，难住我了，那么如果录音室着火了呢？

A：好吧，我会抱住我的合成器而不是唱片哈哈哈，开个玩笑。我可能会带着Bill & Ex的Deja Vu ，一张90年代早期的唱片，对我们影响很大，大概花了2年时间才搞到。这是一张你会不惜一切代价买的那种唱片。

M：我们一直没什么钱，我们甚至吃不起饭了，但都没关系。

PYRO音乐：尊敬你们。让我们快进数十年，从科技角度来说，你们制作或者打碟时最喜欢的插件或者控制器是什么？

M：事实上我们做音乐时从不用什么插件，但我们会用来做Reverb或EQ这样音效的插件或压缩器，但一般我们只在外接一个模拟器。

A：我们今年也开始了一场现场表演， 但我们在现场表演时不用midi控制器，我们装了个触发器，还有一个Ableton推子连着Ableton软件的模拟装置，外加一个Roland SPX1来同步我们的808鼓机和其他设备。明年我们的现场演出甚至会做得更大。

PYRO音乐：你们是怎么分工的，一起制作打碟还是一位专注制作，另一位专注打碟？

M：我们俩一起做这些工作，Andy更懂一些新科技，比如说他可以拿到一个新模拟控制器，不读说明书立马开始使用。但也有些事，我做起来更快，我们都会分工做自己擅长的那部分。

A：作为双人组最好的一点就是可以互相推动对方来制作，就像我们在伦敦市中心租了个录音室，每天都在制作，花了不少钱，但也成了我们的动力去每天工作。

PYRO音乐：有什么新的艺人吸引到你们的注意了吗？

A：我们试着通过在我们的“Feel My Bicep”mix里展示许多新的艺人，不用想，我们开始推出这些新西兰“Soundboards”的艺人，他们在一场演出给我们了USB。我们常常会错过这些人，但有时候我们回家了听到了一些作品，会觉得，这真不错，我们就会签下这些人到我们的厂牌。我们还有Brassica，是我们欣赏的一位很厉害的人，和他一起合作很棒。

PYRO音乐：这也会和你们的建议一起给中国的没有同样资源但有理想的制作人【递过USB】，你还有什么要补充的吗？

M：我第一个建议是，上网买一些便宜的设备，质量无所谓，就只是搞点东西，里里外外研究明白。这肯定比坐在电脑前点这点那，到处下载各种插件来的有用的多。

A：是的，我同意，学一个有用的技能像弹钢琴这种，而不是学怎么调一个鼓点。这迟早会在你发展上有用。学习音调，标记等各种简单的东西。

PYRO音乐：你们俩去学校学习过乐理或其他相关音乐知识吗？

A：没，我们自学的。

M：我还是会去上钢琴课，这总是会学到点东西，有时也会给你点灵感。

PYRO音乐：Bicep接下来有什么打算？

M：会继续我们的专辑，我们大概做了一半了。会在不久出几首单曲，但我们正在疯狂的巡演，去澳大利亚，去欧洲所有的音乐节，还有东南亚。但当我们明天回到了录音室，我们会一直制作制作制作。

PYRO音乐：哇，听起来很令人激动，我确定当专辑发行的时候，每个人都会很激动。谢谢你们，谢谢你们接受Pyro音乐的采访！

A&M：谢谢你们请我们来，感觉很棒，大家再见！

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Resident Advisor (RA) recently released this years Top DJs 2016 poll, it is a delight to know that more and more people are beginning to pay closer attention to the RA list. There are many artists not everyone knows or is familiar with, but that doesn't mean their talent isn't well-known around the rest of the world. In the past year or two, more of these artists have been making their way into China. For instance, INTRO is the Techno electronic music festival formed in Beijing and now also in Shanghai, it has invited numerous outstanding RA listed to its events.

Specifically the most recent Intro edition that involved it migrating to Shanghai for its city debut, the maint stage invited pioneer and founder of the Detroit Techno scene Kevin Saunderson. However, they didn't stop there, they also invited an excellent DJ duo from Belfast, Ireland: Bicep. Based on their copious amount of releases, rigorous touring schedule and contribution to the overall underground community they were voted all the way up to its 8th position! PYRO music was fortunate enough to sponser INTRO music festival and lock down an interview with them, let us know what you think about the RA Poll and Bicep's interview in the comment section below!

 Bicep

Belfast-reared house DJ duo Bicep discuss some sounds recorded at their local gym.Bicep are some of the most in-demand DJs on the festival circuit right now, but they had relatively humble beginnings: Andy Ferguson and Matthew McBriar, two friends from Belfast, started the Feel My Bicep blog back on 2008 as a way to keep in touch and share tunes while they were away at uni and beyond (Ferguson in London, McBriar in Dubai). Eventually they made a transition into being a DJ and production outfit, debuting tunes and remixes at the turn of the decade and pretty much just taking off from there. They haven't really looked back since.

PYRO：Hey guys y'all wanna say hello?

A-Andy  M- Matt

Yes, Da Jia hao!

PYRO：Great pronunciation! So welcome to China! have you guys been here before?

