Icarus

Formed by brothers Tom and Ian Griffiths in 2013, Icarus are a Bristol, U.K.-based duo whose tuneful, shimmering tracks mix elements of deep house, U.K. garage, progressive house, and other styles. Inspired by dance titans such as Basement Jaxx and the Chemical Brothers, as well as drum’n’bass producers like LTJ Bukem and soundtrack composers such as Hans Zimmer, the duo strive to create tracks that are eclectic and don’t fit into easy categories. They also prefer melodic, progressive tracks over repetitive club fodder, and have remixed songs by popular artists in addition to incorporating vocals and song structures into their tracks. Icarus signed to Pete Tong’s FFRR label in 2014, and released several heavily streamed tracks, including 2016′s “October” and 2019′s “Sirens,” before making their full-length debut with Unfold in 2020.
The duo began releasing music online shortly after forming in 2013, quickly receiving BBC Radio 1Xtra play as well as garnering attention from Skrillex, who issued the duo’s Steal the Sun EP on OWSLA sublabel Nest that October. Icarus also remixed Bastille’s song “Of the Night” that year. In 2014, Icarus remixed tracks by OWSLA artist Phonat and French producer Watermät, and released material on SubSoul and their own Fly Boy label. The duo ended the successful year by signing with Parlophone/FFRR, and soulful singles “Don’t Cry Wolf” and “Ride This Train” appeared in 2015. Following support from blogs and clubs, radio airplay from DJs such as Pete Tong and Annie Mac, festival dates, and a U.K. tour, Icarus released “Home” (featuring Norwegian vocalist Aurora) in early 2016. Additional singles including “October” and “Hiding” (a one-off for Anjunadeep) appeared during the year. The duo continued to expand their catalog, releasing singles such as “Trouble” (with Talay Riley) as well as the EPs In the Dark (2018) and This Must Be the Place (2019). Debut album Unfold arrived in 2020, featuring guest vocalists Rae Morris, Nathan Bell, and Tim Digby-Bell. ~ Paul Simpson