Philadelphia has been a hotbed for hard-hitting experimental music as of late, and Cold Court are just the latest among the city’s tradition of churning out unclassifiable noise-makers. With today’s reveal of the sibling duo’s debut EP \ (^_^) / (aka HANDS UP), Mini Serrano and Jojo Lavina-Maldonado are sharing the single “Burn,” a cut that bounces between the serrated dance-punk riffs of early HEALTH, the hardcore hip-hop of Blackhandpath, a blown-out take on Daft Punk, and, of course, the underlying mash-up chaos of the hyperpop era. It feels a bit like throwing a combination rave and LAN party at the DIY space, which appears to be the precise concept for the track’s music video.
“‘Burn’ is our Frankenstein's Monster,” shares Serrano of the new cut. “When Jojo moved out to go to college, we had been listening to and bonding over a lot of French house/sample-based stuff. Over winter break Jojo made a beat and we freestyled over it, since then we sent remixes of the idea back and forth over email. The song became an outlet for us to be in touch with each other, and an opportunity to try and impress one another by learning Ableton and ‘producing.’ We were always super excited by the idea of it being dubstep or electro, because it really reminded us of our childhood and it didn't sound like any of the songs we've worked on before. Bringing it to life—adding guitars and live drums and turning it into something unrecognizable—the song kind of took us in its own direction. When we listen back and perform it now, we’re reminded of the naivety that led to its creation from elements that maybe shouldn't work, but also represents both of us in a song.”
“Burn” lands ahead of the full \ (^_^) / EP, which will drop on June 19. In the meantime, check out the video the duo directed for the track below.
