REVIEW: 100 gec's "10,000 gecs" via Atlantic / Dog Show
In 2019, two kids from St. Louis, MO pioneered the entire hyperpop movement with their debut record. Since then it’s been quite a journey, at first being panned by listeners and critics before, seemingly overnight, winning almost everyone over and getting bigger and bigger doing so. I myself wasn’t really sold on 100 gecs until the remixed version of that debut arrived a year later. Which I was drawn to for its diverse list of features. Then as singles for this new record started dropping over the past two years I knew this was a record I wanted to hear. Now, finally, Laura Les and Dylan Brady have dropped the sophomore 100 gecs release, which is no slump.
On 10,000 gecs the duo takes dips into many different genres and methods of delivery just like on that remix project, only this time they don’t need any help doing it. There’s been a lot of talk about the nu metal influence and that's apparent immediately when you hit play and of course with nu metal comes hip hop and heavy metal. There are rap-like vocal melodies and huge riffs all across the board on this thing. There’s even some light post-harcore influence on the lead single and closing track “mememe.” There are moments of ska nestled snugly throughout as well, though that was also true of the first record with the hyperska track “Stupid Horse.” On this record, however, it’s less a nod and more a full blown embrace with “I Got My Tooth Removed.” Where the band sings about breaking free from a toxic connection and even gets on mic and emotional vents about trying to make this relationship work, all while making it into a metaphor about a toothache to the beat of a huge ska song ready to make the kids skank in the venue. None of that to say the hyperpop is gone, however, songs “757” and “One Million Dollars” sound like they could have fit somewhere in that last album cycle with nods to what the future held.
I’ve seen some debate about how serious the subject matter of “Tooth” really is and given that this band has built their reputation on joking and having a good time I could see that. Even so there are songs here where the narration drops the meme completely, especially on “mememe.” Les describes in detail how happy she is about cutting ties from someone or another for whatever reason and even goes on to laugh them off and deliver a chorus about how they’ll never truly know her. Then there’s “Frog on the Floor,” which shifts to jokey once again. This ones been making the rounds online but pretty cleverly describes an awkward friend that no one understands but ultimately means well by talking about them as if they’re a pet frog that’s being socialized and judged as human.
“Frog” is actually a song that carries with it something I didn’t appreciate about the first record until now; sometimes these songs are written awkwardly on purpose, it’s part of the vision. The song isn’t really conventionally good; it comes stacked with frog croaks as instrumentation, beats and melodies that aren’t even in time with each other and a synth solo that sounds like it's being played off the animatronic at an off-brand Chuck E. Cheese location. But that’s what makes the artistry here so strong, you understand that it is what it is and yet it still comes across in your mind as working. When it isn’t a joke though it’s just actually legitimately working. “Doritos & Fritos” and “mememe” were mastermind choices for singles with incredible performances on both members' ends.
10,000 gecs puts a huge smile on my face every time and seems to be winning over the timeline on an even deeper level than the debut record did. On a personal note it makes me happy to see a half-trans group put together a body of work that’s gained the traction it has. Sometimes art is weird, it can be fun and if someone can make you have a good time while constructing music like this then I want it around and I want more of it. Really wish I had time to make an AsterTracks full length out of this one because frankly it’s an album of the year contender.
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