100 gecs are what we in the biz call “hyperpop”, or “fuckin’ weird”. Don’t you dare for a second think that this isn’t a compliment. The gecs have been around for over seven years now, and in that time they not only changed the landscape of music with hit single money machine, but somehow managed to collaborate with the likes of Charli XCX, Fall Out Boy, and some guy named Craig Owens.
This time around the gift they bear comes in the form of 10000 gecs – the long awaited follow up to their debut full length 1000 gecs. So is this the gecs sophomore slump, or comeback of the year? Let’s find out.
First up we have “Dumbest Girl Alive”. This little number opens up the album with none other than the iconic THX Deep Note™ fading in from the abyss. It is promptly cut off by a disc scratch and several gun shots – alright – here we go. The song immediately explodes into what I can only describe as a mid 2000’s metalcore breakdown toting an artisanal “woo!” – the cornerstone of heavy music. Post breakdown we transition effortlessly into the first verse with what could be mistaken for an 8 bit sample of a Justin Timberlake song.
“If you think I’m stupid now
You should see me when I’m high”
The lyrics to this track (and entire album) are equal parts absolutely ridiculous and insane, yet surprisingly eloquent (we’re about 45 seconds into the album at this point). What follows is a disturbingly catchy trap bop showcasing that signature 100 gecs autotune. I love this song and I’m only mildly ashamed to admit it.
“Texts, texts, texts, texts
Like you’re tryna start a fight
Yeah, I’ll fucking text you back
I’m the dumbest girl alive”
By the time “757” rolls around and you’re done scratching your head, you might feel like you’ve accidentally popped on an old Attack! Attack! record… and for some reason you haven’t skipped the interlude track. “757” is yet another time machine to the mid/late 2000’s – a bouncy electronic track with a heavily processed onslaught of vocals.
“You say you smoke real trees, they look like little sticks
We don’t smoke trees, we smoke tree sized dicks”
Did I already use the word eloquent?
Track three “Hollywood Baby” follows a more conventional structure, reminiscent of songs by punk/emo bands like Sum 41, Blink 182 or Simple Plan. It’s got a simple yet catchy riff to guide you through the journey, alongside all the 100 gecs standard issue features. Nothing to write home about, but this track is enjoyable enough and exhibits some neat ideas.
Track four is titled “Frog on the floor”… and that’s all I have to say about it.
Kicking off with some glitchy beeps, boops and a funky bassline, track five “Doritos & Fritos” is a bit of a mash up of things. And not necessarily good things. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of this song but it does find a small amount of redemption with a catchy chorus melody. At the time of writing this track is not far off six million plays on Spotify, so maybe I’m the one who’s wrong? I doubt it.
Up next is definitely a stand out track on the album – “Billy Knows Jamie” is a banger and goes hard as hell. Once we’re through the menacing intro this track kicks you right in the face with some nostalgic disc scratching and chunky nu metal riffage.
“Billy knows Jamie, Jamie looks pissed
Jamie smokes rocks until he gets sick”
From the first verse starting out in hushed whispers and building up into a Limp Bizkit song, this is truly a rollercoaster of energy and emotion. Post second chorus, panicked spoken vocals paired with the relaxing hum of police sirens welcome us into one of the most deranged breakdowns I’ve ever heard. Maybe I’ve become soft, but this breakdown might go a little too hard. It’s a lot of fun the first time around, but on subsequent listens I have found myself skipping it, as it does devolve into an overwhelming wall of noise.
Next up we have track seven and eight, “One Million Dollars” and “The Most Wanted Person In The United States”, respectively. And respectfully I would like to say that these songs are an optional listen. “One Million Dollars” sounds a bit like “satisfaction” by Benny Benassi, but with more chaos and TikTok text-to-speech. “The Most Wanted Person In The United States” has some amusing lyrics and enough BOING sound effects for everyone!
Alright, fine. Let’s talk about “I Got My Tooth Removed”. The first time I heard this track, I was sat at my desk in the office and legitimately “laughed out loud”. This is musical performance art at its finest. We start out with a slow, mellow crawl with ambient guitar and reverb-laden vocals:
“You were tough, Unforgiving
Made me cry all the time, You were mean
Such an asshole, So I had to say goodbye”
“Okay” – you think to yourself – “where are we going with this?” One, two, three, the brass instruments burst in through the back door along with a beat that would feel at home in the circus. We were right there, on the cusp of something almost musical when 100 gecs had to go and bring ska into this. There’s too much going on in this track to put into words. Do yourself a favour and give it a spin.
Alrighty, we’ve made it. The last song. The final frontier of this auditory adventure that is 10000 gecs – “mememe”. This bad boy was actually dropped a couple years back as a single, but it’s a fitting end to the record and I’m thrilled they included it. Kicking things off with a video game-esque intro, “mememe” dives head first into the hookiest of hooks:
“A-a-and you’ll never really know, know-know-know, know-know-know
Anything about me, me-me-me, me-me-me”
Congratulations, this is now stuck in your head for the next 24 hours. If you’re a pre-existing fan of 100 gecs, this track will feel like a natural refinement of their iconic sound. At its core, “mememe” is a pop punk banger – the backbone of which is a huge anthemic riff paired with some cute and familiar electronic elements.
10000 gecs is an interesting album to say the absolute least. I can’t say it’s going to win any awards, however, it’s a lot of fun and quite refreshing in a world of rehashed monotony. If a single album had to be the last remaining morsel of humanity’s music for aliens to find in the distant future, I say make it this one.