100 gecs is one of the most polarizing artists that has emerged in recent memory. When they first burst onto the scene about 6 years ago, their sound was unlike anything that anyone else was doing. Their 2019 album 1000 gecs, had as wide-ranging opinions about it as possible. On the one hand, there are a bunch of people(including me)who truly enjoyed this project. It was so cool and fresh, and it was appreciated how they were willing to take so many risks. On the other hand, just as many people absolutely hated the project and did not understand it at all. Regardless of anyone’s personal opinion, the amount of influence 1000 gecs had on Pop and Dance music is undeniable. This project inspired many young artists to fuse genres in ways no one would have imagined. If it was not for 100 gecs, there would not be rising star artists like brakence and food house shredding boundaries in the way that they currently are. 100 gecs is back with the follow-up to their 2019 debut with a new album called 10,000 gecs. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about this project, and also comment on what your favorite songs from the record are.
It is apparent that 100 gecs wanted to start out the album with a jolt, and they accomplished that with ‘Dumbest Girl Alive.’ After a brief intro that sounds like the THX introduction before some movies, an Alt-Metal guitar riff comes in that gets the blood pumping. After the riff plays for about fifteen seconds, the beat drops and the song takes on an intense Emo-Trap sound. The melody in the sections feels like a synthetic version of the previous guitar riff, and the drums in this section are chaotic and all over the place. Eventually, the drums dissolve into a high-intensity House music sound, before hitting a climax and dropping back into the same intense Metal riff from earlier. The vocal performance on the track does not stand out, but it does go well with the Emo-Trap nature of the song. ‘Dumbest Girl Alive’ is a brash and fun way to start this record that I enjoy a lot. ‘757’ has a bit more of a “traditional” Hyperpop sound(I can not believe that is something I am actually saying). The first half of the song has a bright and bubbly melody that is driven by various otherworldly sounded distorted synths, and it is complemented by all sorts of crazy sound effects. The beat in this section of the song has a fast-paced Pop-Trap tempo, with some weird distortion being put on the drums. A little more than halfway through the song, the pitch of the melody switches and the beat takes on more of a slower Trap sound. The vocals on this song are so edited that they are tough to follow; that is okay, though, because they still fit the song well. ‘Hollywood Baby’ is another song that is driven by a tough Alternative Rock riff. The melody that this song has reminds me so much of early 2000s Skate Punk music. When I hear this melody, I think of artists like Sum 41 and Green Day. I like the way the vocals are distorted on this song a bunch, as they fit the emotional and almost whiny sound of the melody perfectly. This song has a lot more of a tame sound compared to the last couple of tracks. Of course, there is some distortion on the guitar melody, the drums sound robotic, and crazy the vocals are highly edited, but the song does not have nearly as much of an otherworldly or mechanical sound. Instead, it just sounds like a modern or even futuristic version of an early 2000s Punk song, and I dig that a lot.
‘Frog On The Floor’ is a song that threw me for a loop. It is not the kind of track I would expect from 100 gecs. This track has a sweet Rockabilly melody that makes me think of 90s Alternative bands like The Barenaked Ladies. The instrumental consists of guitar riff that is accompanied by some synths, which all produce a bright and sunny melody. My favorite part of the instrumental is the breakdown at the end, as it feels exotic and psychedelic. The vocals on this song are not very edited and do not have the robotic sound that most of 100 gecs vocals have. ‘Frog On The Floor’ is the most normal and natural sounding song I have ever heard from 100 gecs, and I have to say I do enjoy it a good amount. After ‘Frogs On The Floor,’ it is fitting that the next song, ‘Doritos and Fritos,’ has a sound that is all over the place. I will say that the instrumental is not nearly as synthetic sounding as I would have expected it to sound. That does not stop the instrumental from sounding like it comes from another universe. This is like a futuristic or even alienistic version of a retro Hardcore Punk song. I love how helter skelter and all over the place the melody of this song is. The melody has such an anxious feeling that makes it so cool sounding. I also enjoy the bassline in this song, as it gives the song such a nice groove. The vocals on this song are all over the place. Some of the vocals are sing-shouted, and other vocals are highly edited and autotuned. The crazy nature of the vocals goes so well with the instrumental. ‘Billy Knows Jamie’ is the kind of track I would never expect to hear in 2023. With that being said, I appreciate the risk they took on this track, and I think it is very riveting and fresh. The only way I can explain the first half of this song is that it is like Beastie Boys meets Korn. The vocals have a cadence and style that remind of of early 90s Rap, and the instrumental has a 90s Nu-Metal feeling to it. About halfway through the song, their is a brief breakdown which eventually devolves into a distorted Death Metal. The last minute of the song is harsh, brash, and mean. If you enjoy Death Metal, it is an awesome climax to this track. ‘One Million Dollars’ is a song that goes completely off the rails almost immediately. The song consists of the phrase “one million dollars’ being repeated over and over again over a bunch of different kinds of crazy sounding Electronic Metal riffs. The phrase “one million dollars” is edited in many different ways, so much so at some points that it is hardly recognizable. As I said, the instrumental consists multiple wild sounding Abrasive Electronic Metal riffs. I will say that this song is not the most enjoyable to listen to, but I do appreciate its sentiment. 100 gecs is one again trying something new and daring with the song ‘One Million Dollars,’ and I will always support artists that are willing to do something as unhinged as this.
