In Greenland’s chilly Sisimiut, where snow covers an old bus and it’s often -14°C, rapper Tarrak looks at the camera and says, “Imagine being told your culture doesn’t matter.” This powerful moment kicks off Takkuuk, Bicep’s bold new project spotlighting indigenous Arctic musicians, a 50-minute audio-visual show that mixes personal stories with raw, gripping sounds. Belfast duo Andy Ferguson and Matt McBriar, known for their electronic beats, take a backseat to let artists from Greenland, Norway, Sweden, and Canada take the lead in a work that celebrates and protects their fading cultures.
Shown first at London’s Outernet in July 2025, Takkuuk—meaning “look” in Inuktitut—surrounds viewers with huge screens, pulling them into a vivid experience. Created with visual artist Zak Norman and filmmaker Charlie Miller, it’s not an album or a movie but a striking blend of music and visuals. Released by Ninja Tune on July 25, 2025, it features artists like Greenlandic rapper Tarrak, metal band Sound of the Damned, EDM producer Andachan, Sámi singer Katarina Barruk, indie band Nuija, electronic artist Niilas, and throat-singing duo Silla. Their music, partly recorded in Reykjavík with Matthew Dear, feels intense and emotional, with tracks like “Taarsitillugu” booming with deep bass and “Dárbbuo” floating softly, mixed with sounds of creaking glaciers from Ferguson’s Greenland trip.
The music is rough and real, combining Bicep’s electronic style with traditional Arctic sounds, nothing like gentle Nordic tunes. Barruk sings, “We fight every day to save our language,” highlighting the threats: climate change, mining, and fading traditions. Scarlet snow in the visuals warns of a warming Arctic, beautiful yet at risk. The project started when Ferguson visited Greenland in 2023 with In Place of War’s EarthSonic, where Arctic Sounds festival introduced him to Tarrak’s fierce energy.
Bicep stays humble, sharing profits with the artists and the charity to keep the focus on Arctic voices. As Takkuuk travels the world, maybe even projected on a Greenlandic iceberg by 2026, it asks us to see the Arctic’s lively cultures as close and precious, not far away. It’s a brave move for Bicep, showing electronic music can tell stories that need to be heard.
