Following their recent addition to the Prosthetic Records roster, multinational cybergrind quartet THOTCRIME are set to release their sophomore full length, titled D1G1T4L_DR1FT, on October 28. To celebrate, we got talking to the band’s guitarist Malady about some of her and the band’s key influences, and it’s out pleasure to give you her interesting list of top 10 cybergrind and hyperpop artists worth a check.
With members hailing from Champaign-Urbana, IL, Philadelphia, PA and Nottingham, UK THOTCRIME’s prolific output to date has seen the band generate a buzz in online music communities and garner praise from Bandcamp Daily in the publication’s profile on the burgeoning cybergrind movement at large. D1G1T14L_DR1FT, the follow up to 2020s ønyøurcømputer, sees THOTCRIME continue to gleefully abandon genre convention in favour of boundless individuality and invention.
Tracks such as Tweet This! and Critical Codependence (featuring diana starshine) bubble enthusiastically with hyperpop-isms amongst grind and emphatic declarations of triumph in the face of modern day adversity – be that the relentlessly ill-disposed and cynical news cycle we all find ourselves plugged into, pervasive anxieties or interpersonal turbulence – whilst tracks such as the opening This Isn’t Foundation, Now Give Me Your Skin Please? and Central Dogma play to THOTCRIME’s more caustic hardcore and metallic edges with dizzying results.
Self-produced by the band before being mixed and mastered by the group’s very own K. Salmon, the usual pitfalls and tribulations of getting a group of people into a room to write and record an album do not apply here. THOTCRIME’s approach to crafting D1G1T4L_DR1FT is an embrace of technological advances and DIY collaboration via Discord servers, instant messengers and online community – with collaboration already playing a large part in THOTCRIME’s growing discography thanks to remix releases of their debut album in its entirety and their 2021 Remixes effort. D1G1T4L_DR1FT is tied together aesthetically in arresting fashion thanks to digital artist Yam Lynn.
On their second long player THOTCRIME continue to shun all that is conventional whilst cohesively blending together disparate influences from 100 Gecs to The Locust, D1G1T4L_DR1FT finds the international act steadfastly embracing exultation and conquering all that stands in their way. Stop the doomscrolling, THOTCRIME are the perfect antidote.
THOTCRIME is: Hayleyy Sparxx – Vocals, K. Salmon – Producer, Malady Jane – Guitar, Dot Homler – Drums
Top Ten Cybergrind & Hyperpop Artists
“When it comes to either of these genres there’s such a wealth of great music out there that it’d be nearly impossible to run out of exciting new things to hear. If you get through these ten artists and are eager to hear more, I highly recommend checking out the Big Money Cybergrind label / Facebook group to dive deeper into cybergrind, and Orange Milk Records for some of the most forward-thinking electronic music and pop artists out there today.” – comments Malady.
Nusagi
Nusagi is a producer based out of Massachusetts who has worked with diana starshine, Kid Trash, and Blind Equation (as well as our vocalist Hayleyy’s project Marble Girl.) They combine nostalgic Y2K pop and dance sounds with happy hardcore, hyperpop, and “drainer” pop. Incredibly catchy, and wearing their influences on their sleeve, they are insanely talented and probably one of our favorite producers and writers who is currently active.
Recommended track: Black Hole (feat. diana starshine)
JISEI
A dynamic duo of two veterans of heavy music, Alexis Page (Domesticated, Androgyne) and Leda Paige (The Hallowed Catharsis, Sissy XO). JISEI take the crushing deathcore of bands like Suicide Silence and the righteous queer fury of The Hirs Collective and throw it all through the grindcore wood chipper. Their new album Sincerely, Leda and Alexis has flurries of blast beats, crushing breakdowns, and menacing vocals.
Recommended track: …and I Let God See Me
Holidaykiss
Holidaykiss is a project from producer and songwriter Robyn Kim, and would be best described as digital magic in sonic form. Youthful, positive, and sincere are probably the best adjectives for their work. Though they’re no longer active, they continue to be one of our biggest inspirations and favorite recent artists.
Recommended track: Callback
Blind Equation
Where would any list related to cybergrind be without including Blind Equation? James has been creating music under this name since 2012 and only gets better with every release. 2021’s Life is Pain is the culmination of the sound he’s been cultivating over all those years. The addition of a live drummer and keytar player has only added to the energy and excitement his live shows bring. If Blind Equation comes to your city, don’t miss them.
Recommended track: papa_roach_last_resort_demo.mp3
Superfruit
Superfruit are a very fun and often introspective pop group. The vocal performances and minimal but effective instrumentals really bring a curious “pop from an outsider” perspective to the genre and result in the best summer vibes but also great bedroom feels.
Recommended track: Fantasy (feat. Amber Liu)
Drumcorps
Drumcorps is the logical progression of cybergrind – a manic combination of breakcore and heavy guitars and drums. The way they take hardcore/metal sound palettes and twist and manipulate them into a glitchy, noisy soundscape is so awesome. You’ll hear plenty of familiar riffs but dressed up in a completely new way.
Recommended track: Botch Up and Die
Trust Fund Ozu
Former Thank You Scientist drummer Faye Fadem showcases her true creative voice with her current project, Trust Fund Ozu. Her take on the hyperpop genre is amazingly inventive, unique, and most importantly a blast to listen to. Her send-up of one children’s fantasy author turned anti-trans activist shows she’s neither afraid to confront bigots or to have fun while doing so.
Recommended track: Succubus
ZOMBIESHARK
An absolute titan of the cybergrind scene. Another longstanding project from the early days of cybergrind, Cory has been a massive part of the genre for years. The 2020 record I Will Destroy You, Myself, and Everything I’ve Ever Loved combines influences ranging from deathcore and nu metal to jungle, breakcore, and hardstyle to create one of the most unique records I’ve ever heard. His latest single “SMILE SUPPORT SOCIETY” throws a healthy dose of hyperpop into the mix, and the result is unbelievably exciting.
Recommended track: SMILE SUPPORT SOCIETY
QT
A manufactured project by the infamous PC music label. They only ever released one song, but it’s incredibly powerful and fun. It does everything PC Music and hyperpop set out to do but with a beautifully clean production edge, obnoxiously catchy melodies, and some truly bizarre harmonic ideas that elevate it to almost its own genre.
Recommended track: Hey QT
Lauren Bousfield
To call Lauren Bousfield just a breakcore producer would be a major understatement. Her sound design is unlike anything else, with virtuosic strings and piano mixed with extremely processed, textural vocals. Her most recent album Palimpsest is a gorgeous, ethereal masterwork of experimental electronica.
Recommended track: Birds Falling Out of the Sky
