PC Music is a London record label and art collective run by producer A. G. Cook. It was founded in 2013 and released its last new music in 2023: since 2024 it has handled only archival projects and special reissues (Wikipedia). The label is known for exaggerated takes on 1990s and 2000s pop tropes, with pitch-shifted vocals and bright, synthetic textures.
Origin
- June 2013. Wikipedia says Cook, who had studied music at Goldsmiths, University of London, founded PC Music in June 2013 “as a way of embracing an A&R role” and uploaded its first releases to SoundCloud that year.
- 2014. Within a year the label had published 40 songs on SoundCloud. Its first paid download was Hannah Diamond’s “Every Night” in November 2014. QT’s “Hey QT” also came out in 2014 on XL Recordings, produced by Cook and PC Music affiliate Sophie. Spin named PC Music its “Trend of the Year” for 2014, and Fact named it the best label of 2014.
- 2015. After a South by Southwest showcase in March 2015, the label released its first official compilation, PC Music Volume 1. On October 21, 2015 it announced a partnership with Columbia Records, starting with an EP from Danny L Harle.
Sound and Artists
Wikipedia describes the label’s music as pitch-shifted, feminine vocals over bright, synthetic textures, borrowing the look of advertising, consumerism and corporate branding. Its artists often present devised personas. The label often recorded inexperienced singers and heavily processed their vocals. Artists on the roster have included Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, Danny L Harle, Finn Keane (formerly Easyfun), Namasenda and Planet 1999.
On Sophie. Sophie was an affiliate rather than a core roster act. Wikipedia’s Sophie article says she became involved with PC Music artists after encountering Dux Kidz, a project of Cook and Danny L Harle, and her own records came out on labels including Numbers and Transgressive. She produced most of Charli XCX’s Vroom Vroom EP (February 2016) and died in Athens on January 30, 2021, aged 34.
Key Releases
| Year | Release | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Hannah Diamond, “Every Night” | The label’s first paid download (November 2014) |
| 2014 | QT, “Hey QT” | Released on XL Recordings; produced by Cook and Sophie |
| 2015 | PC Music Volume 1 | First official compilation |
| 2016 | PC Music Volume 2 | Released November 18, 2016 |
| 2022 | PC Music Volume 3 | Third label compilation |
| 2023 | Thy Slaughter, Soft Rock | Final new release, December 1, 2023 |
All entries per Wikipedia.
The 2023 Ending
On June 25, 2023, the label’s 10th anniversary, PC Music announced that 2023 would be its final year of new releases. The Fader printed the message: “After a decade of activity, 2023 will be PC Music’s final year of new releases.” The label said it would then be dedicated to archival projects and special reissues. Its final new release, Thy Slaughter’s Soft Rock (December 1, 2023), featured Caroline Polachek and Charli XCX among its guests.
Hyperpop and Charli XCX
In the late 2010s the term #Hyperpop began to be used as a microgenre for music associated with PC Music and the artists it influenced (Wikipedia). The Fader wrote that PC Music “set the template” for the genre. Cook went on to executive-produce Charli XCX’s mixtapes Number 1 Angel and Pop 2 (both 2017) and her albums Charli (2019), How I’m Feeling Now (2020) and #Brat (2024), according to Wikipedia.