When it comes to Gen-Z’s fusion of experimental and distorted pop, no one does so-called ‘hyperpop’ quite like Dylan Brady and Laura Les of 100 gecs.
Coming off the success of their acclaimed self-released album 1000 gecs in 2019, and a record deal with Atlantic Records in 2020, 100 gecs is back with a long-awaited set of tracks that reddit-dwelling hyperpop-heads will be likely to worship.
Their new record, ingeniously called 10,000 gecs, has blown me away with just how wild and experimental the pair have become with their sound. Not only have gecs further refined the distorted, off-beat style that brought them their initial success – but they’ve also taken a greater nosedive into punk and hip-hop aesthetics that producer Dylan Brady seems to have mastered since their last full-length release. Production here is immaculate, this being thanks to 100 gecs’ ability to hone-in on their craft, with Brady and Les having co-produced for artists such as Injury Reserve, The Garden, and even Charli XCX.
100 gecs starts off the whole album quite literally like a movie with ‘Dumbest Girl Alive’, sampling the iconic THX intro effect that used to near-explode everyone’s TV speakers back in the early 2000’s. The sample abruptly switches to a heavily distorted guitar riff which is accompanied by loud, obnoxious drums. Vocals soon enter in, sounding like they’ve been mixed by a 14-year-old who’s just found out what autotune is, but it all bizarrely comes together like a full-cohesive song, despite all the expected clashes of ideas.
Every track on “10,000 gecs” has so many twists, turns and beat switches that it’s practically impossible to keep up with half the time. With the opening track’s beat later morphing into what can only be described as a drug-laced version of ‘SICKO MODE‘.
This is the beauty of what 100 gecs can do so masterfully. gec’s music doesn’t need to make sense, it just needs to keep you on your toes awaiting the next outlandish surge of noise.
The record only progresses in its wackiness from here with the following track, ‘757’, which is a conventional hyperpop track through-and-through. A flurry of over-produced samples, synths and drums all collectively compete with Laura Les’ ear-worm chorus “757, yeah I’ll never go to heaven”, before shortly creating yet another unexpected instrumental shift halfway through.
This album never ceases to surprise me, even after multiple listens. Every time I go back to re-listen to a track, there’s a new sound or sample hidden in the mix that I hadn’t noticed before – with ‘757’ being the perfect example due to the inclusion of a “Star Wars” Tie-fighter laser effect being panned around my headphones out of nowhere.
‘Billy Knows Jamie’ was another song that stood out to me – but only because it forced me to suspiciously check my phone to check if I’d accidentally queued a track from Wyatt and Fletcher Shears of The Garden, as here 100 gecs sounded almost identical to them. gecs seems to take inspiration from multiple artists, and music genres, but they never cease to make a song their own – with some tracks off this record even reminding me of what Flume has recently been putting out.
While their tracks can be annoying at times, 100 gecs are incredible at what they do, though I’d recommend having an open-mind when going into to their music. I’d have the same approach that I do with an artist like Death Grips. You have to expect weirdness or some unpalatable sounds that might tend to scare the average listener, but hidden beneath the strangeness are often some truly innovative and unique tracks.
In short, be careful who you play gecs around. ‘One Million Dollars’ is a track I doubt I could play around my mum.
I could go on for ages with every song on this album, but honestly – I would recommend giving 10,000 gecs a listen without any of my spoiler-ridden commentary. The experience of freshly listening to this album is a treat, and worth sitting through its short, 27-minute run-time. 100 gecs have proven that they are the masters of glitchy hyperpop – and I’m excited to see where on Earth they decide to go next.
Rating: 7/10