PC Music is a record label and art collective based in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and run by producer A. G. Cook. It was founded in 2013, uploading its first releases to

SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...

that year. Artists on its roster have included Hannah Diamond,

GFOTY Polly-Louisa Salmon (born 19 July 1990), better known by her stage name GFOTY, an abbreviation of Girlfriend of the Year, is a British pop singer. From 2013 to 2018, she released music through the PC Music label. She now independently release ...

Danny L Harle Daniel Jack Eisner Harle (born 25 September 1989) is a British music producer and composer who records under the name Danny L Harle. He was formerly signed to the London-based PC Music label and is a member of Dux Content with A. G. Cook. He h ...

, Finn Keane (previously known as Easyfun), Namasenda, and Planet 1999. The label's releases have been showcased on the compilations '' PC Music Volume 1'' (2015), '' Volume 2'' (2016), and ''Volume 3'' (2022). As of 2024, the label exclusively does archival projects and special reissues and is no longer actively releasing new music. The label is known for its surreal or exaggerated take on

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...

tropes from the 1990s and 2000s, often featuring pitch-shifted, feminine vocals and bright, synthetic textures. PC Music has been characterized as embracing the aesthetics of

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

consumerism Consumerism is a socio-cultural and economic phenomenon that is typical of industrialized societies. It is characterized by the continuous acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing quantities. In contemporary consumer society, the ...

, and corporate branding. Its artists often present devised personas inspired by

cyberculture Internet culture refers to culture developed and maintained among frequent and active users of the Internet (also known as netizens) who primarily communicate with one another as members of online communities; that is, a culture whose influence ...

. The label has elicited both praise and criticism from journalists, and has been called "polarizing".

Background

The label functions as a collective in which acts frequently collaborate with each other. Many of the acts are aliases, obscuring the identities and number of artists on the label. Early on, the label kept tight control over its branding and limited its interaction with journalists, and as its profile grew, Cook declined to engage with press, described as a sort of

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr., is an American retired record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record label and i ...

figure within the group. ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

'' magazine said that PC Music's acts are best understood not as living people but as "meticulously planned and considered long-running art pieces…living installations who put out music." Cook mentioned a preference for "recording people who don't normally make music and treating them as if they're a major label artist." Rather than engaging in extended promotional campaigns, the label continually announces new acts. Each develops a persona that is conveyed through Internet slang and cartoon imagery.

History

Cook had previously worked on Gamsonite, a "pseudo-label" and blog collecting his early collaborations, among other projects while studying music at

Goldsmiths, University of London Goldsmiths, University of London, formerly Goldsmiths College, University of London, is a constituent research university of the University of London. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by ...

. He founded PC Music in August 2013, as a way of embracing an A&R role. Within a year the label had published 40 songs on SoundCloud where, as of September 2014, some of its songs had accumulated over 100,000 listens. It had not released a physical single, and its first paid download did not come until the November 2014 release of Hannah Diamond's " Every Night". QT's " Hey QT" single was also released in 2014, on XL Recordings, with production from Cook and PC Music-affiliate

Sophie Sophie is a feminine given name, another version of Sophia, from the Greek word for "wisdom". People with the name Born in the Middle Ages * Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson * Soph ...

. In March 2014, the label made their live debut in the United States when Cook, Sophie and QT performed at Hype Machine's Hype Hotel during

South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

. The following year, in March 2015, several members of the collective appeared at a label showcase at

. Cook described it as a "rebirth moment" for the group, moving toward functioning as a real record label. Shortly after, they released their first official compilation album, titled '' PC Music Volume 1''. On 8 May 2015, PC Music artists performed at BRIC House in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival, to premiere Pop Cube, "a multimedia reality network". Kane West - Western Beats

On 21 October 2015, the label announced on

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

a partnership with major record label

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. The first release through this partnership was an EP from

. In December 2015 PC Music released the single "Only You", a collaboration between A. G. Cook and the Chinese pop star Chris Lee, with a music video directed by Kinga Burza. On 18 November 2016, PC Music released '' PC Music Volume 2,'' a compilation featuring most of the label's roster. A review in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' praised it for being "more beautiful and progressive than ever before" and proof that "Cook and his gang are the cleverest, most thoughtful people in British pop". On 16 February 2018, PC Music released a limited dual-vinyl compilation of both ''PC Music Volumes 1'' and ''2'' and in December 2018, PC Music announced new vinyl and CD reissues of ''PC Music Volumes 1'' and ''2'', as well as the first physical release of the label's ''Month of Mayhem'' compilation. On 25 June 2023, the label's 10th anniversary, PC Music announced that 2023 would be the label's final year of new releases, and from 2024, the label would be dedicated to archival projects and special reissues. Coinciding this announcement was the release of a mixtape featuring the work of many PC Music artists. PC Music's final new release was Thy Slaughter's debut album ''Soft Rock'', released December 1, 2023. The album featured appearances from Alaska Reid, Caroline Polachek, Ellie Rowsell, and

