100 Gecs (stylized in all lowercase) are an American
hyperpop
Hyperpop is a loosely-defined music movement and microgenre that predominantly originated in the United Kingdom during the early-to-mid 2010s. It is characterized by a maximalist or exaggerated take on popular music, and artists within the genr ...
duo formed in 2015 that consists of
Dylan Brady
Dylan Marshall Brady (born November 27, 1993) is an American music producer and singer-songwriter best known for being one half of experimental electronic music duo 100 Gecs, alongside Laura Les. He also owns and operates his own record label, ...
and
Laura Les
Laura Les (born December 2, 1994), previously known as osno1, is an American music producer and singer-songwriter best known for being one half of experimental electronic duo 100 Gecs, alongside Dylan Brady.
Early life
Laura Les grew up in a s ...
.
They self-released their debut
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
, ''
1000 Gecs'', in 2019 to critical acclaim, followed by a "companion"
remix album, ''
1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues'', in July 2020. Their music has been noted for its often chaotic yet catchy mixture of various styles,
and has been described as exemplifying the 2010s genre
hyperpop
Hyperpop is a loosely-defined music movement and microgenre that predominantly originated in the United Kingdom during the early-to-mid 2010s. It is characterized by a maximalist or exaggerated take on popular music, and artists within the genr ...
.
History
2015–2018: Formation and self-titled EP
Brady and Les, who lived just miles apart in the St. Louis area (
Kirkwood and
Webster Groves
Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census.
The city is home to the main campus of Webster University.
Geography
Webster Groves is located at ( ...
, respectively), first met during high school at a
rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
.
However, they first had the idea to collaborate after meeting again at a house party in 2012.
In the winter of 2015, Les and Brady first produced music together, recording in Chicago
and eventually self-releasing their first EP, ''100 Gecs'', on July 12, 2016. The origin of the name "100 Gecs" is disputed, as Brady and Les have given varying and contradictory explanations in interviews.
2019–2020: ''1000 Gecs'' and ''1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues''
Despite plans to record more music, they were unable to find enough time until they performed a "breakout"
DJ set together for the 2019 ''
Minecraft
''Minecraft'' is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java programming language. Following several early private testing versions, it was first made public in May 2009 before being ...
'' Fire Festival.
Following that collaboration, they continued to work on songs and released their debut album, ''
1000 Gecs'', on May 31, 2019, to positive reviews.
According to Will Pritchard of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', the album helped to consolidate the eclectic 2010s "
hyperpop
Hyperpop is a loosely-defined music movement and microgenre that predominantly originated in the United Kingdom during the early-to-mid 2010s. It is characterized by a maximalist or exaggerated take on popular music, and artists within the genr ...
" style by taking the genre "to its most extreme, and extremely catchy, conclusions: stadium-sized
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
beats processed and distorted to near-destruction, overwrought
emo
Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
vocals and cascades of
rave
A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
y arpeggios."
In September 2019, it was announced that 100 Gecs and
Slowthai
Tyron Kaymone Frampton (born 18 December 1994), better known by his stage name Slowthai (stylised in lowercase), is a British rapper. Raised in Northampton, he rose to popularity in 2019 for his gritty and rough instrumentals and raw, politica ...
would support
Brockhampton Brockhampton may refer to:
*Brockhampton (band), an American self-described "boy band" and music collective
*Brockhampton, Gloucestershire, Cotswold, England
* Brockhampton, Tewkesbury, a location
In geography, location or place are used to deno ...
on their
Heaven Belongs to You Tour later that year,
100 Gecs also headlined six additional shows of their own in various cities along the tour.
In November 2019, the duo appeared on the
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
web series ''
FishCenter Live
''FishCenter Live'' (also shortened to ''FishCenter'' or ''FC Live'' or just ''FCL'') was an American talk show hosted by Dave Bonawits, Andrew Choe, Matt Harrigan, Christina Loranger, and Max Simonet. It premiered on the official website of Ad ...
'' and performed the songs "800db Cloud" and "Stupid Horse" in front of a
green screen
Chroma key compositing, or chroma keying, is a visual-effects and post-production technique for compositing (layering) two images or video streams together based on colour hues ( chroma range). The technique has been used in many fields to r ...
backdrop of an aquarium.
100 Gecs were named an "Artist You Need to Know" by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' in 2019. ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' music critic
Jon Caramanica
Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music.
