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Photo: Chris Maggio
Photo: Chris Maggio

100 gecs Keep Multiplying on 10,000 gecs

With a new deal and a rawer sound, the experimental hyperpop duo's fun-loving spirit continues to thrive.

by Ben Boddez

Since setting the internet ablaze with their delightfully baffling breakout album 1000 gecs in 2019, the St. Louis duo that many have dubbed hyperpop’s greatest gateway drug have released a remix album with some of the genre’s biggest names, gone on extensive tours previewing this album’s material, and signed to a major label – but raising their profile certainly hasn’t put any limits on the kind of unmatched irreverent madness and endearing goofiness that they’re known for. This is the kind of band that delays a sophomore effort for over a year due to clearing a sample of the THX movie intro sound. The vision is completely off the wall, but it’s all meticulously planned out.

Some of the biggest sonic changes that the gecs have been embracing come in the form of more live instrumentation taking some of the spotlight from the electronics, as most of the album’s first half is taken up by thrashing guitars. Laura Les, a transgender woman who has previously spoken out about hyperpop’s pitched vocals helping her in moments of dysmorphia, is also seemingly getting more comfortable using unfiltered vocals, which brings an even rawer sound to the table that complements some of the more musically aggressive moments.

However, the album’s biggest draw is the giddiness any music fan should feel listening to their absurdist lyrics – one of them gives an X-rated shoutout to Anthony Kiedis, who feels like a natural inspiration behind their laissez-faire attitude – and being unable to anticipate which world of genre they’ll pull from next. Over the course of a brief ten tracks, the typically bright melodies mix with elements of death metal, moody alt-rock, and a handful that go full-on ska. One of those is interspersed with a waltz-tempo ballad that finds the duo singing a tearful farewell to a tooth that had to be extracted. Laced with frog puns, a duet with the TikTok voice, and threats of physical violence against your dad, nobody is having as much fun as 100 gecs.