Charli xcx Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

, as well as additional songwriting from Alma, Patrik Berger, Noonie Bao, and

Sound and influences

The label has released music with a consistent sound that Clive Martin, writing for ''Vice'', described as a "playful composite of disregarded sounds and genres". Lanre Bakare, writing for ''The Guardian'', identified the music's elements as "the huge synth blasts favoured by

Eurodance Eurodance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of Hip-hop, rap, techno and Eurodisco. This genre of music is heavily influenced by the use ...

chart-botherers such as

Cascada Cascada (, Spanish language, Spanish, 'Waterfall'), is a German dance music act founded in 2004 by singer Natalie Horler and DJs/composers/ producers DJ Manian and DJ Yanou. They functioned as a trio from 2004 to 2021, with their last track ...

, grime's sub-bass, 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 ...

's high-pitched vocal range". The styles and influences of music incorporated include bubblegum dance, Balearic trance, wonky and

electro house Electro house is a genre of electronic dance music and a subgenre of house music characterized by heavy bass and a tempo around 125–135 beats per minute. The term has been used to describe the music of many ''DJ Mag'' Top 100 DJs, including ...

. Cook cites Korean & Japanese pop music and

gyaru (, ) is a Japanese street fashion, Japanese fashion subculture for young women, often associated with gaudy fashion styles and dyed hair. The term is a Japanese transliteration of the English slang word . In Japan, it is used to refer to you ...

culture, as well as the production work of Max Martin and

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/ pop songwriting and record production team. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with var ...

. His production involves layering discordant sounds on top of each other to produce chaotic mixes, similar to the techniques used in black MIDI music. Abrupt shifts in

timbre In music, timbre (), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes sounds according to their source, such as choir voices and musical instrument ...

and rhythm are used to create multiple perspectives of a personality. Cook also indirectly cites American musician Conlon Nancarrow as a source of inspiration in the PC Music Pop Cube Trailer 1. Lil Data - Sup website

PC Music's songwriting often deals with consumerism as a theme. In their take on haul videos, Lipgloss Twins include references to fashion and makeup brands. Vocals on the label's mix for '' DIS Magazine'' reflect various forms of marketing: producer ID tags, film trailers, and product placement for a sponsor. The label brings in inexperienced singers to record its songs. It thoroughly processes the vocals, shifting the pitch upward or chopping it to use as a rhythmic element. These distortions create a post-ironic representation of consumerism, money, and sex. PC Music's aesthetic combines elements of cuteness, camp, and

kawaii ''Kawaii'' is a Japanese cultural phenomenon which emphasizes cuteness, childlike innocence, charm, and simplicity. ''Kawaii'' culture began to flourish in the 1970s, driven by youth culture and the rise of cute characters in manga and anime ...

, though often, as music critic Maurice Marion points out for ''Rare Candy'', with a sinister, Lynchian undertone achieved by dissonant inversions and caustic harmonization. Critics likened the label to Ryan Trecartin in its irregular pacing and valley girl slang. In a piece for ''Vice'', Ryan Bassil suggested that PC Music's style allows for a more candid expression of emotions. PC Music has been described as less "macho" take on the "house revival", bringing "playfulness and femininity" to dance music subculture. The availability of music software has allowed for the spread of high-production dance music by independent musicians, particularly on SoundCloud. PC Music often exaggerates the homogenised, high-fidelity aesthetics of these songs. '' Vogue'' deputy editor Alex Frank commented that the overt manipulation of cultural references showcased a cynical sense of humour, creating an insular approach to making dance music during a period of house revival. In the late 2010s, the term "

hyperpop Hyperpop (sometimes called bubblegum bass) is a loosely defined electronic music movement and microgenre that predominantly originated during the early 2010s in the United Kingdom. It is characterised by an exaggerated or maximalist take on p ...

" began to be used as a microgenre referring to music associated with the PC Music label and the artists it influenced.

