Take a sec to hear the gecs; 100 gecs release sophomore album, ‘10,000 gecs’
While the hyperpop genre previously grasped public attention through the works of artists such as SOPHIE and Charli XCX, the release of 100 gecs’ 1000 gecs took the internet by storm in late 2019. Laura Les and Dylan Brady, the musical duo behind 100 gecs, then quickly solidified their places as two of the most prominent figures within the hyperpop genre.
Donning silly lyrics, high-pitched vocals, and production that ranges from absurd sampling with heavy distortion to quite literally random assortments of noise, 100 gecs are not known for taking themselves too seriously. After achieving internet virality, 100 gecs developed a cult-like fanbase who praised the enticing quality of the fresh sound the group brought to the table. While 100 gecs’ sound is often controversial amongst critics due to its zany nature, the duo’s impact on the hyperpop genre was revolutionary and essential for kickstarting the future of hyperpop.
Les and Brady announced 100 gecs’ sophomore album, 10,000 gecs, back in 2021. With a short running time and high expectations from hyperpop fanatics, the pressure was high for the duo to ensure that every single track managed to be as magically farcical as 1000 gecs, and 100 gecs successfully deliver another album in a league entirely of its own with 10,000 gecs.
100 gecs’ interpretation of hyperpop on 10,000 gecs feels less contained than the style of their debut album. They incorporate elements from a wide variety of genres, including punk rock, hip-hop, heavy metal, and ska in addition to their usual upbeat industrial and electric hyperpop sound. 100 gecs manage to combine a collection of tracks that sound like they were each ripped separately out of either a video game, a circus, or a death metal concert and thrown together, but somehow they blend cohesively.
“Billy Knows Jamie” is an excellent example of Les and Brady taking a divergent route with their sound on 10,000 gecs. They retire their high-pitched vocals and digitized electronic instrumentals for an incredibly rugged nu metal-esque track with intense bass guitar and a loud, ominous hum headlining the instrumentals. The song ends with a heavily distorted metal explosion similar to 800 db cloud from their debut album, yet the musical combustion in Billy Knows Jamie feels more deliberate and calculated.
Hollywood Baby also takes more inspiration from hard rock than the duo’s former works. The vocals maintain an auto-tuned edge that makes Hollywood Baby feel grungy and manic, but the distortion leaves Les and Brady’s voices sounding more human than the tracks on 1000 gecs. The guitar and drums in this song are overflowing with rock-and-roll spunk, and the balance between the softer-whispery vocals in the verses and the explosive raspy shouts in the chorus makes it impossible to not bang your head alongside the music.
In addition to their welcome attempts to branch out into other genres, 100 gecs also thrive within their comfort zone on 10,000 gecs. Boasting fast and funky vocals and a background track that sounds like it could be playing straight out of a bass-boosted GameBoy, 757 immerses the listener in what feels like a 16-bit world of a video game. The track One Million Dollars is the dictionary definition of pandemonium; it’s chaotic, industrial and distorted, with production that is impossible to predict alongside a robotic voice spewing the phrase “one million dollars“ repeatedly. On paper, “One Million Dollars” sounds like it should be an absolute train wreck; however, 100 gecs masterful composition of harmonies and dissonance make this track an addicting listen.
Doritos & Fritos stands out as a perfect blend between the band’s new sound and their old style. Instrumentally, small spurts of electric guitar pair with a deep smooth bass guitar and blend together seamlessly, achieving levels of hyperpop quintessence. Les and Brady sing quietly and staccato their vocals in the verses of the song until the chorus comes along, in which they return to their traditional vocal style: heavily auto-tuned and pitched-up. Their voices glitch, slide, and crack as they sing, “the TV’s on so loud it hurts my brain, b-brain, brain.” However, this song has the opposite effect on the listener; Doritos & Fritos implants an invited earworm that perfectly scratches an itch in the brain.
100 gecs provides a fun-loving burst of energy, with 10,000 gecs, that still jokes around with itself while simultaneously feeling more intentional and consequential. They continue to push boundaries and reinvent their own sound and the hyperpop genre itself, leading to incredibly exciting possibilities for the band’s future. 100 gecs’ 10,000 gecs is an impressive collection of pleasantly cacophonic production, absurdly comical lyrics, and a charming plethora of pop culture references in a successful successor of a sophomore album.