The Rise of PC Music: From Obscure Pop Collective to Major Pop Power

An overview of the U.K. electronic pop label and its sudden burst in popularity.

Written by C.S. Harper

Founded in 2013 by A.G. Cook, PC Music is a London-based record label known for its brand of “hyperpop.” Characterized by hyper-repetitive hooks and inorganic sounds, PC Music pioneered an exaggerated take on pop production. With shimmering synths, heavy bass drums, alien pitched-up vocals, energetic beats, PC Music songs sound like post-ironic electropop from the year 2100.

Soon after its inception, PC Music published signed artist GFOTY’s “Bobby” on the label’s SoundCloud. While not prominent in the song, “Bobby ” features some of the elements that characterize the label’s sound, like pitched-up vocals and bubblegum pop production.

However, PC Music wouldn’t find its place in the music industry until 2014. The label experienced massive success with Hannah Diamond’s “Every Night,” which received about 200,000 SoundCloud plays in two weeks andranked 28th on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. Earlier that year, PC Music’s other major pop vocalist, QT, released her successful debut single, “Hey QT.” Produced by Cook and affiliated artist SOPHIE, “Hey QT” more prominently features pitch-shifted vocals and hyperpop production. In addition, its music video’s kawaii and cyberculture crossover aesthetic brought a new dimension to the label’s synthetic ethos.

In 2015, the label brought on another major gamechanger: new signee Danny L Harle. Harle’s work with established pop stars like Carly Rae Jepsen helped PC Music garner mainstream attention. This signified a new direction for the label, as it transformed from a post-ironic take on pop to a legitimate form of it. As a result, the label’s three major producers (Cook, SOPHIE, and Harle) became more involved in the mainstream pop scene, and the popularity of PC Music pop vocalists like QT and Hannah Diamond began to wane.

Over the past four years, PC Music has extended its influence across multiple genres and artists. SOPHIE went on to produce for Vince Staples, Charli XCX, and Camila Cabello and MØ in collaboration with Cashmere Cat. As the current creative director for Charli XCX, A.G. Cook has also been highly involved in the production of her records: co-writing and producing Number 1 Angel and Pop 2.

Despite these artists’s involvement in mainstream music, they have also delved into a more experimental sound. SOPHIE’s debut album, 2019’s Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides, features more aggressive, surreal production than that of previous PC pop star’s records. This record features sounds so transgressive that they are difficult to describe in normal music terms: melodies sound like clanging metal, whips, and distorted sirens. A year later, Cook made a departure from his signature form of bubblegum pop when he was executive producer for Charli XCX’s Charli, which features an experimental sound similar to SOPHIE’s. Recently, Cook demonstrated his versatility as executive producer on Caroline Polacheck’s Pang, as he opted for dreamier and more ethereal production.

With its growing popularity, will PC Music become the next trend in pop? Danny L Harle and A.G. Cook’s ability to make each record they produce unique but accessible without losing the signature PC sound has helped integrate the label into mainstream music. This slightly off but catchy production that PC players bring to their songs is on par with the recent wave of unconventional pop stars like Billie Eilish. In other words, the label’s enduring influence and ability to maintain mainstream appeal while staying at the cutting edge of pop music point toward future pop dominance.

Afterglow ATXNovember 5, 2019C.S. Harper, hyperpop, C.S. Hayter