Reception

As PC Music became more prominent in 2014, the reaction to it was often described as "divisive". Joe Moynihan, writing in ''

Fact A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...

'', remarked that "PC Music have, in just over a year, released some of the most compelling pop music in recent memory." Some critics have found its high-tempo trance sound artless or aggravating. PC Music received accolades in several 2014 year-end summaries. ''

Dazed ''Dazed'' (''Dazed & Confused'' until February 2014) is a quarterly British lifestyle magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. ''Dazed'' is published by Dazed Media, an independent media group known for produ ...

'' included A. G. Cook at number 12 in their "Dazed 100"; ''Fact'' named PC Music the best label of 2014; ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

'' included PC Music at number 3 in their "Underrated Albums - 2014"; ''

Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...

'' included PC Music at number 4 in their "Top Labels of The Year" in 2014; and

Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...

included it in their "Favorite 15 Labels of 2014". '' Spin'' magazine named PC Music its "Trend of the Year" for 2014. In 2021, The Forty-Five named several PC Music artists – including A.G. Cook, umru and Hannah Diamond – in their list of the best hyperpop songs of all time.

Live shows

PC Music have produced a number of label focused showcases since their inception. After a brief showcase at SXSW in 2015, on 8 May 2015, PC Music launched a "multimedia reality network" called 'Pop Cube'. An event in conjunction with the network was created and became part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival in New York, which quickly sold out. In May 2016, PC Music presented 'Pop Cosmos' at the Scala in London, featuring Danny L Harle, Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, A. G. Cook, Felicita, Easyfun and Spinee. In July 2016 PC Music held a new one-off event called 'Pop City' at Create in Los Angeles. As well as scheduled performances from PC Music performers, the show featured guests, including

Carly Rae Jepsen Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...

, and QT. On the ''405'' webzine, PC Music’s live shows have been described as being surrounded by a care-less authentic aura and have been recognised for their "forward-thinking fearlessness to push pop music into new and daring areas".

Artists

Artists previously signed to the label * A. G. Cook * Astra King * caro♡ *

* EasyFun * felicita * Finn Diesel *

* GRRL * Hannah Diamond * Hyd * Holly Waxwing * Kane West * Lil Data * Namasenda * Ö * Planet 1999 * Spinee *

Tommy Cash Tommy Cash (April 5, 1940 – September 13, 2024) was an American Country music, country musician. His elder brother was Johnny Cash. Background and career Cash was born in Dyess, Arkansas, on April 5, 1940, the youngest of four sons and thre ...

* umru Artists with only one solo release on the label * Chris Lee * Maxo * Princess Bambi * Tielsie Group projects and alternative aliases on the label * AFK (Ö & A. G. Cook) * Bopples (A. G. Cook & Kai Whiston) * Danny Sunshine (Danny L Harle) * DJ LIFELINE (A. G. Cook) * DJ Warlord (A. G. Cook) * Dux Content (A. G. Cook & Danny L Harle) * EasyFX (A. G. Cook & EasyFun) * Guys Next Door (A. G. Cook &

Oneohtrix Point Never Daniel Lopatin (born July 25, 1982), best known as Oneohtrix Point Never or OPN, is an American Experimental music, experimental electronic music producer, composer, singer, and songwriter. His music has utilized wikt:trope, tropes from various ...

) * Life Sim (speculated to be A. G. Cook) * Lipgloss Twins (A. G. Cook & Felicita) * MC Boing (Danny L Harle & Lil Data) * Nu New Edition (A. G. Cook) * Pobbles (A. G. Cook) * Thy Slaughter (A. G. Cook & EasyFun) * U.R.S.U.L.A. (speculated to be A. G. Cook & Spinee) Vocalists and other featured artists on the label * 645AR * Aj simons * Alaska Reid * Banoffee *

* Caroline Polachek * Cecile Believe *

* Chloe Sachikonye *

Clairo Claire Elizabeth Cottrill (born August 18, 1998), known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter. She began posting music on the internet at age 13. Clairo rose to prominence following the viral success of the music video for ...

* Denzel Himself * Ellen Roberts * Ellie Rowsell * Emily Verlander * Eyelar * emotegi * Fraxiom * Goth Jafar * Harriet Pittard * Hazel Yule * Iiris * Joey LaBeija *

Kero Kero Bonito Kero Kero Bonito (KKB) are a British indie pop band formed in London in 2013. The band consists of vocalist Sarah Midori Perry and producers and multi-instrumentalists Gus Lobban and Jamie Bulled. Their musical style consists of indie pop, ele ...