A-Yeah a few times, he [Matt] actually came here 6 years ago on a proper tour isn't that right?

M- Did a proper China tour actually with cities like Chengdu, Shenzhen even Hangzhou

PYRO：Nice! So how do you like China?

A&M-Its amazing, love the food here

PYRO：So you like spicy food then?

A&M—love it

PYRO：So how did you to meet and become the duo that you are today?

A-We were at school together when we were kids, 10 years old and on. Have a big mutual group of friends back at home, then we all went away to University we just set up a blog to share music amongst all our friends.We then got into production and went on from there

PYRO：so that blog you’re referring to, “Feel my Bicep,” the whole point of it was just for sharing all your taste making music?

M-Yeah it started as that, but then expanded from there.

PYRO：You’re both from Belfast, Ireland yea?

M-Yep, born and raised

PYRO：Can you talk about the scene there for those that may not know much about it around here? 

A-Yea at the minute, the underground is kinda thriving for house & techno. I could list off hundreds of spots, but theres also a new festival that started 2 years ago called “Alva Festival” thats actually run by Matts sisters. And thats a really good festival that showcases a bunch of new and upcoming talent around Ireland but also combining big foreign artists. Its showing the new scene in Ireland with about 5,000 ppl a day with 3 stages and its also attached with an annual Boiler Room so you guys can heck out “Alva Boiler Room,” to see what its like. 

PYRO：Sounds like a lot is going on up there for sure! I hear you guys are huge record collectors, as you guys are touring around do you try to hit all the vinyl shops and find some hidden gems?

A-Absolutely, and we just came here from Tokyo, so we hit up Technic and disc union which had some very rare and expensive records, but I think for us, our favourite place is digging in Dollar bins in NYC or going in Montreal where they have a lot of weird, French music that wasn’t released outside Quebec, thats like my favorite place.

PYRO：If your house was ever on Fire, God forbid, and you could only grab one record, which would it be?

A-Ha, it wouldn't matter because I keep all my records at the studio! Hahahaha

PYRO：Got me there haha, so if it were the studio up in flames?

A-Well I’d be grabbing synths not records haha, just kidding. I would have to go with Bill & ex - Deja Vu, an old 90s record that just took us so long, like 2 years to track down. Its kinda one of those ones that you’d pay anything for

M—Yeah we had no money at the time either, we couldn't even afford meals, but it didn't matter.

PYRO：Respect. Lets fast forward a couple of decades, technologically speaking, what are your favorite plug ins and controllers that you may use with production or DJing?

M—We actually don’t use any plug ins for production, but we use them for effects like reverb or EQ plugins and some compressors but generally we’re all outboard with analog gear.

-we also started a live show this year, but we don’t use midi controllers during live sets, we set up triggers, have an analog set up with ableton push linked to our ableton, and Roland SPX1 for a sync box for our 808s and all. Next years live show is gonna be even bigger.

PYRO：How is it working together, yin yang relationship or does one focus on productions whereas the other is more DJ focused?

M- It pretty much flows between, Andy is probably a bit more technical, for instance he can pick up a new analog controller and get the hang of it right away without reading the manual. But there are also many things I get quickly, all in all we share pretty much everything with some areas one being stronger at. 

A- The best part of being a duo is pushing and motivating each other to be productive. Like we rent a studio in central London and try to do it everyday of the week, which is pretty expensive, so thats extra motivation to get in there and do some work.

PYRO：Are there any new artists that have caught your ear?

A-We try to showcase a lot of newer artists on our blog by featuring them on our Feel My Bicep mixes, off the top of my head we started releasing these guys from New Zealand called “Soundboards,” and they actually handed us a USB at a gig. And so often we’ll lose them, but this one we listened to it when we got home and thought it was amazing so we signed them to our label. Also have Brassica is another guy killing it thats under appreciated, great synth work from him.

PYRO：This could be attached to your piece of advice [handing off the USB stick] to all the aspiring producers here in China that dont have the same resources, anything you’d like to add?

 M- - My first piece of advice, is get on the computer and buy some cheap gear, doesn't matter the quality, just get something and learn everything about it inside and out. This will be more effective than sitting on a computer clicking all this and all that, downloading this plugin or that one. 

A-Yeah I kinda  agree, learn a valuable skill like piano rather than how to EQ a kick drum. This will come in handy as your progress. Learn the keys and notes, all the simple things.

PYRO：And did you guys goto school for music theory or anything music related?

A-Nope we taught ourselves.

M-I still goto piano lessons actually, always something to learn and inspire you a little bit maybe.

PYRO：Whats next for Bicep?

M- Were working on our album, its about half way there. Gonna release some singles shortly, but we’ve been touring like crazy, going to Australia, all the festivals in Europe and southeast asia. But when we get back to the studio tomorrow it will be all producing producing producing! 

PYRO：Wow exciting time ahead, I’m sure everyone shares in excitement with the release of that premiere album! Thats all I got guys, thanks for the interview with PYRO Music !

A&M-Thanks for having us its been great! Cheers, Zai Jian! 

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