System Exclusive – “Game of the Fool”


Another scorcher out of the Castle Face stable, this time Matt Jones (Male Gaze) and vocalist Ari Blaisdell (Lower Self, The Beat Offs) dig into arpeggiated pop that mixes a love for German Progressive pulses and ‘90s synth punk alike (think Le Tigre and shades of YYY’s). While there’s certainly a lean into the post-punk trickle down into the early aughts, the band clearly grabs on tighter to the the more propulsive end of the Teutonic ‘70s. The song’s repetitions mirrors its focus on cycles in relationships, slotting its narrative into a lock-groove of abuse that seems inescapable. Despite the song’s rather dour message, the band turn pain into catharsis creating a hypnotic synth-punk highlight from their upcoming album. The song is offset with a video comprised of clips of nuclear safety videos from the ‘50s – ‘Survival Under Atomic Attack,’ ‘A is for Atom,’ ‘Atomic Alert,’ ‘Duck and Cover,’ setting some cataclysmic edge to accompany the song’s infectious snap. The band’s eponymous debut is out March 4th from Castle Face.

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