F.O.O.L - Machine Review

By Gabriel Matias Castilho

If you are the type of person who lives a life based on the defiance of rules or lives for the underground scene, I have just the album for you. “Fuck Our Ordinary Lives” is the name of the game—a name that can be shortened to a simple four letter word: F.O.O.L. The Swedish dystopian synthwave superstar combines futuristic, industrial, and retro themes to detach the listener from time in his debut album, “Machine,” released on Nov. 10 on Monstercat. The masked producer ventures into new genres as he consolidates his signature fast-paced, dark style.

According to him, the concept behind this album is the F.O.O.L character who evolves and becomes more powerful due to a machine. The theme is symbolic of how the artist has evolved his sound since 2020. Machine’s opening homonymous track is a clear example of this experiment, as its detachment from the artist’s theme creates a sense of defiance—for one, it’s his first dubstep track in eight years!

New trends aren’t forgotten in this album as F.O.O.L pairs up with the phonk trio, THIRST, in “Motor” to create an uplifting, mid-tempo banger. Three Lo-Fi inspired synthwave tracks—two collaborations and one solo release (“The Law” with enigmatic producer Pylot, “Vibrance” with French artist A.L.I.S.O.N, and “Origin”)—heavily bring out the 80s, synth-boogie disco vibes. Techno is also heavily explored in his solo releases “Droid” and “Rewind”—the last one being the only track containing leading vocals, my absolute favorite!

In short, “Machine” epitomizes evolution and defiance. “Fuck our ordinary lives.”