Long before its release, Rafael’s ‘Gotta Be Cool’ had already taken on a life of its own. Passed between dancefloors and the subject of track ID requests for months, the record became a recurring standout moment in Damian Lazarus’ sets, the kind of track that cuts through instantly without needing explanation. Now officially arriving via Crosstown Rebels, the in-demand DJ/producer’s highly anticipated label debut captures the instinctive approach that has quickly put him on the radar through releases on Beltools, Hot Creations, TSZR, Planet X and Maccabi House.
“‘Gotta Be Cool’ started in LA after Tobias Wincorn played me a vocal that instantly felt special,” Rafael explains. “A few weeks later, while staying on a friend’s couch in New York, I built the track with a very clear vision in mind… something emotional but still groovy and club-driven. I wanted it to feel like a wave of different emotions constantly blending together, with a hook that people can immediately connect to and shout back on the dancefloor.” Built around slow-blooming synth flourishes and vocal chants that evoke playful, almost childlike memories, it balances emotional weight with direct club energy – a combination that has made it one of the standout records in the label boss’s sets throughout the year.
“Every now and then, a record comes along that stops you in your tracks and makes you drop your ego to the floor, throw your hands in the air and sing out as loud as you can. ‘Gotta Be Cool’ is one of those. It’s been one of the highlights in my sets this year, and by the reaction it gets each time it’s dropped, it’s going to be huge.” – Damian Lazarus.
On the flip, ‘Teder’ sees Rafael team up with close friend and studio collaborator N.O.Y. for a deeper, more understated cut shaped by layered percussion, fluid grooves, and loose, after-hours energy. “‘Teder,’ made together with my close friend and studio partner N.O.Y, represents a more underground side of the EP,” Rafael adds. “The track is named after the studio complex we work from, and it was actually the first record we created there together. I feel like both tracks showcase two different sides of me as a producer and DJ, with one more direct and euphoric, the other deeper and more underground.”
Rafael ‘Gotta Be Cool’ drops via Crosstown Rebels on 26th June 2026.
PRE-ORDER ‘GOTTA BE COOL’ HERE
Tracklist
A1) Rafael – Gotta Be Cool
B1) Rafael & N.O.Y. – Teder
Rafael
Instagram / Soundcloud / Spotify
Crosstown Rebels
Instagram / Soundcloud