While not leaving they hyperpop origins entirely behind, 100 gecs deliver a ska-punk banger for Gen Z with this single.
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Since releasing their debut album 1000 gecs in 2019, the Missouri-based duo 100 gecs have quickly become one of the internet’s biggest cult artists.
Their unique brand of hyperpop mixed with a little pop-punk has found them acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork and the NME. Following their remix album 1000 gecs and the Tree of Clues in 2020, the duo have gone fairly quiet, with just a few one-off singles or features releasing since then (including the fantastic Lonely Machines with 3OH!3). But now they’re back and set to release their second album 10000 gecs later this year. Lead single mememe released back in November, and while it wasn’t massively different from their first album’s material, it’s quickly become a fan favourite, spawning big sing-alongs in their recent live shows.
In previous songs, such as dead horse, there was an apparent ska influence, but with the new single Doritos & Fritos, they’ve turned these influences up to 11. The song harks back to the fun and feel-good Summer feeling of the likes of Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish, and to be honest, it’s about time that this genre came back to popularity!
You’re not going to get any world-changing, hard-hitting social commentary with this track; the lyrics, as you can probably guess from the title, are absolute nonsense. But it’s just fun, something much needed in the current socio-economic landscape. Duel lead-singers Laura Les & Dylan Brady swap verses as both their vocals are highlighted, but it is Brady’s brooding deep vocal performance that stands out for me; to the extent that it’s almost quite unnerving how different it is to the high-pitched, autotuned-filled scuzz of their past music.
While I’m aware that this fairly drastic change in sound might put off the hyperpop connaisseurs in their fanbase, I think this is an exciting change for the duo – and hopefully is a sound that will continue throughout the upcoming album. At their Coachella performance, they premiered a song I Got My Tooth Pulled which features the inclusion of ska-punk inspired trumpets… perhaps this will replace Travis Barker’s overproduced drum beats as the latest trend in pop-punk music? (One can hope…)
‘Doritos & Fritos’ is out now via Dog Show. Listen below:
