Irish composer and producer BK Pepper unveils his highly anticipated second album Pagan, out now via London-based label Bigo & Twigetti. (Listen Here) Marking a bold evolution from his acclaimed debut Territories, the new record expands both sonically and thematically, cementing Pepper’s reputation for deeply cinematic and emotionally resonant work.
Serving as the emotional core of Pagan, Brother Sister captures the album’s exploration of connection, identity and belonging. Built around a striking performance from Icelandic violinist Viktor Orri Árnason, the track balances fragility and tension, pairing exposed vocals with raw, expressive strings. Listen Here
Pepper says of the track: “Brother Sister is about the bonds we are born into and the ones we choose. It explores the idea that family is not only blood, but shared experience, shared struggle and shared belief. Viktor Orri Árnason’s strings brought a raw and fragile honesty to the track, and I kept the vocal delivery very exposed to reflect that vulnerability. There is tension in it, but also deep loyalty. It feels like a conversation between closeness and distance, which is something many of us recognise in our own relationships.”
On Pagan, Pepper explores systems of belief — religious, political and personal — and what happens when they begin to fracture. While Territories introduced listeners to his atmospheric and introspective style, Pagan broadens the scope, becoming more outward-looking and confrontational in its themes.
The album was recorded with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, The Glasshouse Ensemble and Viktor Orri Árnason, moving fluidly between sweeping orchestration and intimate, layered textures. This interplay creates a sound world that feels both collective and deeply personal.
At its core, Pagan questions how identity is shaped in a time of increasing division, and whether shared humanity can still be rediscovered amidst competing beliefs and narratives.
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