Biography
Born in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, Caramanica received his ba ...
called ''1000 Gecs'' the best album of 2019, and it was rated among the best albums of the year by ''
Crack Magazine
''Crack'' is a monthly independent music and culture magazine distributed across Europe.
Founded in Bristol in the UK in 2009, the magazine has featured Björk, MF Doom, Lil Yachty, FKA twigs, Gorillaz and Queens of the Stone Age on the cover. T ...
'', ''
Noisey
''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...
'',
''Paper'',
''Pitchfork'', and ''
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
''. Towards the end of 2019, Brady announced a
remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (''Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 2007 ...
by the duo tentatively titled ''1000 Gecs & th3 phant0m m3nac3'' and set to feature artists including
A. G. Cook. The album was later retitled ''
1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues'', which Les referred to as "a companion to the original".
''Tree of Clues'' was released on July 10, 2020.
Several singles were released prior to the album. A.G. Cook's remix of "Money Machine" was released in October 2019, followed by
Injury Reserve
Injury Reserve is an American hip hop group formed in 2013 in Tempe, Arizona by rappers Stepa J. Groggs (Jordan Groggs), Ritchie with a T (Nathaniel Ritchie), and producer Parker Corey.
History
2013–2014: Career beginnings, ''Depth Chart ...
's remix of "745 Sticky" in November 2019. "
Ringtone (Remix)
"Ringtone (remix)" is a song by American experimental musical duo 100 Gecs, composed of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, from their remix album ''1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues'' (2020). The song features vocals from British singer Charli XCX, Ame ...
", featuring
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...
,
Rico Nasty
Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly (born May 7, 1997), known professionally as Rico Nasty, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Maryland. She rose to prominence in 2018 with singles such as "Smack a Bitch" and "Poppin".
While in high schoo ...
, and
Kero Kero Bonito
Kero Kero Bonito (KKB) are a British indie pop band formed in South London in 2011. The band consists of vocalist Sarah Midori Perry and producers and multi-instrumentalists Gus Lobban and Jamie Bulled.
Their musical style consists of indie po ...
, was released in February 2020. 100 Gecs signed with
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
in 2020. Brady told ''NME'' they are "trying to be really big—trying to be as big as
Ed Sheeran
Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
", while Les said that Atlantic was a "good fit...
ere's so many things that they could help us accomplish".
In October 2020, 100 Gecs commenced an artist residency at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Before the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, they were scheduled to perform at
Coachella Coachella may refer to:
* Coachella, California
* Coachella Canal, in California
* Coachella (festival), an annual music and arts festival in California
* "Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind", a 2017 song by Lana del Rey
See also
* Coachell ...
in April 2020.
100 Gecs headlined another ''
Minecraft
''Minecraft'' is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java programming language. Following several early private testing versions, it was first made public in May 2009 before being ...
'' festival, Square Garden, in April 2020, along with musical artists Charli XCX, Kero Kero Bonito,
Dorian Electra
Dorian Electra Fridkin Gomberg (born 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and performance artist. Their debut studio album, ''Flamboyant'', was released in 2019, followed by their second studio album, ''My Agenda,'' in 2020. Electra is know ...
, and
Cashmere Cat
Magnus August Høiberg (born 29 November 1987), known professionally as Cashmere Cat, is a Norwegian DJ, record producer, songwriter and musician. He is best known for producing songs for artists including Kanye West, The Kid Laroi, Selena Gomez ...
. In June 2020, they stated in an interview with ''The Forty Five'' that they hoped to provide the soundtrack to a Disney movie. In August 2020, it was announced that 100 Gecs would perform at the
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
in August 2021.
On November 15, 2020, they released the stand-alone single "Lonely Machines" with American band
3OH!3
3OH!3 (pronounced "three oh three") is an American electronic music duo from Boulder, Colorado, made up of Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte. They are best known for their single "DONTTRUSTME" from their album ''Want'', which reached number sev ...
. They followed this up with the Christmas song "Sympathy 4 the Grinch".
Brady produced several tracks for Rico Nasty in 2020, for example the August release "
iPhone" and the November release "OHFR?", both of which were singles from her debut album ''
Nightmare Vacation'' (2020). The production of several other tracks on the album were also credited to both Brady and Les, collectively under "100 gecs".
2021–present: ''10,000 Gecs''
![100 Gecs - Rock am Ring 2022-3255](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/100_Gecs_-_Rock_am_Ring_2022-3255.jpg)
In early 2021, the group released a remix of
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer ...
