By Claire Taylor

100 Gecs blew up this summer because everything about them is chaotic, hypnotizing, and even meme-worthy. Deriving their name from an accidental delivery of a hundred geckos, their music feels like every genre and no genre all at once. The duo, composed of Laura Les and Dylan Brady, connected at a house party where they began collaborating in 2015, but only recently has their music exploded in popularity. 100 Gecs actively exploits the boundaries of hyperpop through features of alternative genres such as emo, punk-pop, heavy metal, and dubstep into a genre already known for utilizing autotuned, high pitched vocals and clunky or seamless transitions to challenge pop music. The more rigid, less airy side they add sets them apart from mainstream hyperpop stars like Charli XCX and SOPHIE. 100 Gecs’ post-modern, experimental sound presents new feelings to the listener every second they listen, making their music liminal, catchy and addictive.

On first listen, 100 Gecs’ 2019 debut full-length album “1000 gecs” can feel like sensory overload. However, after coming to terms with the confusion and mystery, the high pitched vocals turned screams, hard bass, and loudness which are central to the 100 Gecs experience grow on the listener. The songs’ descent into minutes of elevator music, screaming, sirens, dogs barks, car horns, or chants keeps the listener on edge, waiting for more.

Lyrics are seldom on 100 Gecs’ albums because they are secondary to the listening experience. Their hits “Money machine” and “stupid horse” follow the pop song formula at the beginning with egocentric lyrics and repetitive choruses, but the formula fades when distorted and static heavy metal interrupts halfway through. Their most recent album “1000 gecs and the Tree of Clues” which debuted July 10, 2020, consists of various remixes, live versions, and intros of the ten songs on their previous 2019 album. Big-name features like Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, Fall Out Boy, A.G Cook and Injury Reverse bring a more electronic, party-centered dimension to the previously released songs, stripping many of the already few lyrics on their 2019 album. The 2020 album also maintains the original (and sometimes incomprehensible) titles like “xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx.” 100 Gecs’ careful use of special characteristics, capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and made-up words in their titles displaces their work from expectations of an “aesthetic album” which looks and feels a prescribed way.

Another defining characteristic of 100 Gecs is that some of their work does not fit into categories. Both “I Need Help Immediately” and “gecgecgec” begin with an anxiety-inducing collision of noises, but “gecgecgec” gradually unravels into endearing lyrics and a calm, euphoric feeling. Even when these songs are brought up in interviews, it is unclear what the duo was trying to achieve in these songs besides simply making something fun. It could be argued that both are an ode to all the opportunities that come with making music using the internet, as one instantly gains access to millions of sounds with the right software. Laura and Dylan live thousands of miles apart but create their songs by sending Logic files back and forth until the song comes together to both their liking - reminiscent of the more subdued 2000’s indie supergroup The Postal Service. This new style of collaboration despite physical distance becomes more relevant to the music industry every day that the COVID-19 pandemic persists. By utilizing computer-generated sounds to create all of their songs, even going as far as setting up a music festival on Minecraft, the Youtuber Slackr perfectly describes 100 Gecs’ music as “a love letter to the Internet.”.

This summer, 100 Gecs used their talent for the benefit of big-name artists. Dylan Brady produced Rico Nasty’s hit “iPhone,” which was released on August 13th. Brady ultimately guided “iPhone” to replicate the infectious sound of a 100 Gecs song and meshed it flawlessly with Rico Nasty’s trap bass and hip hop style vocals. This song allowed for Rico Nasty fans who might not have otherwise looked into 100 Gecs and hyperpop to expand their interest and music taste.

100 Gecs’ albums thrive in the furthest dimension from reality. Perhaps the haunting everyday challenges of a pandemic that rips apart and stomps on some of our favorite parts of life makes us desperate to find something truly extraordinary to fill the gap. 100 Gecs sounds like the dirty, sticky floor of a houseparty and a highly saturated photo all at once. A room full of sweaty people jumping to one of their songs could be the most romantic daydream right now, and the intensity of songs like “xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx” strips away any thoughts previously stuck in a listener’s mind. With all of its quirks, 100 Gecs’ music is truly a “build your own adventure,” where you can happily take or leave what you’d like.

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