Roi Turbo – 7th Level Music

Roi Turbo release new single, “Bobo Spirit,” in advance of new EP.

Roi Turbo — the project of South African-born, London-based electronic duo of brothers Benjamin & Conor McCarthy — announce their new EP, Bazooka, out April 25th via Maison Arts, and present the new single “Bobo Spirit.” Additionally, the band announces they will be supporting Empire of the Sun on tour throughout North America in April and May.

On their second EP, Bazooka, Roi Turbo roar down many creative roads at once, celebrating the permanence of rhythmic pasts, the contrasts of analog and digital futures, and a familial bond which marries their shared idea of sonic ecstasy to a populist streak of giving listeners what they want.

In some ways, Conor and Benjamin have been moving toward this moment their whole lives. Growing up in Cape Town with music-loving parents, they abandoned drum lessons for self-taught strategies (Conor played along to Bloc Party records, Ben learned via YouTube). The brothers debated the pros and cons of band-driven sounds (Conor) versus electronic production (Ben), unknowingly laying the foundation for their future. Their musical curiosity led them to the psychedelic modulations of William Onyeabor, the ‘80s South African bubblegum and Nigerian disco scenes, and the danceable rock of Paul Epworth. By their early 20s, Conor and Ben began to understand how their separate skills mixed with shared values and perspectives, could blossom into a secret weapon.

In 2023, the brothers relocated to London. They recorded with only a fraction of their home gear in apartments whose neighbors reacted angrily to the loud sounds. This took the sound of Bazooka away from clamor and experimentation towards what could be done more quickly and inside machines. They found technical ways to recreate the big gated drums of ‘80s records they once laughed at, scaling back the cheesiness. They leaned into the vibe of pieces rather than getting stuck on perfecting mixes and takes, embracing a more streamlined process.

Today’s single “Bobo Spirit” brings acid house piano chords into a Balearic context of open air and sunsets— a world of heavyweight groove propulsion. Of the track, Roi Turbo say: “‘Bobo Spirit’ is a mid tempo groove that is driven by catchy guitar licks, bouncing piano chords, rolling digi bass, and sci-fi synth leads. We had the idea of making a song that infused psychedelic melodies with a spacey sci-fi like feel, in a way it’s a melting pot of all the sounds we were listening to at the time.”

Listen to “Bobo Spirit”

At its core, Bazooka reflects the lifelong bond between Benjamin and Conor McCarthy—their shared influences, differing perspectives, and unified vision. Picking up where other great beat-driven siblings like Soulwax’s David and Stephen Dewaele left off, the McCarthys rock the block, and blend the distinctions. In the process, they create a classic disco-funk-house sound that skips between soundsystem eras of multiple continents, winding up with a contemporary edge all its own. With the tank full and the roads open, Roi Turbo is just getting started.

Pre-order Bazooka EP

Listen to “Super Hands”
Listen to “Bazooka”
Listen to “Dystopia”

Roi Turbo Tour Dates
Wed. April 23 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore %
Thu. April 24 – Chicago, IL @ Radius %
Sat. April 26 – St. Louis, MO @ Saint Louis Park %
Mon. April 28 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre %
Wed. April 30 – Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater %
Thu. May 1 – Eugene, OR @ Cuthbert Amphitheater %
Sat. May 3 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre %
Sun. May 4 -Sacramento, CA @ Channel 54 %
Thu. May 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ Cercle Festival %
Sat. May 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Just Like Heaven %
Sun. May 11 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl %
Wed. May 14 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheatre %
Thu. May 15 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom %
Fri. May 16 – Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall %
Sun. May 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca Cola Roxy %
Tue. May 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore %
Wed. May 21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Mirage %
Fri. May 23 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem %
Sat. May 24 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway %
Thu. June 19 -Sun. June 22 – Rothbury, MI @ Electric Forest

% w/ Empire of the Sun

Keep your mind open.

[Race over to the subscription box!]