Similar to multiple songs before it, ‘The Most Wanted Person In The United States’ has a sound that is definitely inspired by music from the late 90s and early 2000s. Compared to the last couple of songs, this song is very low-key and calm, which was probably needed considering how jarring the last two tracks were. This track has a sound that remind me a lot of 90s Alternative Rock and Reggae music. The riff on ‘The Most Wanted Person In The United States’ is similar to bands like Sublime or 311. The riff and the vocal delivery on this song particularly make me think of the song ‘Doin Time’ by Sublime. I enjoy the random sound effects sprinkled throughout this song; from the record scratching to the “boing” noises to the random scattered vocals, all of these sound effects give depth to the song. ‘I Got My Tooth Removed’ is a song that combines Acoustic Emo Rock music and modern Ska Punk music. This is not a fusion that I would have ever expected to hear, but I have to say that it works very well. The song starts out with a downtrodden Emo riff with some soothing vocals over it. About 40 seconds in, a fast-paced and tough Ska riff comes in, injecting so much energy into the track. During this section of the song, the vocals are pitched up, which matches the energy of the instrumental. A little more than two minutes into the song, the Acoustic Emo song comes back in for a brief breakdown. After about 30 seconds, the instrumental picks back up with the Ska sound to close out the track. This is a fun song that stands out because it is unique. 100 gecs closes out this project witht the song ‘mememe.’ This is another song that combines Ska music with another genre in an interesting way. This track combines futuristic sounding Hardcore Punk music with Ska. The reason the Punk sections of the song sound so futuristic because it is combined with HyperPop music. The song goes back and forth between the Ska sound and the Hardcore Punk sound, with the HyperPop element hanging over all the song. The vocal performances on this track are very distorted and autotuned, and they go with the sound of the instrumental perfectly. For as strange as the song is, it is so palatable and enjoyable to listen to. I did not know that Punk and Ska and HyperPop would mesh so cleanly, but it is evident from this track that they do. ‘mememe’ is another example of 100 gecs taking a risk and having it work out well, and it is a great closer for this record.
After how off the wall and crazy their debut album was, it was impossible to know what 100 gecs was going to do with on their new record. It is apparent that 100 gecs was determined to shock their world with their music, and they were able to do this again with 10,000 gecs. Shock value aside, this record has so many great tracks that fuse genres in ways that one would not expect. I did not know that someone could(or would want to) fuse genres like Metal and Hardcore Punk with Hyperpop music, but 100 gecs achieves this in an entertaining way on 10,000 gecs. Along with the Hardcore Punk and Metal themes on this record, 100 gecs also dives into Ska music, Emo Rock, and Pop-Trap in gripping and eccentric ways. I would imagine that this record is once again going to inspired a new wave of young artists, and I can not wait to hear what other musicians who are influenced by 10,000 gecs can come up with. With 10,000 gecs, 100 gecs delivers an enjoyable, distinctive record that stays way ahead of the curve and pushes boundaries.
EAST SIDE VIBES 