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Marcus Nikolaus – “Bicycle Day” [Song Review]

With its kaleidoscopic layers and its underlying pastoral feel, Markus Nikolaus’ (Lea Porcelain) “Bicycle Day” is both hypnotic and subtly compelling.

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Berlin’s Markus Nikolaus, perhaps better known as one half of the duo making up Lea Porcelain, drops his debut solo single, “Bicycle Day,” an hors d’oeuvre for his forthcoming album, The Acid Kids.

According to Nikolaus, “‘Bicycle Day’ is a playful and psychedelic song that was originally written during the 1st Berlin lockdown after a very long bike ride and under the influence of mind-altering substances, together with my girlfriend, Sara.”

The song’s title, “Bicycle Day,” refers to April 19, 1943, when chemist Albert Hofmann took 250 micrograms of LSD. Feeling unfocused, Hofmann rode his bike home. Since then, acid aficionados celebrate every April 19 as Bicycle Day.

The music for The Acid Kids was written in Funkhaus Berlin during the lockdown of 2020-2021 and was initially intended for Lea Porcelain’s album, Choirs to Heaven.

“Bicycle Day” travels on a tasty blend of electro-pop-funk, post-punk, and indie-rock flavours, riding an alt-country-lite shaded rhythm. Nikolaus’ dreamy voice imbues the lyrics with evocative tones as if moving through logarithmic spirals of actuality.

With its kaleidoscopic layers and its underlying pastoral feel, “Bicycle Day” is both hypnotic and subtly compelling.

Marcus Nikolaus, photo by Jesse Lirola

Run Time: 3:34
Release Date: September 16, 2022
Record Label: Porzellan Bar

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