[Thanks to Jessica at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Roi Turbo present their new single – “Super Hands.”

Roi Turbo — the new project of South African-born, London-based electronic duo of brothers Benjamin & Conor McCarthy — present their new single, “Super Hands,” out today via Maison Records. In contrast to the ‘80s South African Bubblegum disco-inspired “Bazooka,” released late last year and named a “Song You Need to Know” by Rolling Stone, “Super Hands” is an immersive ‘90s progressive house-inspired track with hypnotic synth riffs and a thick underlying groove. In the band’s words, “‘Super Hands’ is the warehouse industrial side of Roi Turbo with its modular sequencing and hard hitting drum machines. We were keen to experiment and mix warehouse dance with guitars and live percussion. We’ve always loved that progressive ‘90’s sound and had fun trying to make it fit into the Turbo world.”

Listen to “Super Hands”
Roi Turbo was formed in their home city of Cape Town in 2020. Ben came from an electronic background as a producer and DJ, and became a mainstay in the club circuit in and around their hometown. Conor, meanwhile, came from a band background, playing in alt-rock and alt-pop outfits. The two had always wanted to start a dance project together, dating back to when they were in high school. During COVID lockdown, the chance presented itself. The brothers moved back in together and wrote music with no real agenda, just the two of them with time on their hands, having fun writing music that felt the most natural to them. “We were listening to ‘70s and ‘80s African disco and funk records at the time, and the contrast between the synths and raw live elements of these records really inspired us,” say Ben & Conor, who are also quick to note the likes of Larry Levan, William Onyeabor, Air and Pino D’Angiò as musical inspiration. “Over the years we bought as many synths, drums, guitars and microphones as we could get our hands on and would experiment for weeks on end until we got the sound we were going for. This combination of analog gear has now become a staple in the Roi Turbo sound.”

Roi Turbo will perform at Retreat Yourself, a Cape Town festival on February 22nd, and Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan next June, with more live dates to come.

Listen to “Bazooka”

Listen to “Dystopia”

Keep your mind open.

[It would be super if you used your hands to subscribe.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Roi Turbo blow up the dance floor with “Bazooka.”

Roi Turbo is the new project of South African-born, London-based electronic duo of brothers Benjamin & Conor McCarthy. Today, they release a new single, “Bazooka,” via Maison Records. Born out of their shared love for dance music from around the world, the brothers infuse a hybrid of African and Western influences from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Today’s new single, “Bazooka,” packs an explosive punch with its catchy synth and guitar leads. Inspired by ‘80s South African Bubblegum disco, its cheeky bass line and bouncy piano are sure to shake up the dance floor. “Bazooka” follows the previously released single “Dystopia.”

Listen to “Bazooka”

Roi Turbo was formed in their home city of Cape Town in 2020. Ben came from an electronic background as a producer and DJ, and became a mainstay in the club circuit in and around their hometown. Conor, meanwhile, came from a band background, playing in alt-rock and alt-pop outfits. The two had always wanted to start a dance project together, dating back to when they were in high school. During COVID lockdown, the chance presented itself. The brothers moved back in together and wrote music with no real agenda, just the two of them with time on their hands, having fun writing music that felt the most natural to them. “We were listening to ‘70s and ‘80s African disco and funk records at the time, and the contrast between the synths and raw live elements of these records really inspired us,” say Ben & Conor, who are also quick to note the likes of Larry Levan, William Onyeabor, Air and Pino D’Angiò as musical inspiration. “Over the years we bought as many synths, drums, guitars and microphones as we could get our hands on and would experiment for weeks on end until we got the sound we were going for. This combination of analog gear has now become a staple in the Roi Turbo sound.”

They continue: “We wanted to create a project that encompassed all our niche tastes in music, fashion, automobiles and design, free of any pretentiousness, just quality music that gets you moving!”

Roi Turbo will perform at Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan next June, with more live dates to come.

Listen to “Dystopia”

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR!]