Cold Court—brother-sister duo from Philly—launch their debut EP “Hands Up,” blending dance-punk swagger, prog flourishes, and digital chaos into songs that feel loud, messy, and oddly cohesive at just 21 minutes.
A minute into Cold Court’s debut EP “Hands Up” (aka “(^_^) / (aka Hands Up)”). the opening track “Nina” stops sounding like the dance punk rush of the mid-aughts—Franz Ferdinand or Test Icicles energy—then abruptly gets chopped up and fed through a beat repeater. It’s the kind of turn that makes you sit up. not because it’s polished. but because it’s determined. And then. another minute later. a mellow proggy bridge slides in that calls to mind Mars Volta—before the whole song ends in a barrage of glitches and digital chaos.
That push-and-pull—between recognizable genre sparks and sudden digital distortion—sets the tone for the whole record. The songs on “Hands Up” clearly started life on drums and guitar. But Mini and Jojo took those creations and ran them through a computer. adding layers. rearranging pieces. and piling on effects until the results feel like a controlled explosion.
Single “Burn” captures the method best. It brings big rock riffs and Daft Punk-esque synths together with dubstep chops and autotuned vocals. There’s even a rapped bridge. What could easily read as scattered noise instead lands as a cohesive. seething whole—especially when the song leans into its mess and drives the point home with the lyric. “I just want to see it burn. give a fuck about your word.”.
The words aren’t trying to be profound, and the EP never asks them to be. It’s maximalist music that prioritizes energy over depth—and for all its technical clutter, “Hands Up” keeps pulling you forward.
Not every track goes as huge as “Burn.” “Cola” moves more slowly and strips back some layers without turning the volume down. “Glass” almost slips into math rock territory, with guitars chopped up and spit back out. And the closer, “Light,” ends the EP blown-out and sparkly, leaning into prog with a bright, fractured glow.
The barrage could wear you down across a full album. but at just 21 minutes. “Hands Up” doesn’t overstay its welcome. Cold Court have made something that feels like a genre mashup with a pulse—glitchy, high-voltage, and undeniably alive. The only question now is what happens when this young brother-sister duo—Mini and Jojo—starts evolving beyond the chaos they’ve built so confidently here.
Cold Court Hands Up Nina Burn glitchy hyperpop dance punk prog Mars Volta Daft Punk dubstep autotuned vocals Philly duo Mini Jojo
Wait so it’s glitch music but also dance punk? I’m confused already.
This sounds like one of those EPs where the producer just kept hitting random buttons until it worked lol. But if “Burn” really has autotune + dubstep + rapped bridge then yeah I get why it’s “fuel.”
I thought “Hands Up” was gonna be like actual protest music?? But it’s the Mars Volta thing and Franz Ferdinand vibes? Idk why they’re calling it a debut EP if it’s already remixing everybody. Also 21 minutes sounds short like… did they rush it?
I don’t buy the whole “controlled explosion” thing, glitches are glitches. Half the time people call static a feature. Still, if it’s Philly and it’s brothers/sisters, that’s kinda cool… but also why is there autotuned vocals on a rock riff song? Seems like the label made them chase trends.