's "
One Step Closer" to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Linkin Park's debut studio album, ''
Hybrid Theory
''Hybrid Theory'' is the debut studio album by American Rock music, rock band Linkin Park, released on October 24, 2000, through Warner Bros. Records. Recorded at NRG Recording Studios, NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, North Holl ...
''. Afterward, they embarked on independent projects, with Les releasing her debut solo single "Haunted" in March, and Brady releasing the debut album of his band
Cake Pop
A cake pop is a form of cake styled as a lollipop. Cake crumbs are mixed with icing or chocolate, and formed into small spheres or cubes in the same way as cake balls, before being given a coating of icing, chocolate or other decorations and ...
, ''
Cake Pop 2
''Cake Pop 2'' is the debut studio album by American band Cake Pop, consisting of Dylan Brady, Ravenna Golden, Cali Cartier, Lewis Grant, Kevin Bedford, Pritty, Adam Newcomer, and Robel Ketema. The album is the sequel to their 2015 self-titled EP, ...
'', in April.
In July 2021, the duo announced the 10000 Gecs Tour, with shows in North America set to take place from October to December.
On September 6, 100 Gecs announced their second studio album, ''
10000 Gecs''. According to
Pitchfork's Steven Horowitz, the album is more mainstream and "mature" in its sound than their previous works, and will feature songs where Les is heard without the duo's trademark autotune. The North American leg of the 10000 Gecs Tour started on October 8 at the
Fox Theater Fox Theatre or Fox Theater or Fox Theater Building may refer to:
U.S.
* Fox Tucson Theatre (Tucson, Arizona)
*Fox Theater (Bakersfield, California)
* Fox Theatre (Fullerton, California)
* Fox Theater, Westwood Village (Los Angeles, California)
* Fo ...
in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
,
[ and ended on December 9, at the Terminal 5 music venue in ]New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
,[ which was also broadcast on the live streaming service ]Twitch
Twitch may refer to:
Biology
* Muscle contraction
** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation
** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction
** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle co ...
. On November 19, 100 Gecs released the first single off the album, "mememe", during their tour, with an accompanying kaleidoscopic music video featuring the pair dancing in wizard robes.
Four days into the tour, more dates were announced for the Europe 2022 leg of the 10000 Gecs Tour, originally set to start in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
in January, and closing out in London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in February, but these were delayed until August and September. Several 2022 music festival lineups with 100 Gecs were announced in late 2021 and early 2022, such as BUKU, set to take place in in March; Ceremonia in Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
in April; Coachella Coachella may refer to:
* Coachella, California
* Coachella Canal, in California
* Coachella (festival), an annual music and arts festival in California
* "Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind", a 2017 song by Lana del Rey
See also
* Coachell ...
in Indio, California
Indio (Spanish language, Spanish for "Indian") is a city in Riverside County, California, Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. It lies east of Palm Springs, Califo ...
in April; Forecastle
The forecastle ( ; contracted as fo'c'sle or fo'c's'le) is the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or, historically, the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters. Related to the latter meaning is the phrase " be ...
in Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
in May; Governors Ball in Queens, New York
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long I ...
in June (after pulling out of the festival the previous year); and Bonnaroo
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Since its first year in 2002, it has been held at what is now Great Stage Park on a farm in M ...
in Manchester, Tennessee
Manchester is a city in Coffee County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 12,213 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Coffee County. The city is located halfway between Nashville and Chattanooga on Interstate 24.
Manchester is ...
in June.
On April 12, 2022, 100 Gecs released "Doritos & Fritos" as the second single for ''10000 Gecs'', along with an accompanying visualizer. The song marks a deviation from their established sound, carrying more characteristics of alt-rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
than hyperpop. A music video for the track was released on May 16, 2022, featuring the duo flying around a desert while the news reports on their actions; the video included a fake Danny Devito
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him a Gold ...
.
They kicked off their Europe tour with a concert at Vega, Copenhagen
Vega is a regional entertainment centre on Vesterbro in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was inaugurated in 1996 as part of the city's agenda as European Capital of Culture.
Description
Originally known as Folkets Hus, it was built in 1956 to a design ...
on August 11, 2022, and closed it out at SWG3
Kelvinhaugh is a neighbourhood in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated directly north of the River Clyde in the West End of the city.
Its boundaries are not precisely defined, but roughly correspond to the River Clyde to the south, Yorkh ...
in Glasgow on September 5.[
On December 2, 2022, 100 Gecs released their second EP ''Snake Eyes'', along with an accompanying visualizer on the track "Torture Me" featuring ]Skrillex
Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead sing ...
