‘Second single ‘Semaphore’, is a paranoid and robotic signal flare from the club. Its looping refrain, ‘fixated eyes, malignant smiles, another semaphore’, captures the sense of coded warnings and uneasy recognition when stepping into a volatile space. Musically, the track locks glitching, distorted guitars into rigid, strobing electronics, its industrial edge building a sense of dread before surging into urgent, body-moving release.’
‘Them Chicago boys are back with a Freaknik-flavored booty shaking uptempo jam. Chuck Inglish and Sir Michael Rocks trade bars over Ghosttown-worthy 808s, with an extra Baile Funk flair courtesy of collaborator Sango.’
Manchester’s Crimewave makes thrilling electronic music that is equal parts glitchy IDM and guitar freak-outs. Having already toured with Kim Gordon, George Clanton and Machinedrum, Crimewave has caught the ears of luminaries and is making an exciting debut on New York’s Fool’s Gold Records, a label known for taking bold chances. Dive into these fractured breaks and get your brain shredded.
Style is something that can’t be taught. You can’t take a Masterclass on how to effortlessly float on tracks like Sir Michael Rocks or make boombox-shattering beats like Chuck Inglish. Every time you think you have The Cool Kids figured out, they flip it on you — and this happens multiple times on “Foil Bass,” the 2nd single from their highly anticipated 2025 return. The lunchroom-table beat morphs into an outer space number, while your favorite rapper’s favorite rappers jump between flows like vets. Feels good to hear them boys in the zone.
The art of making a song that feels familiar while being new is a proper magic trick. On “Girl I Need You,” the UK’s George Reid sprinkles a bit of 70s soul, 80s keyboard chimes, 90s crunch over modern production and somehow it all feels perfectly cohesive. You’re witnessing an expert at work, crafting Emotional Dance Music™️ straight from the soul.
If you close your eyes and think “The Cool Kids,” what you’ll hear in your head is essentially Banana In The Tailpipe. Booming, raw Chuck Inglish drums, his and Mikey Rocks’ voices floating over the track talking about getting fly. In this case we get a guest feature from Long Beach’s Seafood Sam. This is exactly what we’ve wanted from those Chicago boys who set off the trends back in the Blog Era and kept their track record immaculate in the 17 years since that Black Mags video broke the internet. Suddenly everything feels right in the world.
Eli Mich is the alter ego of seasoned Dutch producer Mike Mago. Under this moniker, the veteran flexes his production chops and explores the broad landscapes of electronic music. No tempo is left untouched on the Breath EP, an exhilarating rollercoaster of tracks with impressive range. While the title track “Breath” and the lead single “Only You” delve into emotional club music in the realm of Bicep and Overmono, the aptly titled “Rave Beat” and “Sophie” flip into raw fun with completely deconstructed club elements.
Dutch music mage Thys is back with his second Fool’s Gold EP, Le Thys. What started as homage to French House evolved into a project full of what Thys has coined “Speedfunk,” a faster take on the disco-infused genre sprinkled with his own intricate sound design and frenetic energy. Thys originally got known as a member of the highly revered group Noisia, and has since branched out with a string of contagious collaborations. On this EP he links up with Italian producers Camoufly, Simon Says! and ELASI, and the legendary vocalist Daniel Bedingfield. The Thys proves that Speedfunk is a family affair.
The name Moon Boots is firmly established in house and disco circles. A Brooklyn native who spent some formative years in Chicago, this synth wizard specializes in all things groovy, with a solid catalog to back it up. His first release on Fool’s Gold is one of the biggest, catchiest songs we’ve ever heard from him. Lyric Jones, a versatile vocalist with a thorough resumé of her own, carries “Sunshine” to soaring heights.
Banger alert! You know when you hear 5 seconds of a song and you immediately know it’s going in your crate? Here’s one of those. “Reaching” finds James Juke, the Brooklyn based, San Francisco raised producer in his classic house bag. The pulsating synth chords keep the energy high as LION BABE deliver a soulful and anthemic vocal. What more do you need?