* La Zowi * Laura Les * Lewis Grant * Matt Copson * Merlin Nova * Mowalola * Noonie Bao * OhEm *

Oklou Marylou Vanina Mayniel (born 23 April 1993), better known by her stage name Oklou (pronounced "Okay Lou"; ˈəʊkeɪ 'luː), is a French musician from Poitiers. Her debut mixtape ''Galore'' was released in 2020, which was followed up by her debu ...

* Petal Supply *

Phoebe Ryan Phoebe Holiday Ryan (born September 21, 1990) is an American singer and songwriter. In 2015, she released a mashup of R. Kelly's "Ignition" and Miguel's "Do You", followed by her first single "Mine" from her debut EP of the same name. She signe ...

* Raffy * Ravenna Golden *

Rebecca Black Rebecca Renee Black (born June 21, 1997) is an American singer, songwriter, YouTuber, and DJ. She gained extensive media coverage when the music video for her 2011 debut single "Friday (Rebecca Black song), Friday" went viral video, viral on You ...

* Sarah Bonito * Sophie Cates * Sounds Like A U Problem * Tony Velour * YoungQueenz Artists with at least one remixed release by an artist on the label * 100 gecs *

Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ active in electronic music since 1988. His idiosyncratic work has drawn on many styles, including techno, ambient music, ambi ...

* Banoffee *

Baauer Harry Bauer Rodrigues (born April 30, 1989), known professionally as Baauer, is an American record producer and DJ, best known for his double platinum song "Harlem Shake (song), Harlem Shake". He has produced varied dance music from the age of 13 ...

Bladee Benjamin Thage Dag Reichwald (born 9 April 1994), known professionally as Bladee, is a Swedish singer and rapper. In 2013, he formed the Drain Gang music collective alongside childhood friends Ecco2K, Thaiboy Digital, and Whitearmor. Bladee ...

Bleachers Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports-fields and at other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step enabling access to a ...

* Caroline Polachek * Casey MQ * Charli xcx *

Christine and the Queens Rahim Claude Redcar (sometimes shortened to Chris or Redcar; born Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier; 1 June 1988) is a French singer and songwriter, best known under the pseudonym of Christine and the Queens. Born and raised in Nantes, he started ...

* DJ DJ Booth * Dreamtrak * Eartheater *

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 ...

* Erika de Casier *

Hikaru Utada , also known mononymously as Utada, is a Japanese and American singer, songwriter, and producer. She is considered to be one of the most influential and best-selling musical artists in Japan. She is best known by international audiences for w ...

* How To Dress Well *

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...

* K.I.D * Kacy Hill * Kai Whiston *

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

* lil aaron *

Magdalena Bay Magdalena Bay () is a long bay in Comondú Municipality along the western coast of the Mexico, Mexican States of Mexico, state of Baja California Sur. It is protected from the Pacific Ocean by the unpopulated sandy barrier islands of Isla Magda ...

* Max Tundra * MNEK * Oklou *

* Orchin * Perfume Genius * Phoenix *

Rostam use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = Kabulistan , death_cause = With the conspiracy of his half-brother Shaghad, he fell into a we ...

Sekai no Owari Sekai no Owari (literally translated, "End of the World"; stylized in all caps) is a Japanese Pop music, pop band from Tokyo. The band was formed in 2005 and has four members: Nakajin, Fukase, Saori, and DJ Love. Since their debut, they have ...

* Silly Boy Blue * Slayyyter *

Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. ...

* Spector *

Tinashe Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena, California, as a child, where she pursued w ...

* Wave Racer *

Whethan Ethan Snoreck (born May 25, 1999), better known by his stage name Whethan (formerly Wheathin), is an American DJ and music producer from Chicago. He gained recognition after his 2022 single "Lock It Up (Whethan song), Lock It Up," and the remix ...

Yelle Yelle is a French electronic band founded by lead singer and namesake Yelle (Julie Budet) and GrandMarnier (Jean-François Perrier). A third member, Tepr (Tanguy Destable), joined the band before the recording of their debut album. Yelle and G ...

Timeline

Discography

Compilation albums

Extended plays

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Record labels established in 2013 British independent record labels Electronic music record labels Pop record labels Record labels based in London Hyperpop 2013 establishments in England