. They also announced that ''10000 Gecs'' will release on March 17, 2023.
Fandom
Following the group's success, the pine tree depicted on the album covers of ''1000 Gecs'' and remix album ''Tree of Clues'' became popular among fans. Soon, the "1000 Gecs tree" was found, revealed to be located in an Acuity Brands
Acuity Brands, Inc. is a lighting and building management firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with operations throughout North America and in Europe and Asia. It currently has about 13,000 employees and recorded net sales of $3.7 billion for ...
-owned office park in Des Plaines, Illinois
Des Plaines is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 60,675. The city is a suburb of Chicago and is located just north of O'Hare International Airport. It is situated on and is named after the ...
, near O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...
. A similar phenomenon has occurred with the "10000 Gecs bridge" in Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the List of ...
, although not to the same extent as the tree. Fans of 100 Gecs began making "pilgrimages" to the tree and leaving items behind. The adoration of the tree was referenced in season 2, episode 4 of ''Only Murders in the Building
''Only Murders in the Building'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The ten-episode first season premiered on Hulu in August 2021. The plot follows three strangers played by Steve M ...
''. In the ''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'', the tree and its fame were compared to the house on the cover of American Football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
's ''American Football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
'' (1999), located in Urbana, Illinois
Urbana ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. As of the 2010 United States Census, Urbana is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 38th-most pop ...
. The music video for their single "Money Machine" was filmed in the same office park just before the album cover photo was taken.
Production style and influences
The duo works on tracks by sending Logic Pro
Logic Pro is a digital audio workstation (DAW) and MIDI music sequencer, sequencer software application for the macOS platform. It was originally created in the early 1990s as Notator Logic, or Logic, by German software developer C-Lab which ...
project files between the two, iterating songs each time—Les called the process "sort of an exquisite corpse
Exquisite corpse (from the original French term ', literally exquisite cadaver), is a method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled. Each collaborator adds to a composition in sequence, either by following a rule (e.g. ...
type thing". Their music has been called an "anarchic assault on the ears" that " ullsconventional pop tropes in every direction possible", as well as "abrasive, maximalist pop" with "elements of pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
, nightcore
A nightcore edit is a version of a track that increases the pitch and speeds up its source material by approximately 35%. This gives an effect almost identical to playing a 33⅓-RPM vinyl record at 45 RPM. This 35% increase in RPM causes the ...
, ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
, dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
, deconstructed club, trance
Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
, metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
, and happy hardcore
Happy hardcore, also known as 4-beat or happycore, is a subgenre of hardcore dance music or "hard dance". It emerged both from the UK breakbeat hardcore rave scene, and Belgian, German and Dutch hardcore techno scenes in the early 1990s.
H ...
all thrown into one big internet blender", resulting in " ngs hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
shift gears dozens of times, in a way that recalls... Kid606
Miguel Trost De Pedro (born July 27, 1979), better known by his stage name Kid606, is an electronic musician who was raised in San Diego and later moved to San Francisco. He is most closely associated with the glitch, IDM, hardcore techno and b ...
, or Venetian Snares
Aaron Funk (born January 11, 1975), known as Venetian Snares, is a Canadian electronic musician based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is widely known for innovating and popularising the breakcore genre, and is one of the most recognisable artists to b ...
", also earning comparisons with label PC Music
PC Music is a record label and art collective based in London and run by producer A. G. Cook. It was founded in 2013, making its music available on SoundCloud that year. Artists on its roster have included Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, Danny L Harle, ...
and band Sleigh Bells. Les explained that the "merging of genres" is "more natural than people think", adding that the group "didn't expect that '1000 Gecs''would resonate with people so much".
Brady has said 100 Gecs' style is influenced by Breathe Carolina
Breathe Carolina are an American electronic music duo from Denver, Colorado, currently composed of David Schmitt and Tommy Cooperman. The band formed in 2007 and have released five albums, and nine EPs. Their latest studio album, '' Dead: The A ...
, John Zorn
John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...
, and I See Stars
I See Stars are an American electronicore band from Warren, Michigan formed in 2006. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Devin Oliver, guitarist Brent Allen, keyboardist and co-vocalist Andrew Oliver, and bass guitarist Jeff Valentine.
...
