Get Groovy, Get Weird!

On Bazooka, Roi Turbo leans hard into nostalgic, left-field dance music that feels beamed from a parallel timeline where ‘80s bubblegum pop collided head-on with acid-funk and Italo-disco. The South African-born, London-based duo, made up of brothers Benjamin and Conor McCarthy, deliver a five-track collection that’s equal parts retro charm and sci-fi oddity. And it works!

The EP’s title track, “Bazooka,” is a strutting, synth-driven jam built around an impossibly catchy lead line and dry, punchy percussion. It feels playful but calculated, like a lost B-side from a long-forgotten arcade game soundtrack. That balance between polished groove and dusty texture runs through the entire project, giving it a distinct, analog warmth beneath its digital surface.

While the vibe stays consistently danceable, a surprising amount of sonic variety is packed into these tracks. “Dystopia” leans into shimmering pads and a low-slung bassline that feels tailor-made for late-night drives. “Super Hands” cranks up the weirdness with rubbery synths and blippy, Nintendo-core melodies that land somewhere between alien-disco and psychedelic electro-pop. It’s the kind of track that shouldn’t work, but somehow, it does.

“Bobo Spirit” brings some welcome mid-tempo bounce, layering slick guitar lines and sci-fi synth leads over a thick, rubbery groove. The closing track, “Hot Like Fire,” marks the duo’s first foray into using vocals. While the lyrics are minimal, they function more as a textural element than a centerpiece, adding just enough human touch to an otherwise extraterrestrial soundscape.

Bazooka stands out as unapologetically strange and groovy in a world of overly polished, algorithm-friendly dance releases. It’s a short, self-contained world of its own, and one worth visiting.