By Humaam Said
Released on July 10, 2020, 1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues is a very unique album. Mainly filled with remixes from their debut album 1000 Gecs, 1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues performs the most well known 100 Gecs. Social media also has a few words to say about 100 Gecs. Log onto Twitter or TikTok and you’ll be flooded with negative reviews calling their music “garbage.” I went into this album biased against 100 Gecs and after a few listens of their 19 song album, I could see their rationale.
After a couple of listens to 1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues, I found a handful of songs that are catchy and repetitive which I found enjoyable. “Ringtone (Remix)” feat. Charlie XCX, Rico Nasty, and Kero Kero Bonito have a catchy chorus that easily gets stuck in your head. More sounds and elements were added in the remix that made it more catchy than the original. Songs like “Stupid Horse (Remix)” feat. GFOTY & Count Baldor, “xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx (Remix)” feat. Tommy Cash & Hannah Diamond, and “came to my show” are examples of songs that just can’t get out of your head after your first listen. The highs of the album are songs that get stuck in your head and give you an upbeat feeling. The lows… are quite deep.
As a person who listens to a variety of music genres from jazz to rap, I felt that I could enjoy the album, even if it was outside my comfort zone; I was terribly mistaken. Songs like “gecgecgec (Remix)” feat. Lil West and Tony Velour, “gec 2 Ü (Danny L Harle Harlecore Remx) and “gec 2 Ü (Remix)” feat. Dorian Electra, “hand crushed by a mallet (Remix)” feat. Fall Out Boys, Craig Owens, Nicole Dollanganger, destroyed my brain on how unbelievably unappealing they were. At times I had to pause the song, and I dreaded the thought of returning to finish it. The flow never felt right for me in these songs, and for the majority of the album, I felt lost trying to find any enjoyment. The screamy, over-the-top autotune didn’t click well with me. I got lost in the synthcore and trance at times and started to lose enjoyment in the song I was listening to.
It’s impossible to describe 100 Gecs’ music as anything except a niche. Although enjoyable in some areas, I couldn’t bring myself to entirely enjoy the album. I found the autotune overbearing and distracting in some songs while others it was used to perfection. There are catchy and repetitive songs in 1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues, but the majority of the album left me with a horrible impression. 1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues is an album I would never recommend to any of my friends, and if I had the chance to go back in time to stop myself from listening to the album, I would.