, among others. Les calls their musical process " ry much almost an improv mentality" and has said that they "try to have fun and write songs that we would want to listen to", adding that "the whole idea of labeling genres is not super important to us". Les became interested in making music as a teenager when she got her first guitar; she has said that she "kind of always just wanted to be a songwriter" and "love anything with a catchy melody". She has cited Naked City, Playboi Carti
Jordan Terrell Carter (born September 13, 1996), known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. Carter was initially signed to local underground label Awful Records prior to signing with ASAP Mob's AWGE Label under Interscope R ...
, 3OH!3
3OH!3 (pronounced "three oh three") is an American electronic music duo from Boulder, Colorado, made up of Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte. They are best known for their single "DONTTRUSTME" from their album ''Want'', which reached number sev ...
, Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York in 1988, now based out of Tampa, Florida. The band has released fifteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radi ...
, and various PC Music artists as influences. Both of them were heavily inspired by Skrillex
Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead sing ...
's song "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
''Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites'' is the second extended play (EP) by American electronic music producer Skrillex. It was released exclusively through Beatport on October 22, 2010 through mau5trap and Big Beat Records, while being released on ...
".
Band members and solo work
Dylan Brady
Brady became interested in music after being part of his high school choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
and studied audio engineering in college for three years before moving to Los Angeles' Fashion District. He additionally produces and records music under his name. In 2019, Brady co-produced the song " Click" from Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...
's album '' Charli'' (2019)—Charli XCX explained that she heard about Brady via her fans and "listen to 00 Gecsconstantly now".
Laura Les
Les now releases music under her own name. However, she formerly released music under the moniker osno1. Les has cited being transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
as contributing to her exploration of different singing styles, including pitched-up "nightcore
A nightcore edit is a version of a track that increases the pitch and speeds up its source material by approximately 35%. This gives an effect almost identical to playing a 33⅓-RPM vinyl record at 45 RPM. This 35% increase in RPM causes the ...
style" vocals, which she now uses almost exclusively in her music. In Chicago, she worked at a "cross between a coffee shop and an empanada
An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spanish, other Southern European, Latin American, and Iberian-influenced cultures around the world. The name comes from the Spanish (to bread, i.e., ...
restaurant" and studied acoustical engineering
Acoustical engineering (also known as acoustic engineering) is the branch of engineering dealing with sound and vibration. It includes the application of acoustics, the science of sound and vibration, in technology. Acoustical engineers are typical ...
before switching to engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
("I'm just gonna do usic and study something else", she said) in college. , she lives in Los Angeles with her husband Gabriel.
Les participated in a remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (''Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 2007 ...
of Katie Dey
Katie Dey is an Australian experimental pop musician.
Career
Dey released her first album, ''Asdfasdf'', in 2015 with the label Orchid Tapes. Dey attracted the attention of Orchid Tapes founder Warren Hildebrand after Mat Cothran of Elvis Depres ...
's album '' Mydata'' in early 2021. In March 2021, Les released her solo debut single, "Haunted". The song had previously been played at a virtual concert but was officially released due to a positive response from her fanbase. ''The Daily Californian
''The Daily Californian'' (''Daily Cal'') is an independent, student-run newspaper that serves the University of California, Berkeley, campus and its surrounding community. It formerly published a print edition four days a week on Monday, Tuesd ...
'' described the track as "immersive" and "eerie", while ''Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
'' called it "energetic" and "freaked-out". The song was subsequently featured in season 2 of the HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series ''Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
''.
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
Remix albums
Extended plays
Singles
Remixes
Other appearances
Music videos
Production and songwriting credits
Tours
Headlining tours
* ''The Secret Tour'' (2019)
* ''10000 Gecs Tour'' (2021–22)
* ''Welcome To the World Tour'' (2022)
Supporting tours
* Heaven Belongs to You Tour (with BROCKHAMPTON Brockhampton may refer to:
*Brockhampton (band), an American self-described "boy band" and music collective
*Brockhampton, Gloucestershire, Cotswold, England
* Brockhampton, Tewkesbury, a location
In geography, location or place are used to deno ...
) (2019)
* U.S. 2022 (with Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
) (2022)
* Opening for My Chemical Romance’s Return Tour (2022)
References
External links
100 gecs on Bandcamp
osno1 (Laura Les) on Bandcamp
Dog Show Records
{{Authority control
American experimental musical groups
American musical duos
American electronic music groups
Musical groups from St. Louis
LGBT-themed musical groups
Big Beat Records (American record label) artists
Atlantic Records artists
Musical groups established in 2015
2015 establishments in Missouri