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PC Music: The Future?
House | Friday 10th October 2014 | lizzy
The London electronic music scene has recently been split by the mysterious emergence of 'PC Music'. Dismissed by some as painful on the ears and 'some kind of joke', Fact Magazine celebrated it as 'the most compelling pop music in recent memory'. It is probably best described as intelligent and catchy bubble-gum pop or 'post-ring tone music'. Sickly sweet vocals that on first listen sound like they could get on your nerves (see Hannah Diamond's 'Pink and Blue') have a way of creeping up and converting listeners to obsessives.
But who are they? Part of their aura comes from the mystery. It is unclear who they are or how many they number, maintaining an obscurity coupled with futuristic and sugary promotional material. Alongside A. G. Cook, SOPHIE and Hannah Diamond, other associated artists include: GFOTY, the Lipgloss Twins, Kane West, and Danny L Harle.
Live sets are rare and secretive (a recent gig was guestlist only) and often play with performance art and gender inversion. Electronic music fans were dumbfounded last month when A. G. Cook and SOPHIE used their Boiler Room set in LA to play out 'Hey QT' . Audience reactions varied from bemused enjoyment to outright rejection, with some leaving the room. YouTube comments were also split between haters: 'just bad and uninspired' and new PC Music recruits: 'The Future', 'low key geniuses'.
Another member of the collective, GFOTY (Girlfriend of the Year), has built a whole persona around her character. Songs about nights out, heart break and boys not texting back are relatable, touching and funny, especially when accompanied by her electric live performances. A hilarious instagram profile 'GFOTYquotes' plays into this teenage girl persona, sharing wisdoms like 'Make up a Lie, to make YOU look, Better?'
In a traditionally more masculine scene, it is easy to see why PC Music is making waves. SOPHIE recently said in a rare interview that he was motivated by a desire to create music that was unlike anything else around at the moment, while others have pointed to clear links with the 'cutesiness' of K-Pop. While they may be divisive, there is no doubt that PC Music is fun. Fun, weird and exciting - listen with your ears open.
