Avant-Pop Record Label
PC Music (founded 2013 by A. G. Cook) is London-based label/collective that pioneered hyperpop, bubblegum bass, and deconstructed pop - hyper-glossy, ironic, maximalist electronic music that simultaneously celebrated and critiqued pop’s artificiality.
Sound & Aesthetic
Musical characteristics:
- Pitched-up vocals (chipmunk effect)
- Sugary, exaggerated pop production
- Corporate/advertising music parody
- Video game, MIDI sounds
- Deconstructed song structures
Visual identity: Stock photos, corporate aesthetics, deliberately fake/plastic imagery
Ambiguous sincerity: Unclear if mocking or celebrating pop music conventions
Key Artists
SOPHIE (1986-2021): Trans producer who brought PC Music to mainstream (Madonna, Charli XCX collabs); tragically died January 2021
A. G. Cook: Label founder, Charli XCX’s executive producer
Hannah Diamond: Model/artist embodying PC Music’s synthetic aesthetic
QT (Hayden Dunham + SOPHIE + A. G. Cook): Energy drink promotional project; “Hey QT” (2014)
Danny L Harle, GFOTY, Kane West, Kero Kero Bonito
Breakthrough
2014-2015: SoundCloud/YouTube virality
Charli XCX partnership (2016+): Vroom Vroom EP, Pop 2, Charli brought PC Music to mainstream pop
SOPHIE - “Ponyboy” (2017): Showed label’s artistic range beyond bubblegum
100 gecs (2019): Although not PC Music, became movement’s breakout success
Hyperpop Era
Spotify’s “hyperpop” playlist (2019): Codified PC Music-influenced sound
2020 explosion: Pandemic isolation drove experimental digital music consumption
Mainstream adoption: Charli XCX, Kim Petras, Dorian Electra gained audiences
Critical Reception
Debates:
- Art or marketing exercise?
- Feminist reclamation of pop femininity or problematic artificiality?
- Authentic expression or postmodern irony?
Academic interest: Gender studies, capitalism critique, internet aesthetics research
SOPHIE’s Death Impact
January 30, 2021: SOPHIE died age 34 (accidental fall in Athens)
Legacy re-evaluation: Movement’s leading genius, trans pioneer in electronic music
Influence codified: PC Music’s impact on 2020s pop undeniable post-SOPHIE
Contemporary Status
PC Music evolved from joke-or-serious? label to legitimatelyinfluential force:
- Charli XCX mainstream success
- Caroline Polachek art-pop acclaim
- Arca, 100 gecs continuing experimental pop
- TikTok-era pop incorporating PC Music techniques
The hashtag represents moment when internet-native, deconstructed pop moved from underground curiosity to shaping mainstream pop’s sound.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/
https://pitchfork.com/
https://www.nytimes.com/