Forget playlists and swipe culture Gustaffson just dropped a groove that fights back against the machine. Dance to the Algorithm is their first stand-alone single since Black & White Movie, and it’s a bold, tongue-in-cheek call out to how we consume music today. Produced with Craig Potter of Elbow, it’s as sharp in concept as it is smooth in sound.

“Do you dance to the algorithm?” isn’t just a lyric – it’s a challenge. While the world scrolls and skips, Gustaffson are here, horns blazing, asking you to feel again. The track oozes retro-soul swagger: deep basslines, punchy brass, electric piano shimmer. But listen closer and there’s something more – a subtle Latin/Cuban pulse under the funk, a sunlit swing that turns Manchester grey into Havana gold.

There’s a real groove battle going on here the organic versus the automated. The rhythm section moves like a living thing, syncopated and fluid, the total opposite of the cold, mechanical beats clogging your feed. It’s as if Buena Vista Social Club stumbled into an Elbow session and someone hit “record.”

Dance to the Algorithm isn’t just catchy – it’s commentary. A protest you can dance to.

The collective project formed by actor turned musician Andrew Gower (Black Mirror, Outlander, and Carnival Row) and James Webster (guitarist and co-writer), Gustaffson’s new single arrives following the success of their critically acclaimed debut album Black & White Movie released earlier this year.

4/5 for the tune, 5/5 for the statement.

So, are you dancing to the algorithm — or breaking free from it?

Listen to ‘DANCE TO THE ALGORITHM’ here now.

Words by Phil Marsden for THE SONGBIRD HQ