Yolanda Be Cool

Yolanda Be Cool, comprising Andrew Stanley and Matthew Handley, officially formed in 2009 in Sydney, Australia. The duo quickly gained prominence in 2010 with their collaboration with Australian producer DCUP on the track “We No Speak Americano.” This song notably sampled Renato Carosone’s 1956 hit “Tu Vuò Fà l’Americano” and was released on the independent Australian label Sweat It Out. The track became an international success, topping charts in over a dozen countries globally, including the UK, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, and Denmark. It sold over 5 million copies and accumulated more than 200 million views on YouTube, establishing Yolanda Be Cool as a significant act in electronic dance music. Prior to this breakthrough, the duo had also collaborated with DCUP on a remix of their 2009 track “Afro Nuts.” The name Yolanda Be Cool itself is a direct reference to a scene from Quentin Tarantino’s film, Pulp Fiction.

Following the success of “We No Speak Americano,” Yolanda Be Cool continued to develop their musical career. In 2011, they collaborated with Crystal Waters on “Le Bump,” a track that later featured on their debut album, “Ladies & Mentalmen,” released in 2013 on Sweat It Out! and DIM MAK. This album showcased a diverse range of collaborations, including indigenous Australian artist Gurrumul, house music figures Crystal Waters and Barbara Tucker, soul legend Betty Wright, and rapper Nola Darling. In 2015, they reunited with DCUP to produce “Sugar Man,” an edit of a Rodriguez song, which achieved platinum status in Australia. The same year saw the release of “Soul Makossa (Money),” sampling Manu Dibango’s saxophone, which garnered over 1 million YouTube plays and reached number 2 on Beatport’s Top Ten, becoming the sixth best-selling House record of the year. In 2016, they released “From Me to You” with DCUP on Spinnin’ Records, and in 2023, they launched their new label, SWEATRZ, releasing the first single “Hip Trumpets” featuring KVISION.

Beyond their musical releases, Stanley and Handley also play a significant role in the Australian music industry as co-owners and A&R for the Sweat It Out! label. This label has been instrumental in the careers of other Australian artists such as RÜFÜS DÜ SOL, What So Not, Dom Dolla, and Torren Foot. The duo received two ARIA Music Awards nominations in 2010 for “Best Dance Release” and “Most Popular Australian Single” for “We No Speak Americano.” Their album “Ladies & Mentalmen” also received a nomination for “Best Independent Dance/Electronic Album” at the 2013 AIR Awards. They have also contributed remixes, including one for Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” for the 30th-anniversary reissue of her album “She’s So Unusual.” Matthew Handley co-founded the Baseline Happiness Project, aimed at promoting well-being in the creative community through initiatives like group meditation courses.